Deadline: 17 April 2024
The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on the Framework for Action on Health for People with Disabilities in the WHO European Region 2022–2030. This call for experts provides information about the advisory group (AG) in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection. In this call for experts, we seek to select up to nine (9) members from central Asia and eastern Europe only.
Background
Currently, at least 135 million people in Europe and central Asia live with a disability. People with disabilities often have increased needs for health care, but can also face more barriers in accessing and using that care. As a result, they can experience greater unmet health-care needs, which can have a detrimental effect not only on their well-being, but also on health systems, in the form of worse health outcomes and unnecessarily high health-care costs.
A great advancement towards the introduction of inclusive health systems was the adoption in September 2022 of the WHO European framework for action to achieve the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities 2022–2030 (Framework) by the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region. The core principles of the Framework are that it is equity-based, people-focused and data-enabled. It consists of four objectives, aligned with the three core priorities of the European Programme of Work 2020–2025: achieving universal health coverage, protecting against health emergencies, and promoting health and well-being. Each objective is accompanied by corresponding action areas, targets and indicators, along with an implementation plan and a complete monitoring and evaluation framework (with 20 indicators, accompanying measures of progress, and data sources). Ultimately, this Framework is about protecting the human rights of persons with disabilities, promoting their health and well-being, and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
This new commitment at the highest political level will see governments working together with WHO/Europe to ensure that health systems and societies remove all barriers for people with disabilities. The Framework will help countries to strengthen disability-inclusive health systems to provide, protect and promote the health and well-being of people with disabilities of all ages and across all contexts. Collaboration with national and international partners, and organizations of people with disabilities will be essential to placing the voices of people with disabilities at the centre of decision-making.
The TAG will act as an advisory body to WHO/Europe in this field.
Functions of the TAG on the Framework for Action on Health for People with Disabilities in the WHO European Region 2022–2030
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO/Europe, the TAG shall have the following functions:
- advise WHO/Europe on the implementation and offering of technical assistance to Member States on the establishment of their own monitoring and evaluation framework at national and subnational level;
- propose to WHO/Europe effective and innovative approaches to promote the health of persons with disabilities in the Region;
- advise WHO/Europe on advocating for political commitment and allocation of adequate financial resources to strengthen and sustain disability-inclusive health care across Member States; and
- report to the WHO Regional Director for Europe at regular intervals regarding progress towards meeting the targets of the Framework at regional and subregional level.
Operations of the TAG on the Framework for Action on Health for People with Disabilities in the WHO European Region 2022–2030
- The TAG shall normally meet at least twice each year, and more
frequently in 2025–2026 (before Member States’ submission of the 2026
interim report) and 2029–2030 (before Member States’ submission of the
2030 final report). However, WHO/Europe may convene additional meetings.
TAG meetings may be held in person (at WHO/Europe headquarters in
Copenhagen or another location, as determined by WHO/Europe) or
virtually, via video or teleconference. TAG meetings may be held in open
and/or closed session, as decided by the Chairperson in consultation
with WHO/Europe.
• Open sessions: open sessions shall be convened for the sole purpose of the exchange of non-confidential information and views, and may be attended by Observers (as defined in paragraph 3 below).
• Closed sessions: the sessions dealing with the formulation of recommendations and/or advice to WHO/Europe shall be restricted to members of the TAG and essential WHO/Europe Secretariat staff. - The quorum for TAG meetings shall be two thirds of the members.
- WHO/Europe may, at its sole discretion, invite external individuals from time to time to attend the open sessions of the TAG, or parts thereof, as observers. Observers may be invited either in their personal capacity, or as representatives from a governmental institution/intergovernmental organization, or from a non-State actor. WHO/Europe will request observers invited in their personal capacity to complete a confidentiality undertaking and a declaration of interests form prior to attending a session of the TAG. Invitations to observers attending as representatives from non-State actors will be subject to WHO/Europe internal due diligence and risk assessment, including conflict of interest considerations in accordance with the Framework for engagement with non-State actors. Observers invited as representatives may also be requested to complete a confidentiality undertaking. Observers shall normally attend meetings of the TAG at their own expense and be responsible for making all arrangements in that regard. At the invitation of the Chairperson, observers may be asked to present their personal views and/or the policies of their organization. Observers will not participate in the process of adopting recommendations of the TAG.
- The TAG may decide to establish smaller working groups (subgroups of the TAG) to work on specific issues. Their deliberations shall take place via teleconference or video-conference. For these subgroups, no quorum requirement will apply; the outcome of their deliberations will be submitted to the TAG for review at one of its meetings.
- TAG members are expected to attend meetings. If a member misses two consecutive meetings, WHO/Europe may end his/her appointment as a member of the TAG.
- Reports of each meeting shall be submitted by the TAG to WHO/Europe. All recommendations from the TAG are advisory to WHO/Europe, who retains full control over any subsequent decisions or actions regarding any proposals, policy issues or other matters considered by the TAG.
- The TAG shall normally make recommendations by consensus. If, in exceptional circumstances, a consensus on a particular issue cannot be reached, minority opinions will be reflected in the meeting report.
- Active participation is expected from all TAG members, including in working groups, teleconferences, and interaction over email. TAG members may, in advance of TAG meetings, be requested to review meeting materials and to provide their views for consideration by the TAG.
- WHO/Europe shall determine the modes of communication by the TAG, including between WHO/Europe and the TAG members, and the TAG members among themselves.
- TAG members shall not speak on behalf of, or represent, the TAG or WHO/Europe to any third party.
Who can express interest?
The TAG on the Framework for Action on Health for People with Disabilities in the WHO European Region 2022–2030 will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to disability and health. Approximately 30 members may be selected.
In this call for experts, we seek to select up to nine (9) members from central Asia and eastern Europe only.
WHO/Europe welcomes expressions of interest from academics, health-care professionals, policy-makers, and persons with disabilities with expertise in the following areas (note that the following list is only indicative – we welcome expressions of interest from persons with expertise in any area pertaining to equitable health for persons with disabilities):
- disability-inclusive health services;
- disability-inclusive health policy;
- disability advocacy;
- disability-inclusive digital health;
- disability and youth;
- disability-inclusive sustainable development;
- disability-inclusive health systems and programme delivery;
- ethics, equity, human rights and gender in public health, with a focus on persons with disabilities; and/or
- disability-inclusive health emergency response.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the TAG on the Framework for Action on Health for People with Disabilities in the WHO European Region 2022–2030, please submit the following documents by 17 April 2024 18:00 CET to eurofpwds@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the TAG on the Framework for Action on Health for People with Disabilities in the WHO European Region 2022–2030”:
- a cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that for those 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 form for WHO/Europe Experts.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO/Europe. 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/Europe 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/Europe Experts, and the selection as a member of an AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO/Europe determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO/Europe’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/Europe 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 interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO/Europe Secretariat to enable WHO/Europe 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/Europe at 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/Europe, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as an AG member will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO/Europe the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO/Europe 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/Europe’s action. WHO/Europe may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing AG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO/Europe 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/Europe may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO/Europe internet.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members related to their participation in AG meetings will be covered by WHO/Europe 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 eurofpwds@who.int well before the applicable deadline.