United Nations 2 - UNHCR, IOM & WHO

What are the UN funds and programs

subordinate programmes to the UNGA

What are the funds and programs established by?

the a GA resolution

What is their thematic focus?

Development, children’s rights…

How are the programs funded?

voluntary contributions

What can states decide when donating

• how much they want to donate

• whether the money is unconditional or earmarked

What is earmarked funding

• It is conditional - conditional attached

• money is given towards a specific crisis or project

What percent of UN funding is conditional

80%

How can IOs be used in the interest of states

states influencing the decision of IOs

What convention was created in 1951

International Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

What does the International Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

• defines refugees

• outlines the rights of refugees

• the obligations of governments (non-refoulement, access, non-discrimination)

What 2 other treaties were made?

1967 Protocol

2018 Global Compact on Refugees

How many signatures did the 1967 Protocol have

Global applicability = 147 signatures

What does UNHCR stand for

UN High Commission for Refugees

What is the UNHCR

a UN program founded in 1951

What were the 2 predecessors to the UNHCR

1. International Refugee Organisation (IRO) 1947

2. United Nations Relief & Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) 1944

What does IOM stand for

International Office for Migration

What is the IOM

a UN related organisation since 2006

Who does the UNHCR report to

the UNGA

How many states in the Operational mandate by Executive Committee?

79

Who does the election?

ECOSOC - Economic & Social Council

Who is the leadership of UN programs

the High Commissioner for Refugees

How does the UNHCR help refugees?

Refugee assistance both physical and legal

List the 7 activities they do to help refugees.

1. Registration

2. Emergency support

3. Shelter

4. Cash assistance

5. Resettlement

6. Education

7. Support for IDP’s

Who is the top donor to the UNHCR

the US

How many members in the IOM (International Organisation for Migration)?

173 members

Where is the IOM based?

Geneva

What type of contributions do they provide?

Assessed & project based (voluntary and earmarked)

What does the IOM deal with?

Migration management

List the 4 activities it manages

1. Managing checkpoints

2. Visa organisation

3. Repatriation of voluntary return

4. Training of governmental staff (border control)

Who do they focus on?

Migrants NOT refugees —> can help climate migrants whereas UNHCR cant 

Who hires the IOM

Governments (e.g. US, EU, Turkey)

List 5 previous international cooperation on health

1. 1851 International Sanitary Conference in Paris

2. 1903 International Sanitation Convention

3. 1907 Rome Agreement: Office International d’Hygiène Publique

4. 1920 League of Nations Health Organisation

5. 1948 World Health Organisation (UN Specialised Agency)

List 7 different global heath governance fields

1. National health ministries

2. WHO

3. Other international IO’s (UNICEF, WTO…)

4. Informal organisations (G7)

5. Public-private partnerships

6. Philanthropic foundations

7. Pharmaceutical companies

World Health Organisation - how many members in the World Health Assembly?

194

How many members does the Executive Board have

34 members for 3 years

What other organs does the WHO have

A Director General and Secretarait

How many regional offices

6 that are highly decentralised

How many votes does each state have

1

What convention has been amde

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

What 4 regulations have been made?

1. 1951 International Sanitary Conference

2. 1969 International Health Regulations

3. 2005 Reformed International Health Regulations

4. 2024 Amended International Health Regulation

What did the International Health Regulation require?

That states reported outbreaks of infectious diseases

What where these regulations

Recommendations/ standards that are not binding - the way of the WHO to shape policies and bring issues onto the agenda without the agreement of states 

What are the obligations of the WHO

• Pay membership dues

• Provide information on domestic circumstances relating to health

• Consider implementing decision of the Assembly 

Are the conventions legally binding?

Only on member states that ratify them

Are regulations legally binding

They are automatically legally binding on member states unless the governments explicitly object to it

Do the recommendations carry any legal weight?

No

What happened in 2003

SARS outbreak 

= Travel restrictions & reformed International Health Regulations (2005)

= Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

What happened in 2014

Ebola outbreak West Africa

= new emergencies program: global emergency workforce

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework

What happened in 2019

Covid 19

= balancing act between acquiring epidemiological information & enforcing PHEIC

What happened in 2024

IHR amendments - postponed Pandemic Agreement 

What do the WHO in global health crisis

• provide personal protective equipment

• issue guidelines for disease management

• provide test kits to developing countries

• collecting & pooling information on clinical trials

What can the WHO not do during global health crisis

force a government to report if something happens

How many specialised agencies does the WHO have

15 - coordinated by ECOSOC

What are the specialised agencies ?

• Independent IO’s

• created outside of or by UN organs

• own founding treaty and procedures

e.g. World Bank, IMF, WHO, UNESCO, ILO

What is the function of these specialised agencies

Functional specialisation = e.g. food, labour, agriculture…

Who finances the specialised agencies

• member states through assessed contributions and voluntary contributions

• Top donners to WHO are not states but private organisations that indirectly fund the Io’s —> 90% is earmarked 

What did the World Health Assembly decide to do

Sustainably finance the WHO through the ‘Sustainable Financing Working Group’—> increase assessed contributions by 50% by 2030