4.2.1 Leadership, governance and external relations enhanced to implement GPW 13, drive impact in an aligned manner at the country level, on the basis of strategic communications and in accordance with the SDGs in the context of United Nations reform

Guided by Member States, the Secretariat has made great progress towards ensuring that the Organization is focused on results and that leads impactful work in every country, while maintaining its role as the directing and coordinating global agency of public health matters.  

Despite the remarkable progress achieved in the past, the world is not on track to achieve most of the health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and the pandemic COVID-19 pandemic has set progress back even further. Learning from the lessons of the pandemic, the Organization is pivoting towards enhanced cooperation with and in every country, tailored not only to the health situation, but also to the post-COVID-19 context.  

To achieve this, the WHO Secretariat is making significant investment at the country level, by establishing a core predictable country presence that is differentiated according to the support required by the country. This will bring the support of the Organization to the Member States where and when they need WHO to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and when health emergencies strike.  

Along with these concrete investments in the WHO Secretariat’s capacities in country offices, it will enhance its strategic cooperation with Member States through streamlining of country cooperation strategies, positioning them better to drive the strategy, the budget, the financing and the work of WHO at the country level. The Organization is emphasizing more effective leadership of its country offices as one of the most important levers of its transformation for country impact. 

The Secretariat is also stepping up its leadership role in global health to help countries accelerate progress on the health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is continuing to position health high in the agenda of governments, leverage on its engagements with intergovernmental bodies, such as G7 and G20, to bring significant investments in health in countries and partnering better with other United Nations agencies and global health initiatives, to move the health agenda not only globally but in every country to achieve health outcomes.