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WHO eyes US financial role ahead of withdrawal
(MENAFN) World Health Organization (WHO) member states are set to examine the financial obligations of the United States in connection with a possible withdrawal, the organization’s chief legal officer said Tuesday, as the one-year notice period announced by the Trump administration nears its conclusion.
"The WHO Constitution is a treaty," Steven Solomon told reporters at a WHO briefing in Geneva.
"Very notably, the WHO Constitution does not have a withdrawal clause. This was not an oversight. It was very deliberate."
Solomon explained that the constitution, drafted in 1946, intentionally omitted a withdrawal clause because the framers viewed universal participation as critical to global health security.
"They saw how a truly universal organization would make the world safer, so they did not include a withdrawal clause," he said, pointing out that the WHO constitution mirrored the UN Charter, which also contains no provision for withdrawal.
He added that the United States later arranged a separate agreement with the World Health Assembly. "In 1948, the US made an agreement with the World Health Assembly, reserving for itself, alone among countries, the right to withdraw on two conditions," Solomon said.
The two conditions include providing "one year notice," which will be fulfilled by late January, and ensuring that "the US will meet its financial obligations to the organization in full for the current fiscal year," he explained.
Solomon noted that the fulfillment and interpretation of the financial condition are expected to be discussed by member states. He said the matter will likely be raised at the WHO Executive Board next month and continue at the World Health Assembly in May.
"The WHO Constitution is a treaty," Steven Solomon told reporters at a WHO briefing in Geneva.
"Very notably, the WHO Constitution does not have a withdrawal clause. This was not an oversight. It was very deliberate."
Solomon explained that the constitution, drafted in 1946, intentionally omitted a withdrawal clause because the framers viewed universal participation as critical to global health security.
"They saw how a truly universal organization would make the world safer, so they did not include a withdrawal clause," he said, pointing out that the WHO constitution mirrored the UN Charter, which also contains no provision for withdrawal.
He added that the United States later arranged a separate agreement with the World Health Assembly. "In 1948, the US made an agreement with the World Health Assembly, reserving for itself, alone among countries, the right to withdraw on two conditions," Solomon said.
The two conditions include providing "one year notice," which will be fulfilled by late January, and ensuring that "the US will meet its financial obligations to the organization in full for the current fiscal year," he explained.
Solomon noted that the fulfillment and interpretation of the financial condition are expected to be discussed by member states. He said the matter will likely be raised at the WHO Executive Board next month and continue at the World Health Assembly in May.
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