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Statement on NGO Relations to the WHO Executive Board, January 2004

Thank you Chair for this opportunity to address the members of the Executive Board on behalf of ISDI which is a non profit Organisation and which is in relation with WHO since 1987.

ISDI supports adoption of this resolution and the new NGO Policy for the following reasons:

The United Nations community recognizes industry as an important stakeholder and partner. UN organizations have long recognized that NGOs representing consumers, business and industry are important sources of knowledge, technology and resources. The WHR 2003 acknowledges this and I quote: "The cooperation between governments, international institutions, the private sector and civil society spurred remarkable progress in the twentieth century. In an increasingly interdependent world such collaboration across political and sectoral boundaries is more vital than ever."

WHO supports transparency in its relations with the NGO sector. We agree fully that transparency in practice must translate to the same standards for all NGOs. All NGOs should be afforded the same rights to participate and collaborate in WHO processes, including access to the WHA and Executive Board sessions. All NGOs should be subject to the same high levels of scrutiny, and accountability and should be required to disclose affiliations and funding sources, and demonstrate that they do, in fact, represent the constituency they claim to represent.

The effort to streamline NGO accreditation and collaboration requirements is a welcome reform.

Finally Mr Chair, ISDI members stand ready to help advance the work of WHO by sharing their scientific and technological expertise and ongoing advances in researches.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

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