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PBAC44 - EU statement - Item 3.11 – Reform of the global health architecture and the UN80 Initiative

13.05.2026
Geneva
Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva

WHO

PBAC44

Item 3.11 – Reform of the global health architecture and the UN80 Initiative

EU Statement

 

 

Chair,

Director General,

Excellencies,

Colleagues,

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the EU and its 27 Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia, as well as Armenia align themselves with this statement.

We welcome the joint process hosted by WHO to support the reform of the global health architecture. In this period of change and uncertainty, it is a crucial initiative that should: 

  • First, reaffirm the Organization’s role as the cornerstone of the global health ecosystem, grounded in its near universal membership and focused on its constitutional mandate. 

  • Second, ensure inclusive, equitable and transparent participation by all relevant stakeholders, including global health initiatives, healthcare workers, affected communities, civil society and industry representatives. Managing potential conflicts of interest is hereby critical. We support technical expertise of Member States to be included in a process that is human rights and evidence based. 

  • Third, increase effectiveness, efficiency and impact to continue improving health outcomes worldwide by addressing gaps, minimising duplication, and improving coordination. The process should strengthen cooperation amongst health actors, respecting their governance mechanisms. It should clarify roles and support more efficient delivery based on core mandates and comparative advantage. Furthermore, it should promote predictable and sustainable financing for health necessary for the transition to health sovereignty. 

This is why we strongly call: 

  • for the inclusion of CSO’s and other non-state actors in the Task Force. Including two members from this constituency would enhance the legitimacy and depth of the process.

  • for the Secretariat to ensure that the recommendations reflect consensus- and are feasible, actionable. 

  • for the improvement of the Task Force’s operational procedures by ensuring that, where consensus is not reached, all views are equitably reported to the relevant governing bodies. The Task Force should not be a decision-making, but an advisory body. Thus, respecting the role of Member States as ultimate decision makers in the WHO and in the competent governing bodies of the relevant actors.

Finally, we stress that the process should be resource-efficient and coherent with UN80 and other relevant reform processes. We encourage the Secretariat to build on, complement and leverage existing processes and progress to date


Thank you.

  1. ^   North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.