Open letter

Response from Dr Sania Nishtar
Response from Dr David Nabarro

Open letter to WHO DG candidates: keep policy and priority setting free of commercial influence

Katherine BrownEmail the author Katherine Brown

Patti Rundall  Tim Lobstein  Modi Mwatsana, Bill Jeffery

on behalf of 61 signatories; a full list of signatories is available in the appendix     Published: 27 April 2017

In May, 2017, WHO Member States will meet in Geneva for the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) and a new WHO Director-General (DG) will be elected. As public-interest non-government organisations (NGOs) involved in global health governance and the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, we believe that a fundamental consideration for Member States when electing the DG will be how the new leadership will ensure appropriate interactions with alcohol, food, pharmaceutical, and medical technology industries. We invite the three candidates to describe what steps they commit to take to ensure greater transparency, rigor, and public scrutiny of WHO's policy and regulatory and norm-setting activities so that they are adequately protected from undue commercial interests.

In May, 2016, WHA adopted the Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA), a policy due to be fully operational by May, 2018. While FENSA envisages that WHO will “exercise particular caution…when engaging with private sector entities …whose policies or activities are negatively affecting human health..”,1 the rhetoric and direction of WHO's reform process as well as WHO's chronic funding challenges have left us deeply concerned rather than reassured. We fear that instead of protecting WHO's mandate, FENSA risks relegating WHO to a limited role, unable to stand up for human rights and democratic decision making.

We draw attention to the conflict of interest statement signed by more than 175 NGOs and networks representing more than 2000 groups and first launched at the UN High-Level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases in 2011: “The policy development stage should be free from industry involvement to ensure a ‘health in all policies’ approach, which is not compromised by the obvious conflicts of interests associated with food, alcohol, beverage and other industries, that are primarily answerable to shareholders.”2

Alcohol, food, pharmaceutical, and medical technology industries should comply with policies developed by WHO and its Member States. Their role is not in public health policy formulation, risk assessments, risk management, or priority setting, nor in determining normative quality standards and legally binding regulations to protect and promote public health. These processes must be undertaken in an environment free of commercial influence.

We believe that only a WHO that protects its independence and integrity of decision making will have the ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate, and look forward to your response to our request.

PR holds shares in Nestlé SA, for the purpose of attending the Annual General Meeting. All other authors declare no competing interests.

References

Jump to SectionSupplementary MaterialReferences

1. Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly. (Agenda item 11.3) (accessed April 21, 2017)Framework of engagement with non-state actors. ; May 28, 2016
   
   http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA69/A69_R10-en.pdf?ua=1
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2. Conflict of Interest Coalition. (accessed April 21, 2017)Statement of concern. ; 2011
   
   http://info.babymilkaction.org/sites/info.babymilkaction.org/files/COIC150_0.pdf
   
   
   

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   Signatories to 'Ensuring integrity, independence and credibility: Open letter to the candidates for WHO DG'
   
   NAME ORGANISATION
   
   Institute of Alcohol Studies, BROWN, Katherine
   World Obesity Federation, LOBSTEIN, Tim
   International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), RUNDALL, Patti
   UK Health Forum, MWATSAMA, Modi
   Center for Health Science and Law, JEFFRY, Bill
   The Alliance for Nutritional Health (Alianza por la Salud Alimentaria)  MACARI, Marisa
   World Cancer Research Fund International, ALLEN, Kate
   Global Alcohol Policy Alliance, BAKKE, Oystein
   International Blue Cross, BABB, Anne
   Alliance Against Conflict of Interest (AACI), GUPTA, Arun
   OXFAM, KAMAL-YANNI, Mohga
   International Association for Social Pediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP), SPENCER, Nick
   International Committee of Drug Bulletins (ISDB), BIJL, Dick
   International Lactation Consultant Association, PARKER, Meredith
   IOGT International, SPERKOVA, Kristina
   Medicus Mundi International. Network Health for All, SCWARTZ, Thomas
   Wemos, MEURS, Mariska
   Bread for the World – Protestant Development Service, HASSE, Mareike
   Public Eye (formerly known as Berne Declaration), DURISCH, Patrick
   El Poder del Consumidor, MACARI, Marisa
   Ntakuka East African Alcohol Policy Alliance, MELAU, William
   European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare), SKAR, Mariann
   European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Marketing (EUCAM), VAN DALEN, Wim
   European Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Alliance, BLACK, Diane
   European Mutual help Network for Alcohol related problems (EMNA), PALMESINO, Ennio
   European Network of Teratology Information Services (ENTIS), WEBER-SCHOENDORFER, Corinna
   European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), RENSHAW, Nina
   Alcohol Policy Youth Network, GALKUS, Lukas
   AlcoHelp, MARTIN, Teryy
   Alcohol Action Ireland, COSTELLO, Suzanne
   Alcohol Focus Scotland, DOUGLAS, Alison
   Alcohol Forum Ireland, DOHERTY Kieran
   Alcohol Health Alliance, GILMORE, Ian
   Alcohol Justice, LIVINGSTON, Bruce Lee
   Association of Directors of Public Health, FURBER, Andrew
   British Association for the Study of the Liver, ALEXANDER, Graeme
   British Liver Trust, LANGFORD, Andrew
   British Society of Gastroenterology, MORIARTY, Kieran
   British Medical Association
   BUKO Pharma-Kampagne, SCHAABER, Jorg
   Crime and Security Research Institute, Cardiff University, SHEPARD, Jonathan
   Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy STAP, VAN DALEN, Wim
   FASD Fachzentrum Berlin, BECKER, Gisela
   Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Foundation of the Netherlands, BLACK, Diane
   Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, SOMER, Sari
   Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (FARE), THORN, Michael
   Forum Savonese del Terzo Settore, PESCE, Davide
   First Steps Nutrition Trust, CRAWLEY, Helen
   Innovation in Practice (HIP), DENTICO, Nicoletta Health
   Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling, BAULD, Linda
   IOGT NTO, DRAMSTAD, Kalle
   Lithuanian Tobacco and Alcohol Control Coalition, MIDTTUN, Nijole
   Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, GALLOWAY, David
   Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, MURRAY, Frank
   SAF Group, IZUEL, Itziar
   School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa,
   SCHNEIDER, Helene
   Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP)CARLIN, Eric,
   UK & European Birth Mother Network - FASD
   UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS) BAULD, Linda
   UK Faculty of Public Health, CAPEWELL, Simon,
   Violence Prevention Group, Cardiff Partnership, SHEPARD, Jonathan
   Vivre avec le SAF, METELSKI, Catherine,
   Royal College of General Practitioners

   annex