The World Health Organization’s executive board on Friday avoided dealing with the United States’ announced withdrawal from the UN health agency.
The board had been expected to offer guidance to the WHO’s decision-making body — the annual assembly of member states meeting in May — on whether or not to approve a decision by the US and Argentina to exit the organisation.
US President Donald Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025, handed the WHO his country’s one-year withdrawal notice. Argentina followed suit in March.
But among the 34 board members, only US ally Israel had anything to say on Washington’s pullout, and no position was gavelled at the board’s meeting this week at WHO headquarters in Geneva.
“The US withdrawal became effective on January 22,” said Daniel Meron, Israel’s ambassador in Geneva.
“Any attempt to compel states against their national decisions is an infringement on their sovereign rights. There is no valid reason to further discuss this matter in any WHO forum,” Meron argued.
China, which is not on the board, voiced astonishment that so many board members chose to “remain silent” on this issue.
“I can believe that we are witnessing history now,” Beijing’s representative said.
Major countries should lead by example and “not treat the WHO as something to be used as it fits” and abandoned when it doesn’t.
“Members cannot enter or exit at their will,” he insisted.
The WHO constitution does not include a withdrawal clause.
But the United States reserved the right to withdraw when it joined the WHO in 1948 — on condition of giving one year’s notice and meeting its financial obligations in full for that fiscal year.
The notice period has now expired but Washington has still not paid its 2024 or 2025 dues, owing around $260 million.
The United States was traditionally the biggest donor to the WHO, which provides governments with technical advice and guidance based on scientific evidence to help them make health policy decisions.
– Argentina will ‘respect’ rules –
The executive board sets the agenda for the annual World Health Assembly of member states, which is the WHO’s decision-making body.
Argentina and Israel submitted a draft resolution to the board, recommending that the assembly endorse Buenos Aires’ withdrawal.
The draft was adopted without objection, although some countries voiced regret over Argentina’s decision.
“We will not be isolated… Leaving this organisation is not necessarily leaving the world,” Argentina’s ambassador Carlos Mario Foradori insisted.
“We will continue to respect all the rules.
“Pandemics do not recognise borders and… we will respect rules that are in the world’s best interests.”
In January, as the notice expired, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attacked the WHO, claiming it had “tarnished and trashed everything that America has done for it”, with “the insults to America” continuing to the end.
“The reverse is true,” the WHO responded.
The US flag outside the WHO headquarters has been taken down.
The US mission in Geneva said last month the flag was “dedicated to the American lives lost” during the Covid-19 pandemic and was “on its way back” to the United States.
In January, the WHO warned Washington’s decision to withdraw was dangerous for the United States and the rest of the world alike.
“There are many things that are done through WHO that benefit the US… especially the health security issues” such as tackling pandemics, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
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