BASIC

1 BASIC . DOCUMENTS. Forty-ninth edition Including amendments adopted up to 31 May 2019. 2020. BASIC documents: forty-ninth edition (including amendments adopted up to 31 May 2019). ISBN 978-92-4-000051-3 (electronic version). ISBN 978-92-4-000052-0 (print version). World Health Organization 2020. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike IGO licence (CC BY-NC-SA IGO;. ). Under the terms of this licence, you may copy, redistribute and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes, provided the work is appropriately cited, as indicated below. In any use of this work, there should be no suggestion that WHO endorses any specific organization, products or services. The use of the WHO logo is not permitted. If you adapt the work, then you must license your work under the same or equivalent Creative Commons licence. If you create a translation of this work, you should add the following disclaimer along with the suggested citation: This translation was not created by the World Health Organization (WHO).

2 WHO is not responsible for the content or accuracy of this translation. The original English edition shall be the binding and authentic edition . Any mediation relating to disputes arising under the licence shall be conducted in accordance with the mediation rules of the World Intellectual Property Organization. Suggested citation. BASIC documents: forty-ninth edition (including amendments adopted up to 31 May 2019). Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA IGO. Cataloguing-in-Publication (CIP) data. CIP data are available at Sales, rights and licensing. To purchase WHO publications, see To submit requests for commercial use and queries on rights and licensing, see Third-party materials. If you wish to reuse material from this work that is attributed to a third party, such as tables, figures or images, it is your responsibility to determine whether permission is needed for that reuse and to obtain permission from the copyright holder.

3 The risk of claims resulting from infringement of any third-party-owned component in the work rests solely with the user. General disclaimers. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WHO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted and dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WHO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. All reasonable precautions have been taken by WHO to verify the information contained in this publication.

4 However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall WHO be liable for damages arising from its use. CONTENTS. Page Constitution of the World Health Organization .. 1. Rights and Obligations of Associate Members and other Territories 1. Health Assembly and Executive Board .. 21. 2. Regional Organizations .. 22. Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies.. 25. Annex VII The World Health Organization .. 39. Agreements with other Intergovernmental Organizations Agreement between the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization .. 41. Agreement between the United Nations and the World Health Organization .. 44. Agreement between the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organization.

5 53. Agreement between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health 57. Agreement between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization .. 61. Agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization .. 66. Agreement between the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Health Organization .. 71. Agreement between the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the World Health Organization .. 75. Agreement between the World Health Organization and the Universal Postal Union .. 78. Agreement between the Office International des pizooties and the World Health Organization .. 81. Agreement between the Commission of the African Union and the World Health Organization .. 85. Agreement between the World Health Organization and the South Centre.

6 92. (Continued overleaf). iii . iv BASIC DOCUMENTS. Page Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors .. 97. Financial Regulations of the World Health Organization .. 137. Appendix: Additional terms of reference governing the external audit of the World Health Organization .. 146. Staff Regulations of the World Health 149. Regulations for Expert Advisory Panels and Committees .. 155. Annex Rules of Procedure for Expert Committees .. 161. Regulations for Study and Scientific Groups, Collaborating Institutions and Other Mechanisms of Collaboration .. 165. Rules of Procedure of the World Health Assembly .. 173. Guiding Principles for the Conduct of Elections by Secret Ballot .. 204. Description of the Concept of a Point of Order .. 205. Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization .. 207. ANNEXES. 1. Members of the World Health Organization .. 227. 2. Statute of the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

7 233. _____. Note: In accordance with resolution (2004), the use of one gender in BASIC documents shall be considered as including a reference to the other unless the context otherwise requires. Pursuant to decisions WHA72(21) (2019) and EB144(4). (2019), gender-specific language has been replaced or supplemented in the English version of the Rules of Procedure of the World Health Assembly and the Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board, respectively, so as to indicate both feminine and masculine forms. CONSTITUTION. OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 1. THE STATES Parties to this Constitution declare, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, that the following principles are BASIC to the happiness, harmonious relations and security of all peoples: Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.

8 The health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent upon the fullest co-operation of individuals and States. The achievement of any State in the promotion and protection of health is of value to all. Unequal development in different countries in the promotion of health and control of disease, especially communicable disease, is a common danger. Healthy development of the child is of BASIC importance; the ability to live harmoniously in a changing total environment is essential to such development. The extension to all peoples of the benefits of medical, psychological and related knowledge is essential to the fullest attainment of health. Informed opinion and active co-operation on the part of the public are of the utmost importance in the improvement of the health of the people. Governments have a responsibility for the health of their peoples which can be fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures.

9 ACCEPTING THESE PRINCIPLES, and for the purpose of co-operation among themselves and with others to promote and protect the health of all peoples, the Contracting Parties agree to the present Constitution and hereby establish the World Health Organization as a specialized agency within the terms of Article 57 of the Charter of the United Nations. _____. 1. The Constitution was adopted by the International Health Conference held in New York from 19 June to 22 July 1946, signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Off. Rec. Wld Hlth Org., 2, 100), and entered into force on 7 April 1948. Amendments adopted by the Twenty-sixth, Twenty-ninth, Thirty- ninth and Fifty-first World Health Assemblies (resolutions , , and ) came into force on 3 February 1977, 20 January 1984, 11 July 1994 and 15 September 2005. respectively and are incorporated in the present text. 1 . 2 BASIC DOCUMENTS.

10 CHAPTER I OBJECTIVE. Article 1. The objective of the World Health Organization (hereinafter called the Organization) shall be the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. CHAPTER II FUNCTIONS. Article 2. In order to achieve its objective, the functions of the Organization shall be: (a) to act as the directing and co-ordinating authority on international health work;. (b)to establish and maintain effective collaboration with the United Nations, specialized agencies, governmental health administrations, professional groups and such other organizations as may be deemed appropriate;. (c) to assist Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services;. (d) to furnish appropriate technical assistance and, in emergencies, necessary aid upon the request or acceptance of Governments;. (e) to provide or assist in providing, upon the request of the United Nations, health services and facilities to special groups, such as the peoples of trust territories.