WHO - EB 150 - EU Statement: Item 20.1 - Prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

Chair,

Director-General,

Members of the Executive Board,

Colleagues,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The Candidate Countries Montenegro[1] and Albania[1], the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

We thank the Director-General and the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee (IOAE) for their reports on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH).

The EU and its Member States remain fully committed to zero tolerance for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of SEAH. As we are all aware, the occurrence of sexual misconduct is not bound to a particular organization or country. It is a societal problem throughout the world. What we know from these occurrences is that substantiated cases of sexual misconduct not only impact the lives of victims and survivors, but also expose misuse of power, a lack of systems, support, transparency and accountability, that they hamper staff morale and fundamentally undermine trust in institutions.

In order to effectively prevent, mitigate and respond to these risks, it is paramount that robust, long-term strategies and mechanisms are in place in an enabling environment with an accountable organizational culture. In that regard, we look forward to the  implementation of a victim- and survivor-centered approach to preventing and responding to SEAH across all levels of the WHO. This should include adequate support to victims and survivors - including financial-, an accountability framework, training and capacity building, and reform of the internal work culture, structures, policies, processes and practices.

We also welcome the development of a long-term strategy under the Management Response Plan for the period 2023‒2025 and regular updates thereof. We commend WHOs actions to respond to and implement the short-term recommendations of the Independent Commission, and are especially interested in the outcomes of the audit of the Secretariat’s case management and the review of  WHO’s relevant policies and procedures, and how the conclusions will further strengthen WHO’s mechanisms and standard operating procedures. With regard to the latter, we welcome the systematic use of the “ClearCheck” screening database to share information across entities in the United Nations systems to avoid the hiring and re-hiring of perpetrators or SEAH. We urge WHO to also further strengthen the mandate of its Office of Internal Oversight Services. In addition, we encourage WHO to adhere to the OECD DAC Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance.

In order to strengthen a coordinated system-wide response, that is victim/survivor-centered and increases accountability and transparency, it is important that all strategies and mechanisms that are developed align with UN protocols and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee core principles and minimum operating standards, taking into account also the IASC External Review on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment. We also strongly encourage more joint up efforts by WHO and other UN agencies, together with all stakeholders, for instance by strengthening the support to victims and survivors, establishing prevention and mitigation frameworks, raising awareness and training staff. This is important to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the zero tolerance approach.

The EU and its Member States have stressed the importance of increased capacity since many years, and therefore note the steps initiated by the Director-General in July 2021 to build capacity and allocate the necessary funding to urgently implement the institutional changes needed to effectively prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment across the Organization.

In conclusion, we continue to support the essential work that WHO staff are doing around the world. We request WHO to continue its engagement with all Member States, including further updates on the implementation of the long-term strategies, pro-active and transparent information sharing when new incidences of SEAH occur and regular updates on measures taken.

[1] Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.