Background
2023 provides a unique opportunity to advance action at the intersection of climate and health, with the COP28 presidency that has committed to make health a focus of the COP, including by mounting a Health Day, and presenting a strong COP28 Health Programme. This opportunity places extra demands on coordination among health partners including health civil society organizations engaging on climate change.
WHO recognizes the important role of the public health community in highlighting the importance of health protection and promotion within the Climate Change debate. In line with its Work Plan (Action 1.2: Develop and run a global awareness-raising and advocacy campaign aiming to put health at the centre of the climate change mitigation and adaptation agenda at the international level), and its Global Strategy (Activity 35.a: Foster high-level political support, in interactions with Member States and civil society. And 35.d: Ensure the “voice of health” is heard.)
Key partnerships and global advocacy activities
The World Health Organization-Civil Society Working Group on Climate and Health (the Working Group) was launched by WHO at the World Health Assembly in 2019 at the request of Director-General Tedros and is co-chaired by WHO and the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA).
The Working Group, as the formal mechanism of WHO-health civil society collaboration on climate and health, is a particularly important body to support coordinated and impactful health engagement this year in the run up to and during COP28.
Since 2021, WHO is hosting a Health Pavilion in the central negotiating space of the COP (the “Blue Zone”). The WHO Pavilion provides a powerful platform for health programming alongside the negotiations and an anchor point for the health community attending and participating in person at COP. The Pavilion builds upon and highlights activities led by the Working Group, which will build momentum throughout the year to put health at the center of the climate conversation. The Working Group provides also vital input to the development of a WHO Guidance for Health Professionals on Climate Communications.
In 2021, working with WHO and others, the UK co-led the successful COP26 Health Programme, where over 60 countries have now signed up to build climate resilient and/or sustainable, low carbon health systems. To maintain momentum, the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) was established as a mechanism for collaboration and coordination that:
- provides a platform for knowledge, best practice and expertise sharing.
- monitors global progress and promotes accountability for the commitments.
- facilitates and coordinates technical assistance provision.
- generates collective action to address global challenges such as access to finance for developing countries, and greening supply chains.
ATACH is convened by the WHO, with UK and Egypt the supporting co-conveners. ATACH’s membership includes most of the COP26 health programme committing countries, and a range of partners including bilateral donors, multilateral organisations, civil society, implementing agencies, private sector alliances.
Four thematic working groups have been established, each chaired by a member country and co-chaired by a partner agency. They focus on: (1) climate resilient health systems, (2) low carbon, sustainable health systems, (3) finance, (4) supply chains.
Duties and responsibilities
WHO Climate Change and Health team would like to engage with an NGO who could support for the implementation of the following activities:
- Support of the WHO/CSOs Working Group on Climate Change and Health
- Prepare health Civil Society Organizations to actively engage with WHO activities in the lead up to COP28
- Support the preparation, coordination and implementation of the COP28 Health Pavilion programme and activities
- Organise online webinar consultations (2-3) with key professional health associations in support of ATACH
- Coordinate the preparation of join WHO/CSOs key health and climate messages to promote coherent awareness raising in national and international Climate Fora
Period
Period: 1 July 2023 – 31 December 2023
Contact
The Climate Change and Health team
If you are interested, please send your Expression of Interest by 15 June 2023 to [email protected] and add “WHO support to WHO Collaboration with Civil Society and ATACH in preparation for COP28” to the email’s subject.
