Issued on: 2 September 2024
Deadline: 7 October 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking two experts to serve as new members of the Health-Security Interface Technical Advisory Group (HSI-TAG). This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Background
Within the mandates conferred upon WHO by the International Health Regulations (2005), as well as World Health Assembly resolutions WHA55.16 (2002) and WHA74.7 (2021), WHO leads the global public health response to events involving the deliberate use of harmful material that affect health. The harmful agents can be conventional (chemical, biological, radio-nuclear, known as CBRN) or new and emerging threats (technological and information misuse and cyber-attacks). Within the context of the thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13)[1] and its target ‘1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies’, and the fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14)[2] to 1) prevent, mitigate and prepare for risks to health from all hazards, and 2) rapidly detect and sustain an effective response to all health emergencies, the implementation of public health work in coordination with the security sector will be increasingly important considering the current global landscape.
The concept of Health-Security Interface (HSI) applies to those public health activities whose performance involves to some extent the security sector broadly understood (e.g. international and non-governmental organizations, civil defense, military health personnel, law enforcement and armed forces, defense-related research programmes), certain international organizations and other entities with a security relevant mandate. These activities may include protection of health from traditional and emerging infectious disease threats; deliberate events and investigation of alleged use of chemical and biological agents including non-permissive environments and conflict zones; and any health activities performed in collaboration with security actors.
The HSI function within the Biosecurity and Health Security Protection Unit serves as a platform for WHO initiatives related to the health and security sectors and a repository of past and current experiences in the framework of resolutions WHA55.16 (2002) and WHA74.7 (2021).
WHO established the Health-Security Interface – Technical Advisory Group (HSI-TAG) to provide advice to WHO across areas related to the interface between the public health and security sectors.
Functions of the HSI-TAG
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the HSI-TAG shall have the following functions:
- To identify gaps, vulnerabilities, challenges, and opportunities within the health-security interface,
- To provide WHO with the technical and scientific advice relevant to the health-security interface and the work of the BSP unit,
- To advise WHO on a platform for information sharing, with the WHO’s international and other partners from health and security sectors.
Operations of the HSI-TAG
The HSI-TAG meets annually at least once, virtually via video or teleconference, or in person at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, or another location, as determined by WHO. Meeting durations will usually be between one and three days. Interim teleconferences may be required of the members. HSI-TAG meetings may be held in open and/or closed session, as decided by the Chairperson in consultation with WHO. The working language of the group will be English. WHO may, at its sole discretion, invite external individuals from time to time to attend the open sessions of an advisory group, or parts thereof, as “observers”. The HSI-TAG may decide to establish smaller working groups (sub-groups of the HSI-TAG) to work on specific issues. HSI-TAG members are expected to attend all meetings. All recommendations from the HSI-TAG are advisory to WHO, who retains full control over any subsequent decisions or actions regarding any proposals, policy issues or other matters considered by the HSI-TAG.
Who can express interest?
The HSI-TAG is multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to the Health-Security Interface.
Considering the recent developments and global trends, the Secretariat realized that there was a need to strengthen the following areas of expertise/experience, hence welcomes expressions of interest from:
- Bioterrorism experts (knowledge on pathogens of security concern, their microbiological characterization and application/modification for weaponization, diagnostics, countermeasures and containment measures),
- Decision/policy makers with hands-on experience dealing with significant deliberate event(s) (biological/chemical) response at the local, regional, or national level.
For the improved geographical and gender representation of the HSI-TAG members, the WHO Secretariat encourages applications from the WHO African, Western Pacific, European, Eastern Mediterranean and Pan American Health Organization/Americas regions and female or non-male gender identities.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the HSI-TAG, please submit the following documents by 7 October 2024, 24:00h (midnight) Geneva time to BSP@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the HSI-TAG”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer;
- Your curriculum vitae; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of an AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations .The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of an AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest , to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to BSP@who.int well before the applicable deadline.
[1] Thirteenth General Programme of Work, 2019-2023 (who.int)