Established in 1948 as a Specialized Agency under the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandate is to direct and coordinate international public health. Composed of 194 member states, with six semi-autonomous regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide, the WHO’s members aim at ensuring the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. It aims to do so by setting international health standards and guidelines, providing assistance to countries, and collecting data on universal health issues through the World Health Survey. 

The WHO has convened to meet each year, usually in May, to address all matters related to its 6 lines of work, outlined in the 11th General Programme of Work: providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed; shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation, and dissemination of valuable knowledge; setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation; articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options; providing technical support, catalyzing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity; monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends. 

More recently, given the context of modern scientific developments, the WHO has undertaken the task of monitoring the use and implementation of innovations such as genetic engineering. In this iteration of the WHO, delegates should acknowledge the use of genetic engineering in humans. Specifically, delegates will be asked to consider three main issues related to this scientific advancement: genetic engineering as a treatment, ethics in using genetic engineering to enhance functions, and ways to cope with the off-target effects of genetic engineering. In doing so, the WHO will come closer to the attainment of a framework setting norms and standards for monitoring the implementation of genetic engineering for humans.

The Dais is excited to meet all of the delegates at SSUNS 2021!

If you have any questions regarding the committee, please feel free to email us at gaecosoc@ssuns.org