[Ip-health] Lancet reports WHO DG sanctioned WHO Thailand rep over comments on on US/Thai FTA

[James Love]

www.thelancet.com Vol 367 June 3, 2006

How Lee Jong-wook changed WHO
Lee Jong-wook=92s unexpected death on the first day of the World Health
Assembly left many of his colleagues at WHO mourning a man they
describe as a caring and considerate individual. But will history be
so kind to his achievements as Director-General? Paul Benkimoun
considers Lee=92s legacy.

Paul Benkimoun

Page 1806

However, once in the role of
Director-General, even if Lee had the
personal conviction to resist the US
influence he was given little room
for manoeuvre. One example of the
pressure put on WHO by the USA
concerned the WHO representative in
Thailand. The individual in question
was sanctioned and recalled after
signing an editorial in The Bangkok
Post that drew attention to the
negative aspects of the bilateral Free
Trade Agreement between the USA
and Thailand that had been under
discussion since 2004. This action was
a clear signal of US influence on WHO.

A former member of the cabinet of
the WHO Director-General comments:
"[Lee] had to trade constantly with
the US. To obtain US support for 3 by
2006 5 he softened what could have been
a more aggressive stand toward the
food industry in the Global Strategy
on diet, physical activity, and health."

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James Love, CPTech / www.cptech.org / mailto:james.love@cptech.org /
tel. +1.202.332.2670 / mobile +1.202.361.3040

"If everyone thinks the same: No one thinks."  Bill Walton