WHO to Discuss US Financial Obligations as Withdrawal Notice Nears End
Member States to Debate Funding
World Health Organization (WHO) member states are expected to discuss the United States’ financial obligations related to a potential withdrawal, the organization’s chief legal officer said Tuesday. This comes as the one-year notice period announced by the Trump administration nears its conclusion.
No Withdrawal Clause in WHO Constitution
“The WHO Constitution is a treaty,” Steven Solomon said during a press briefing in Geneva. “Notably, it does not include a withdrawal clause. This was a deliberate decision.”
Solomon explained that the drafters of the 1946 WHO Constitution intentionally excluded a withdrawal provision, believing that global health security depended on universality. “They wanted a truly universal organization to make the world safer,” he said, noting that the WHO Constitution followed the example of the UN Charter, which also lacks a withdrawal clause.
US Special Arrangement
The United States later secured a separate agreement with the World Health Assembly. In 1948, the US reserved the right to withdraw under two conditions, Solomon said. First, it must provide one year’s notice. Second, it must meet its financial obligations for the current fiscal year. The one-year notice period will end later this month.
Upcoming Discussions
Solomon said WHO member states are expected to debate the interpretation and fulfillment of the US financial obligations. The matter will be raised at the WHO Executive Board next month and will continue at the World Health Assembly in May.
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