Global Health for Peace Initiative

Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean Sixty-ninth session Provisional agenda item 4(k) EM/RC69/17 October 2022 Regional Committee version Original: English Global Health for Peace Initiative Update on the Global Health for Peace Initiative INTRODUCTION 1. The Global Health for Peace Initiative was launched in November 2019 with the active support of Oman and Switzerland, following a multilateral consultation in Geneva attended by more than 50 representatives of 24 countries and partners. The Initiative aims to position WHO and the health sector as contributors to peace through designing health interventions and programmes that are conflict sensitive, and that deliver or contribute to peace outcomes, where context and resources allow. The Initiative also contributes to WHO’s triple billion targets, the Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage. 2. In January 2022, the Executive Board at its 150th session noted a report by the Director-General (document EB150/20) detailing the origin of the Global Health for Peace Initiative and its objectives, approach, workstreams and possible ways forward. 3. In May 2022, the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly also took note of a report1 and adopted decision WHA75(24) in which it requested the Director-General to consult with Member States and Observers on the implementation of the proposed ways forward contained in the report, and then to develop, in full consultation with Member States and Observers, and in full collaboration with other organizations of the United Nations system and relevant non-State actors in official relations with WHO, a road map for the Initiative, for consideration by the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly through the Executive Board at its 152nd session. 4. The Health for Peace approach focuses on fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings; however, this approach is also relevant in settings where social cohesion, resilience and trust need to be built, sustained, or strengthened. Such situations may occur before, during, and after conflict as well as in settings where a lack of trust within or between communities, or between and health workers or authorities, undermines public health outcomes. The opportunities available in each context will vary, and Health for Peace interventions must be tailored to each setting. CONSULTATIVE PROCESS FOR THE GLOBAL HEALTH FOR PEACE INITIATIVE Overview and steps 5. WHO has commenced a consultative process with Member States, Observers, and other organizations of the United Nations system and relevant non-State actors in official relations with WHO. 6. As requested in decision WHA75(24), the consultations will take place in two phases: first, to seek input on the implementation of the proposed ways forward contained in document EB150/20; and 1 Documents A75/10 Rev.1 and EB150/20. 2 second, to develop a road map for the Global Health for Peace Initiative. The first phase will inform the content of the road map developed in the second phase. The consultative process is expected to extend from July 2022 until 30 September 2022. However, WHO will review whether additional time is required as the consultations progress. 7. The Director-General will submit a report and a draft road map based on the results of the consultations to the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly through the Executive Board at its 152nd session. Proposed ways forward 8. Document EB150/20 proposed the following ways forward as priorities for the Global Health for Peace Initiative for the next two years: (i) Updating WHO’s global strategy in respect of the Health for Peace approach, and considering adopting as a goal for the next biennium that WHO should promote public health norms and implement – or support national health ministries in implementing – programmes that are conflict sensitive and contribute to peace outcomes. (ii) Generating additional evidence on the impact of Health for Peace projects via the development of strong monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks for such projects. (iii) Developing awareness and capacities to implement the Health for Peace approach through the delivery of training and technical support across the three levels of the Organization. (iv) Engaging with Member States on the Global Health for Peace Initiative through high-level advocacy work, in order to facilitate the mainstreaming of the Health for Peace approach by WHO and Member States into public health policies or programmes. (v) In parallel, sustaining existing partnership development efforts, so as to increase capacities and support for the Global Health for Peace Initiative. 9. Consultations on the implementation of the proposed ways forward commenced in July 2022. Comments and input were invited from Member States and Observers via an online platform; it is also intended to organize an online meeting. Road map 10. The second step in the global and regional consultative process is to consult with Member States, Observers, and other organizations of the United Nations system and relevant non-State actors in official relations with WHO, on developing a road map for the Global Health for Peace Initiative. 11. The road map will be structured around the six workstreams of the Global Health for Peace Initiative: (i) evidence generation through research and analysis; (ii) development of a strategic framework; (iii) advocacy and awareness-raising; 3 (iv) capacity-building; (v) mainstreaming of the Health for Peace approach; (vi) partnership development. 12. Consultations on the development of the road map are planned for early September 2022. Member States and Observers will be invited to provide comments and input via an online platform. In addition, where possible, WHO will facilitate interactive sessions. ACTION BY THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE 13. In accordance with decision WHA65(9) (2012), in which the Health Assembly decided that regional committees be asked to comment and provide input to all global strategies, policies and legal instruments such as conventions, regulations and codes, and decision WHA73(15) (2020), which clarifies that comments and inputs on global strategies made in line with decision WHA65(9) on WHO reform, may be understood to include those provided by Member States in the context of technical meetings, informal consultations and other intergovernmental meetings in the regions, Member States are invited to comment and provide input on the development of the road map. In particular, Member States may wish to consider the following questions: • What priorities should guide the Global Health for Peace Initiative’s work for the first two years? • How should the Secretariat engage with Member States to mainstream the Health for Peace approach into public health policies or programmes? = = =