[Ip-health] WHO IGWG 2nd session scheduled for April 2008 possibility of NGO participation

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
The WHO Secretariat requested me to post this on ip-health.

Thiru

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Subject: WHO IGWG 2nd session scheduled for April 2008 possibility of
NGO participation

WHO continues to welcome the interest in the abovementioned subject
and wishes to inform interested parties of the following:

In its decision EB120(3), the WHO Executive Board agreed to adopt
certain measures for facilitating the participation of NGOs in the
work of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health,
Innovation and Intellectual Property. The decision is below.


Among the conditions set out in decision EB120(3)is that
nongovernmental organizations must be in working relations with WHO.
Such relations are characterized, inter alia, by an exchange of
letters agreeing to joint activities over a fixed time period.  Each
party identifies focal points for such relations.  Normally such
letters are also signed by a representative of the Government
Agencies, Civil Society and Private Sector Relations (GPR) department
in WHO that, inter alia, administers the implementation of the
Principles governing relations between WHO and NGOs, including the
application process. The Principles are available athttp://www.who.int/civilsociety/relations/principles/en/index.html
.


International NGOs that have an agreed joint work plan with WHO and
consider they would meet the criteria for admission into official
relations set out in the abovementioned Principles may wish to request
an assessment of their relations.  Requests should contain:

a copy of the current mutually agreed joint work plan noting the
name(s) of the focal points both in the NGO and WHO
a copy of the NGO's constitution, or equivalent document
a copy of the NGO's membership lists or, if not a membership
organization, a list of the governing body members with their names
and affiliations

a copy of the NGO's annual reports for the past three years and
financial accounts

The request and all related documentation, except the annual reports,
should be in English or French.  The request, addressed to The
Director, PUN, may either be sent electronically to
civilsociety@who.int or by mail to the following address:  WHO/PUN, 20
Ave Appia, CH-1211, Geneva, 27. It will not be possible to process
requests received after 22 February 2008.


EB120(3) Measures to be taken for facilitating the participation of
nongovernmental organizations in the work of the Intergovernmental
Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property

         The Executive Board, having considered the recommendation of
the Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and
Intellectual Property (at http://www.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB120/B120_35_Add1-en.pdf)
  and the report of the Standing Committee on Nongovernmental
Organizations (at http://www.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB120/B120_41-en.pdf)
, authorized the Chairman of the Executive Board, acting jointly with
the Chairman of the Standing Committee, to admit provisionally
nongovernmental organizations into official relations with WHO.  The
facility established by the present decision will apply to
nongovernmental organizations that request official relations solely,
or also, for the purpose of participating in the work of the IGWG,
subject to the following conditions and requirements:

(1)     nongovernmental organizations must be in working relations
with WHO at the time of submission of their application, so that
approximately two years of working relations will have elapsed by the
time the Executive Board formally reviews their applications under
point (3) below, and must otherwise meet the criteria established in
section 3 of the Principles Governing Relations between the World
Health Organization and Nongovernmental Organizations (http://www.who.int/civilsociety/relations/principles/en/index.html
);

(2)     the mandates of the nongovernmental organizations concerned
must be relevant to the work of the Intergovernmental Working Group;

(3)     the Executive Board will review nongovernmental organizations
in provisional official relations at its January session subsequent to
their admission into provisional official relations, for the purpose
of confirming or terminating such relations in accordance with normal
procedures.

This decision will remain applicable, unless terminated or revised by
the Board, until the completion of the work of the  Intergovernmental
Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property.



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Thiru Balasubramaniam
Geneva Representative
Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
thiru@keionline.org


Tel: +41 22 791 6727
Mobile: +41 76 508 0997