Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
Good morning, and I would like to thank the Alliance for Multilateralism and the Paris Peace Forum for the invitation to share a few reflections with you today.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the close links between the health of humans, animals and the planet we share.
Humans, animals and microbes share the same ecosystem. More than 70% of emerging diseases that have been discovered in recent years are linked to animal-to-human transmission.
Major health challenges, including antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and pandemic preparedness cannot be effectively addressed by one sector or one nation alone.
That’s why the tripartite – the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, and WHO – was formed several years ago, to work together on a One Health approach that encompasses the health of humans, animals and our planet.
But the pandemic has demonstrated that we need to take our work to the next level.
That’s why together we have agreed to establish a One Health High-Level Expert Council, supported by a joint secretariat, which will draw on the expertise of WHO, OIE, FAO and UN Environment to improve the scientific basis for political decision making, promote political commitment and increase public awareness.
We believe this new initiative will help in several key ways.
First, it will help to build global consensus for the One Health approach, as the basis for developing robust and coordinated global action.
Changes in the ecosystem that affect human health, like environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, climate change, and agricultural practices, should be addressed through comprehensive policies and enforcement.
Second, the High-Level Expert Council will enable us to broaden our reach by including associate partners to contribute relevant expertise.
And third, it will consolidate the tools that we already have, such as the Global Early Warning System for Major Animal Diseases, including Zoonoses, a joint system that combines and coordinates the alert mechanisms of FAO, OIE and WHO.
WHO looks forward to working with the Tripartite, UN Environment and other key partners to develop the High-Level Expert Council, which we look forward to launching during the World Health Assembly in May next year.
WHO stands ready with its partners to strengthen the One Health approach as part of our commitment to building a healthier, safer, fairer and more sustainable world.
I thank you.