Accountability and expertise at the World Health Organization (WHO)

• Grant number: 14/22056-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: March 01, 2015
• End date: February 28, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Law
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Deisy de Freitas Lima Ventura
• Grantee: Danielle Hanna Rached
• Host Institution: Instituto de Relações Internacionais (IRI). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The goal of this research is to analyse, through the lenses of accountability, the technical committees formed within the WHO, particularly the Emergency Committee. Such Committee has a significant power to determine the direction of a situation classified as an emergency, which can influence the legal order of the Member States and the rights of its citizens. Knowing how experts are appointed, the degree of transparency and permeability of its decisions, and whether the available institutional arrangements enable appropriate accountability are key issues to confer greater legitimacy on the decisions of the WHO. Similarly, accountability mechanisms can give higher credibility to the technical determinations of the WHO. If there is suspicion about the honesty and integrity of the decision-making process or the neutrality of the experts responsible for the decisions, the ability of the WHO to influence and persuade retracts. (AU)