Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Mortality Assessment

In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO and UN DESA, the TAG shall have the following functions:

1. To critically appraise current approaches to measuring excess mortality attributable to COVID-19, defined as deaths directly attributable to COVID-19 as well as those due to the indirect impacts of the pandemic on mortality from other causes of death.
   
   
2. To develop a comprehensive, pragmatic and policy-relevant set of measurement methods to track excess deaths due to COVID-19 in countries, including the certification of COVID-19 deaths, all in the context of the implementation of the UN Legal Identity Agenda, a holistic approach to civil registration, vital statistics and identity management.
   
   
3. To review and offer guidance on methods for estimating the global death toll from COVID‑19.
   

The analysis by the TAG would inform the estimation of total mortality for 2020 and 2021 in future editions of World Population Prospects and World Health Statistics.

The TAG will draw on the experiences of a network of existing and emergent research and pandemic monitoring efforts and mechanisms, seeking to avoid duplication of effort, encourage inclusive global participation and promote the application of the most scientifically rigorous methods and approaches for the identification, analysis and interpretation of excess deaths, considering the wide variety of national data systems and available resources.

Ultimately, the work of the TAG should contribute to:

• Reliable and policy relevant estimates of excess deaths at the national, regional and global levels;

• Better understanding of the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on total mortality, including effects on the cause-of-death structure in populations and the implications for public health policymaking of the interaction of COVID-19 infection with major causes of morbidity and mortality; and

• Improved coordination in the production of mortality and cause-of-death statistics within and across national and international statistical systems, consistent with the increased emphasis on strengthening civil registration and vital statistics systems being promoted by WHO, UN DESA and other partners.

WHO and UN DESA will provide secretariat support to the TAG, including any necessary scientific, technical, administrative and other support. In this regard, the Secretariat shall provide the members in advance of each meeting with the agenda and relevant documentation. Distribution of the aforesaid documents to Observers (as defined in IV.3 below) will be determined by the Secretariat. The meeting agenda shall include details such as: whether a meeting, or part thereof, is closed or open; and whether Observers are invited to attend.

1. The TAG shall have up to 40 members, who shall serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to the measurement of excess mortality. In the selection of the TAG members, consideration shall be given to attaining an adequate distribution of technical expertise, geographical representation and gender balance. 
     
2. Members of the TAG, including the Chairperson(s), shall be selected jointly by WHO and UN DESA, and appointed by WHO under the WHO Regulations for Study and Scientific Groups, Collaborating Institutions and Other Mechanisms of Collaboration, in consultation and coordination with UN DESA, following an open call for experts.
   
   
3. The functions of the Chairperson(s) include the following:
   
   
   • to chair meetings of the TAG;
   • to liaise with the Secretariat between meetings.
   In appointing the Chairperson(s), consideration shall be given to gender, geographical representation and technical expertise.
4. Members of the TAG shall be appointed to serve for a period of two years and shall be eligible for reappointment. A Chairperson is eligible for reappointment as a member of the TAG but is permitted to serve as Chairperson for only one term. Their appointment and/or designation as Chairperson may be terminated at any time by WHO if the interests of WHO so require and/or, in consultation with UN DESA, if the interests of UN DESA so require, or as otherwise specified in these terms of reference or letters of appointment. Where a member’s appointment is terminated, WHO and UN DESA may decide to select a replacement member.
   
   
5. TAG members must respect the impartiality and independence required of WHO and UN DESA. In performing their work, members may not seek or accept instructions from any Government or from any authority external to WHO or UN DESA. They must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, proposed or existing members shall be required to complete a WHO declaration-of-interests form and their appointment, or continuation of their appointment, shall be subject to the evaluation of completed forms by WHO, determining that their participation would not give rise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest.
   
   
6. Following a determination by WHO that a proposed member’s participation in the TAG would not give rise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest, the proposed member will be sent a letter by WHO, in consultation and coordination with UN DESA, inviting them to be a member of the TAG. Their appointment to the TAG is subject to WHO receiving the countersigned invitation letter and memorandum of agreement (together “Letter of Appointment”). Notwithstanding the requirement to complete the WHO declaration-of-interest form, TAG members have an ongoing obligation to inform WHO of any interests, real or perceived, that may give rise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest.
   
   
7. As contemplated in paragraph III.5 above, WHO may, from time to time, request TAG members to complete a new WHO declaration-of-interest form. This may be before a TAG meeting or any other TAG-related activity or engagement, as decided by WHO. Where WHO has made such a request, the TAG member’s participation in the TAG activity or engagement is subject to a determination by WHO that their participation would not give rise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest.
   
   
8. Where a TAG member is invited to travel to an in-person TAG meeting, WHO, in consultation and coordination with UN DESA,  shall, subject to any conflict-of-interest determination as set out in paragraph III.6 above, issue a WHO letter of appointment as a temporary adviser and accompanying memorandum of agreement (together “Temporary Adviser Letter”). WHO shall not authorize travel by an TAG member, until it receives a countersigned Temporary Adviser Letter.
   
   
9. TAG members do not receive any remuneration from WHO or UN DESA for any work related to the TAG. However, when attending in-person meetings at the invitation of WHO and UN DESA, their travel cost and per diem shall be covered by WHO in accordance with the applicable WHO policies.

1. The TAG shall normally meet at least once each quarter. However, WHO and UN DESA may convene additional meetings, as required. TAG meetings will be held virtually, via video or teleconference, or in person, as may be decided by WHO and UN DESA.
   
   TAG meetings may be held in open and/or closed session, as decided by the Chairperson(s) in consultation with WHO and UN DESA.
   
   
   • Open sessions: Open sessions shall be convened for the sole purpose of the exchange of non-confidential information and views and may be attended by Observers (as defined in paragraph IV.3 below).
     
   • Closed sessions: The sessions dealing with the formulation of recommendations and/or advice shall be restricted to the members of the TAG, essential staff of WHO and UN DESA.
2. The quorum for TAG meetings shall be two thirds of the members.
   
   
3. WHO and UN DESA may, at their sole discretion, invite external individuals from time to time to attend the open sessions of the TAG, or parts thereof (see IV.4 below), as “Observers”. Observers may be invited either in their personal capacity, or as representatives from a governmental institution / intergovernmental organization, or from a non-state actor. Observers invited in their personal capacity will be required to complete a WHO confidentiality undertaking and a WHO declaration-of-interests form prior to attending a session of the TAG. Invitations to Observers attending as representatives from non-state actors will be subject to internal due diligence and conflict-of-interest considerations in accordance with the WHO Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (“FENSA”). Observers invited as representatives may also be requested to complete a WHO confidentiality undertaking. Observers shall normally attend meetings of the TAG at their own expense and be responsible for making all arrangements in that regard.
   
   At the invitation of the Chairperson(s), Observers may be asked to present their personal views and/or the policies of their organizations. Observers will not participate in the process of adopting decisions and recommendations of the TAG.
   
   
4. The TAG may decide to establish smaller working groups (sub-groups of the TAG) to work on specific issues. Their deliberations shall take place via teleconference or videoconference. For these sub-groups, no quorum requirement will apply; the outcome of their deliberations will be submitted to the TAG for review at one of its meetings. 
   
   
5. TAG members are expected to attend meetings. If a member misses two consecutive meetings, WHO, in consultation with UN DESA, may terminate her or his appointment as a member of the TAG. 
   
   
6. Reports of each meeting shall be submitted by the TAG to WHO (the Assistant Director-General of the Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery) and to UN DESA (Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development). All recommendations from the TAG are advisory to WHO and UN DESA which jointly retain full control over any subsequent decisions or actions regarding any proposals, policy issues or other matters considered by the TAG.
   
   
7. The TAG shall normally make recommendations by consensus. If, in exceptional circumstances, a consensus on a particular issue cannot be reached, minority opinions will be reflected in the meeting report.
   
   
8. Active participation is expected from all TAG members, including in working groups, teleconferences, and interaction over email. TAG members may, in advance of TAG meetings, be requested to review meeting documentation and to provide their views for consideration by the TAG.
   
   
9. WHO and UN DESA shall determine the modes of communication by the TAG, including between WHO and UN DESA and the TAG members, and the TAG members among themselves.
   
   
10. TAG members shall not speak on behalf of, or represent, the TAG and/or WHO and/or UN DESA to any third party.

1. Information and documentation to which members may gain access in performing TAG‑related activities shall be considered as confidential and proprietary to WHO and UN DESA and/or to parties collaborating with them. In addition, by counter signing the Letter of Appointment referred to in section III.5 above, TAG members undertake to abide by the confidentiality obligations contained therein and also confirm that any and all rights in the work performed by them as a part of specific work streams initiated by the TAG shall be exclusively vested in WHO and UN DESA.
   
   
2. TAG members and Observers shall not quote from, circulate or use TAG documents for any purpose other than in a manner consistent with their responsibilities under these Terms of Reference.
   
   
3. WHO and UN DESA jointly retain full control over the publication of the reports of the TAG, including deciding whether or not to publish them.