20, AVENUE APPIA – CH-1211 GENEVA 27 – SWITZERLAND – TEL CENTRAL +41 22 791 2111 – FAX CENTRAL +41 22 791 3111 – WWW.WHO.INT
Ref.: C.L.40.2021
Dispatch of proposals, curriculum vitae and other supporting information
The Chair of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) presents his
compliments to the Member States and has the honour to recall that Member States were
informed, in accordance with Rule 62 of the Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board, that
proposals of persons for nomination by the Board for the post of Director-General could be
submitted to the Chair so as to arrive at WHO headquarters not later than 23 September 2021 at
18:00 CET.
He has the further honour to inform that one candidate, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
has been proposed within the time-limit indicated above by the following Member States:
Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Cook Islands, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Luxembourg,
Malta, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Rwanda, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Tonga, and Trinidad
and Tobago.
One of the proposing Member States submitted a proposal electronically within the
time-limit indicated above, while the hard copy arrived a few days after the expiry of the
deadline. Given the limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fact that the Member State
in question does not have a diplomatic representation in Geneva, and that the validity or
otherwise of this proposal does not affect the overall list of candidates, I instructed the
Secretariat to include this proposal provisionally among those dispatched to Member States,
subject to the Executive Board’s final determination on this matter at its 150th session in
January 2022.
The proposals, together with the accompanying curriculum vitae and other supporting
information, will also be posted on the WHO website today at 12:00 (CET) at the following link:
https://www.who.int/about/governance/election/nominations-2022.
In relation to the process for the election of the Director-General, given that Dr Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the only proposed candidate for the position of Director-General, it
follows that:
– Neither the web forum nor the candidates’ forums will be convened.
– At the 150th session of the Executive Board, the shortlisting phase of five candidates
will not take place. The Executive Board will therefore conduct the initial screening of
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C.L.40.2021
the candidate, interview the candidate and decide upon the nomination of the candidate
through a secret ballot vote.
– At the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly, the candidate will not be required to
deliver a statement prior to the vote for appointment. The Health Assembly would
however still proceed to decide upon the appointment of the Director-General through
a secret ballot vote.
The Chair of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization takes this opportunity
to renew to Member States the assurance of his highest consideration.
GENEVA, 29 October 2021
Saatja: <
[email protected]>
Saadetud: 29.10.2021 12:00
Teema: WHO: C.L.40.2021 (DG Election)
Dear Member States of the World Health Organization,Please find attached
C.L.40.2021 and its annexes contained in the Zip file (in English, French
and Spanish) regarding the election of WHO Director-General. The versions
in Arabic, Chinese and Russian will be sent in a separate email.Best
regards,Department of Governing BodiesWorld Health Organization