Launch of CSO Commission working group study “Civil society engagement in the development of WHA resolutions and decisions”

ELPA attended the launch of CSO Commission working group study “Civil society engagement in the development of WHA resolutions and decisions” on January 24, 2025. This landmark publication, co-authored by EPHA’s Director General Milka Sokolović and three other members of the Steering Committee, Shilpa Maiya, Thomas Schwarz and Fiona Uellendahl, reflects a year-long effort to evaluate civil society’s involvement in shaping critical global health resolutions and decisions at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77) held in May 2024. The report provides a comprehensive review of civil society’s engagement in drafting three key WHA77 documents:  yhe WHA Resolution on Social Participation,  the WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work, and  the WHA Resolution on Climate Change and Health.  For each document, the study examines the dynamics between civil society, the WHO Secretariat, and Member States, detailing the challenges, successes, and lessons learned. By embracing the key lessons, the WHO Secretariat, Member States and civil society will strengthen their commitment to participatory governance, making health policies more responsive, equitable, and effective. The launch webinar presented the report’s key findings and evidence-based recommendations, featuring contributions from the study co-authors and leading experts in global health, followed by a panel discussion to explore the practical implications of the report’s conclusions.