At its Seventy-first session (2021), the Regional Committee for Africa adopted a procedure for accreditation of regional non-State actors not in official relations with WHO to participate in the sessions of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa. Accreditation is a privilege that the WHO Regional Committee for Africa may grant to regional nongovernmental organizations, international business associations and philanthropic foundations, in accordance with the WHO Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA). All accredited non-State actors will be able to participate, upon invitation and without the right to vote, in sessions of the Regional Committee and to submit written and/or oral statements.
This accreditation procedure is meant for non-State actors which are not in official relations with WHO. Non-State actors in official relations with WHO can receive an invitation to participate in the meetings of the Regional Committee for Africa without undergoing this accreditation procedure.
Eligibility
- To be eligible to apply for accreditation, a non-State actor shall meet the following criteria:
- Its aims and purposes shall be consistent with the WHO Constitution and in conformity with the policies of the Organization.
- It shall be actively engaged with the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
- It shall operate at regional or subregional level.
- It shall be non-profit in nature and in its activities and advocacy.
- It shall have an established structure, a constitutive act and accountability mechanisms.
Process and timeline
Non-State actors interested in receiving accreditation are invited to send the completed Application form to the External Relations, Partnerships and Governing Bodies Unit (EPG) of the Regional Office at the following e-mail address: GoverningBodiesAfro@who.int.
The template for application requests information about the applicant non-State actor, including
- name;
- objectives;
- legal status;
- governance structure;
- composition of main decision-making bodies;
- assets;
- annual income and funding sources;
- main relevant affiliations and website address;
- summary of engagements with WHO.
Deadline for sending applications this year is set to 30 November 2024.
The Regional Office will review all applications received for eligibility and will transmit those that fulfil the requirements to the Programme Subcommittee (PSC). The Programme Subcommittee will decide which non-State actors are granted accreditation at its meeting in June 2025. The list of approved non-State actors will be included in the Statement of the Chairperson of the Programme Subcommittee, for adoption by the Regional Committee at its meeting in August 2025.
The acceptance or rejection decision will be communicated in electronic form by the Regional Office to all non-State actors concerned no later than one month after the decision of the Regional Committee. The list of accredited non-State actors will be made public by the Regional Office and published on the Regional Committee webpage.
Duration of accreditation and reporting
Accreditation is valid for two years. Every two years, accredited non-State actors shall submit a report on their participation in Regional Committee sessions, including a brief update on other activities they have carried out in the framework of their engagement with WHO. The Regional Director shall relay the information received from accredited non-State actors to the Regional Committee.
Renewal of accreditation
Non-State actors accredited during the RC72 need to renew their application. For the renewal of accreditation, a simplified application procedure could be used for non-State actors that have already been accredited and that reapply for the consecutive two-year period. The simplified procedure will consist of a submission of a statement by the non-State actor detailing only the changes in the information provided in the previous application. The simplified procedure shall be used by the non-State actor on a voluntary basis. It shall not be used for more than two consecutive applications.
Briefing session for potential applicants
Non-State actors interested in applying for accreditation and wishing to receive further guidance on the eligibility requirements and the application procedure are invited to participate in a virtual Briefing session, which will be held on Tuesday 29 October 2024.