WHO is extending the deadline for this call for expression of interest to encourage additional applications from all the fields below, with particular focus for experts in the fields of international law, public health law, governance, legislation, ethics, equity, human rights and gender in public health. Applications require a Curriculum Vitae, a cover letter, and signed DOI form. Please note applicants who have already submitted an expression of interest do not need to re-apply; this re-opening of applications is intended for new expressions of interest only. Applications should be submitted by no later than 30 June 2022 24:00 (midnight) Geneva time.
Issued on: 29 April 2022
Deadline: 30 June 2022
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the roster of experts for the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR or Regulations). This “Call for expression of interest” provides information about the IHR roster of experts, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection for inclusion in the roster.
Background
In accordance with Article 47 of the IHR, the Director-General is required to establish a roster composed of experts in all relevant fields of expertise (hereafter the “IHR Expert Roster”), and to appoint the members of the IHR Expert Roster in accordance with the WHO Regulations for Expert Advisory Panels and Committees[1]. In addition, the Director-General is also required to appoint one member at the request of each State Party and, where appropriate, experts proposed by relevant intergovernmental and regional economic integration organizations. The IHR Expert Roster consists therefore of scientific experts who have either submitted applications in response to the call for experts or are proposed by a State Party, or by the organizations mentioned above.
Following the recommendation of the Review Committee on the functioning of the International Health Regulations (2005) during the COVId-19 response[2], WHO is issuing this open call for the IHR Roster of Experts, to promote gender, age, geographic and professional diversity, and equality.
Functions of the IHR Expert Roster
The IHR Roster serves as a pool of expertise from which the Director-General nominates experts to serve on Emergency Committees or Review Committees, established in accordance with relevant provisions of IHR Articles 48 to 54 and Article 62.
The Emergency Committee provides its views to the Director General on:
- whether an event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern;
- the termination of a public health emergency of international concern; and
- the proposed issuance, modification, extension, or termination of temporary recommendations in relation with a public health emergency of international concern.
The Review Committee is required to carry out the following functions:
- make technical recommendations to the Director-General regarding amendments to the Regulations
- provide technical advice to the Director-General with respect to standing recommendations, and any modifications or termination thereof;
- provide technical advice to the Director-General on any mater referred to it by the Director-General regarding the function of the Regulations, including but not limited to the practical impact of reservations on the operation of the Regulations.
Who can express interest?
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from scientists, technical experts, healthcare practitioners, healthcare regulators, and policy makers with expertise in the following areas:
- International Health Regulations, international law, and governance
- Health law, legislation, ethics, equity, human rights and gender in public health
- Infectious diseases, epidemiology, surveillance, clinical management, infection prevention and control
- Virology, microbiology, vector control, environmental science, human-animal interface
- Laboratory diagnostics, biosafety
- Medical anthropology, social sciences
- Public health emergency management and response, disaster management, all-hazards risk management
- Aviation medicine, travel medicine, international travel, tourism, and trade
- Points of entry, border health, mass gatherings
- Pharmaceuticals and vaccines, intellectual property rights.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the IHR Expert Roster, please submit the following documents to ihrcommittees@who.int by no later than 30 June 2022 24:00 (midnight) Geneva time, using the subject line “Expression of interest IHR Expert Roster”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
- Your curriculum vitae; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://covid.comesa.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of an AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts. AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of an AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to ihrcommittees@who.int well before the applicable deadline.
[1] WHO Regulations for Expert Advisory Panels and Committees. Available at: https://apps.who.int/gb/bd/PDF/bd47/EN/regu-for-expert-en.pdf
[2] Report of the Review Committee on the Functioning of the International Health Regulations (2005) during the COVID-19 response. Contained in document A74/9 Add.1, available at: https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA74/A74_9Add1-en.pdf