WHO consults on alcohol policy

WHO issued a discussion paper 24 October and opened a web-based consultation until 4 November.

This is part of a process to fulfil the request from the World Health Assembly 2019 to report on the implementation of WHO’s Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol during the first decade since its endorsement, and the way forward. Civil society is invited to make their voices heard in the consultation.

Background
The Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, negotiated and agreed by WHO Member States in 2010 (Resolution WHA63.13), represents international consensus that reducing the harmful use of alcohol and its associated health and social burden is a public health priority.

Paragraph 3.d of decision 72(11) at the World Health Assembly in May 2019 requests the WHO Director-General to “to report to the Seventy-third World Health Assembly in 2020, through the Executive Board, on the implementation of WHO’s global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol during the first decade since its endorsement, and the way forward”. During the discussions at the 72nd World Health Assembly, the WHO Director-General committed that “the report will be elaborated in full consultation and engagement with Member States” and requested that this be reflected accordingly in the official records.

How to participate
The WHO Secretariat hosts a web-based consultation from 23 October 2019 until 4 November 2019 on a discussion paper dated 21 October 2019.

Member States, UN organizations and non-State actors are invited to submit their comments through WHO webpage or by e-mail to msb@who.int.

If you decide to respond by e-mail, all information asked for in the web form must be inserted in the e-mail for the submission to be valid.
The response can be given in any of the six official languages of WHO: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese or Arabic.
The consultation is not open to individuals.

For more information please visit WHO website