Adopted resolutions help coordinate international efforts, mobilize resources, and spur concrete action. They provide a platform to raise awareness of often-neglected health issues. As such, they are a key lever for concertedly advancing global health.

The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the WHO’s main decision-making body.

At the World Health Assembly, held in the last week of May each year, representatives of the 194 WHO Member States meet in Geneva to define WHO’s priorities. WHO priorities are defined through the adoption of resolutions voted on at the WHA. These proposed resolutions are presented by WHA Member States, who draft the preparatory documents.

 These resolutions must follow a three-phase process:

Phase 1: Preparation of a proposed resolution

To prepare the proposals, it is necessary to convene a group of experts who will draft a policy brief draft that will constitute the base of the proposed resolution. Member states that are interested in supporting the recommendations contained in the policy brief, will successively draft a resolution to submit to the WHA.

This process is lengthy; a year of preparation is required.

Phase 2: Submission and Review of Proposed Resolutions

Proposed resolutions are sent to the WHO Secretariat in October, to be carefully reviewed by the WHA Executive Board. In the case a resolution proposal obtains approval from the WHA Executive Board, this gets included on the WHA agenda. Once on the agenda, the resolution proposal is adopted if it obtains the majority of votes from member states.

Phase 3: Follow-up on the recommendation

Once the resolution is adopted by the WHA, the WHO will be required to take concrete steps to implement the actions defined in the resolution.
The following year, the WHO will present a report to the WHA detailing the actions undertaken during the past year.
The WHO will be required to draft a comprehensive action plan and technical support documents, which will then be adopted and adapted by each country’s ministries of health.

To promote a WHA Resolution among member states, a major communications campaign is necessary for each of the preparation phases.
This campaign must:

• Find sponsoring states and states that support the proposed resolution
• Convince the members of the Executive Board (34 Member States and the WHO Secretariat)
• Convince the WHO members
• This requires developing advocacy efforts with the permanent missions in Geneva.
• It is also important to mobilize the scientific community and civil society. They, in turn, can convince their country’s health ministry.

These campaigns can take the form of:

• Information documents
• Information meetings
• Email campaigns
• Social media posts
• Websites
• Conferences