Geneva is host to the World Health Organization (WHO) and several international health bodies and coalitions. Apart from WHO, other significant health-related organizations in Geneva include the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPIDR) and UNAIDS.

WHO has the mandate to set global normative standards in public health; it also coordinates responses to emerging health challenges, such as pandemic influenza. The WHO also plays a vital role in the governance of global public health and disease prevention and mitigation.  

The Mission works with the WHO and participates actively in the proceedings of its policy making and executive bodies to advocate its priorities and positions. Pakistan has chaired the WHO’s Executive Board, most recently in 2018.

Pakistan is a member of Eastern Mediterranean Regional Organization (EMRO) and apart from its coordination with WHO in Geneva, it engages with the WHO Country Office in Islamabad.

Pakistan Mission works towards strengthening the role and capacity of the WHO in responding to global public health challenges as well as in its efforts to promote and realize the health related SDG goals.

Pakistan supports WHO’s mandate and efforts to tackle global health emergencies, promote universal healthcare and its triple billion targets.

In collaboration with the WHO and other partners, Pakistan has inter alia prioritized policies and actions to eradicate polio, improve routine immunization programmes, strengthen primary healthcare, nutrition, access to assistive technology, prevention and control of hepatitis, among others.

Notwithstanding economic constraints, Pakistan continues to enhance investments in the health sector with the goal of providing quality, efficient, affordable and equitable health care services to all citizens. As a developing country, Pakistan actively engages in deliberations to overcome challenges of capacities, technology transfer, affordable and equitable access to medicines, diagnostics and vaccines. Another area of priority for Pakistan is to address public health issues that intersect with intellectual property and international trade framework.

For more information on Pakistan’s position on global public health issues, please click here

Environment

A number of environment-related organizations, bodies and Secretariats of Conventions are headquartered in Geneva. These include the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Geneva Office of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants,  the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on Trade in Hazardous Chemicals, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Mission engages with these bodies and coordinates with relevant national bodies on issues ranging from environmental protection, climate change, biodiversity, among others.