United States President, Donald Trump has ordered American diplomats dealing with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to break off most contacts with the international organisation.
Despite the White House having given notice of its withdrawal from the WHO, American officials have sought to maintain some influence at the global health Agency.
Now that effort has been undercut by the State Department’s order to severely curtail diplomatic contact with WHO officials.
The contradictory currents in US policy underscore the challenges facing the Trump Administration as it grapples with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 Americans.
It wants to punish the WHO for what it claims is an unwillingness to hold China accountable for failing to act swiftly to contain COVID-19.
However, it still relies on the WHO to confront a broad range of deadly diseases that could spread across US borders if not properly tackled abroad.
Earlier this month, American allies, Germany and France rebuffed a request from US Assistant Secretary for Health, Brett Giroir (pictured) to endorse a US-drafted road map for WHO reform, preferring to develop their own initiative.
The US paper included an array of proposals aimed at enhancing the WHO’s ability to respond rapidly to an emerging pandemic and strengthening its power to investigate outbreaks, as well as calling out countries that failed to fully disclose the emergence of infectious diseases on their soil.
“We need to consider how best to strengthen member States’ responsibilities in an impartial and objective manner when they are not meeting obligations,” the paper stated.
The paper was shared with representatives of the Group of Seven developed nations and with the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, but the State Department directive on cutting ties followed almost at once.
Under the directive, US Government personnel can engage with WHO personnel only in “specific, limited circumstances” and must seek prior approval to participate in any WHO events that have a public or media component.
Washington, 11 September 2020
