The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Sexual Health and Well-Being Advisory Group. 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
The World Health Organization's Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (SRH) provides global health leadership – strategic, policy, programmatic, technical – and sets the global normative agenda for sexual and reproductive health and rights, develops normative and standard-setting products based on evidence generated from robust research and data, and provides specialized technical assistance to complement regional office support to WHO Country Offices and Member States.
The SRH Department includes the UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP) which is the main instrument within the United Nations system for identifying research priorities on sexual and reproductive health and rights; for promoting, conducting, evaluating and coordinating related interdisciplinary research; for collaborating with countries to build national capacity to conduct research; and for promoting the use of research results in policy making and sexual and reproductive health programmes. The Department draws on HRP research and global expertise to generate evidence, strengthen health systems and impact lives through work to set norms and standards and develop global guidelines, and to support programme development in sexual and reproductive health and rights.
To ensure the establishment of a clear roadmap for the future direction of this work, WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and research (SRH), including the Special programme for research (HRP) is establishing an ad hoc Sexual Health and Well-being Advisory Group (SWAG) to provide strategic advice.
Functions of the Sexual Health and Well-Being Advisory Group (SWAG)
In its capacity as an ad-hoc advisory body to SRH and HRP, the SWAG shall have the following functions:
- To advise on strategic directions and priorities relating to sexual health and well-being across the life-course.
- To advise on developing, fundraising for, and implementing a road map relating to sexual health and well-being across the life-course.
- To provide independent evaluation of the scientific, technical and strategic aspects of relating to sexual health and well-being across the life course in the context of the HRP programme and make recommendations on priority activities.
Operations of the Sexual Health and Well-being Advisory Group (SWAG)
The SWAG shall meet twice virtually in 2024 and up to 2 times in 2025. Interim teleconferences may be required of the members. The working language of the group will be English.
Who can express interest?
The Sexual Health and Well-being Advisory Group (SWAG) will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to sexual health and well-being. Up to 15 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from: scientists, healthcare professionals, and healthcare regulators with expertise in the following areas:
- Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV;
- Sexuality and sexual well-being;
- Women’s health, including from pre-menarche to post-menopause;
- Information, education, and counselling about sex and sexuality
- Sexual dysfunction, sexual pain disorders and endometriosis
- Eliminating stigmatization of sex and sexual health
- Sexual health programme delivery and research; and/or
- Promoting the dignity of the individual and the social and economic development of communities, including: women in all their diversity and across their life course beyond reproductive health; underserved individuals and communities (people living with HIV; Indigenous people; LGBTQI+); people for whom sexual activity is often seen as inappropriate, (adolescents, older adults and people with disabilities).
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Sexual Health and Well-Being Advisory Group, please submit the following documents by 24:00h (midnight) CET 05-04-2024 to selfcare@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Sexual Health and Well-being Advisory Group (SWAG)":
- 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;
- A list of your publications (if applicable); and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts.
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 a 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. 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/video 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 a 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 selfcare@who.int well before the applicable deadline.
WHO Reference number 2024/February/148
Closing date: 5 April 2024