Unequal levels of development in different countries in matters concerning the promotion of health and control of communicable diseases constitute a common danger.

Informed opinion and active cooperation on the part of the public are of the utmost importance in the development of the health of the people.

Governments have a responsibility for the health of their peoples which can be secured only by the provision of adequate health services. Maximum efficiency of health services demands the cooperation and joint action of all States.

The Charter of the United Nations recognizes the need for the solution of international health problems in order to attain peaceful and friendly relations among nations.

Recognizing these truths, the parties to this World Convention,

HEREBY ESTABLISH

the World Health Organization as a specialized agency through which States will cooperate for the protection and promotion of health throughout the world.

II. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aims and objectives of the World Health Organization are, through international collaboration and mutual assistance:

(a) to achieve the highest possible state of physical and mental health for all peoples;

(b) to prevent the occurrence and to control the spread of disease; (c) to stimulate the development and improvement of health serv

ices, both preventive and curative;

(d) to provide information, counsel, and assistance in the field of health and medical care;

(e) to achieve the highest possible level of education and knowledge in all subjects pertaining to health;

(f) to weld together for effective action the scientific and professional groups which contribute to the advancement of health; and

(g) to contribute to the harmony of human relations.

III. FUNCTIONS

In order to achieve the above-mentioned aims and objectives the World Health Organization should be the general directing and co

ordinating authority in international health work, whether the work is done by the Organization itself or in conjunction with other agencies. Its functions should be:

(a) to assist governments in strengthening their national health. services;

(b) to furnish appropriate technical assistance and, in emergencies, to give necessary aid at the request of governments;

(c) to assist in developing an informed public opinion among all peoples on matters of health;

(d) to stimulate and advance work to eradicate disease, particularly of an epidemic, endemic, or social nature;

(e) to promote research in the field of health;

(f) to promote maternal and child health and welfare;

(g) to foster such mental health activities as are necessary to improve and harmonize human relations;

(h) to foster education through improved standards of teaching and training in the health, medical, and related professions by means of fellowships, courses, study tours, and exchanges of visits and other practicable means;

(i) to study administrative and social techniques affecting sanitation and medical care from a curative and preventive point of view as regards both medical and hospital practice;

(j) to develop central information services and the interchange of information with respect to health and medical care; (k) to promote with the cooperation of other specialized agencies the improvement of nutrition, working conditions, housing, and other factors related to environmental hygiene and sanitation;

(7) to establish and maintain an epidemiological and statistical service for the collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of information pertaining to health and related subjects;

(m) to develop, establish, and promote international standards with respect to pharmaceutical, biological, and related products; (n) to standardize diagnostic procedures as desirable; (o) to establish and revise as necessary international nomenclatures of diseases, causes of death, and public health practice; (p) to promote conventions, regulations, and agreements with respect to international health and sanitary matters and to perform functions and duties assigned thereby;

(g) to provide or assist in providing, upon the request of the United Nations, health services and facilities to special groups, including displaced persons and the peoples of trust territories;

(r) to establish and maintain effective collaboration with the United Nations and with its affiliated organizations, with national health administrations, and with such other organizations as may be deemed appropriate; and

(s) generally to take all necessary and appropriate action to implement the purposes of the Organization.

IV. MEMBERSHIP

1. Membership in the World Health Organization should be open to all States of the World.1

2. Members of the United Nations should become Members of the World Health Organization by signing the Constitution of the Organization without reservation as to ratification or by depositing their respective instruments of acceptance with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

3. (NOTE: The Technical Preparatory Committee recommends that the method and procedure for the admission to the Organization of States not Members of the United Nations be considered and developed by the June conference.)

4. (It is recommended that a provision be included along the following lines: Voting privileges in the Organization and services to a Member State may be suspended in exceptional circumstances which, in the opinion of the Board, justify such action. Such action should also be possible in cases of failure to meet financial obligations to the Organization. The Board should be able to restore voting privileges and services so suspended.")

V. ORGANS

The work of the World Health Organization (hereinafter called the Organization) should be carried out by:

1

(a) the World Health Conference (hereinafter called the Confer

ence);

1The Technical Preparatory Committee recommends that the June conference consider the question of the World Health Organization providing services to trust territories, protectorates, colonies, and other territories not eligible for separate membership in the United Nations. In this regard, the Conference is asked to consider whether such territories, having their own health administration, should be able to take separate action with respect to appropriate branches of the work of the Organization, for example, acceding to international sanitary conventions.

'A State would retain a right of appeal under other provisions of the Constitution. There is no provision for expulsion. A State could therefore send a delegate to the Conference, where the matter could be raised.

(b) the Executive Board (hereinafter called the Board); (c) the Director-General;

(d) the Secretariat.

VI.

1. Composition

WORLD HEALTH CONFERENCE

(a) The Conference should be composed of delegates from Member States.

(b) i) Each Member State should be represented by not more than three delegates, one of whom should be designated by the Member State as Chief Delegate.

ii) (Alternative) Each Member State should be represented by one delegate.

(c) Alternates and advisers may be permitted to accompany dele

gates.

(d) i) In selecting their delegates due regard should be paid by the Member States to the technical nature of the work of the Organization.

ii) (Alternative) The delegate should be chosen from among persons most qualified by their technical competence in the health field, preferably representing the national health administration of the Member State.

(e) Each Member State should have one vote in the Conference.

2. Meetings

The Conference should meet in regular session at least once a year, the place of each meeting to be determined at the previous session. Extraordinary meetings of the Conference should be called when necessary by the Board.

The Conference should adopt its own rules of procedure and should select its President for each session.

3. Functions

The Conference should:

(a) determine the broad policies of the Organization;

(b) elect the members of the Board and appoint the DirectorGeneral;

(c) review and approve reports and activities of the Board and of the Director-General, instruct the Board in regard to matters upon which action, study, investigation, and report may be considered desirable, and supervise the financial policies and operation of the Organization;

(d) instruct the Director-General to bring to the attention of Mem

ber States and to international organizations any matter with respect to health which the Conference might consider appropriate;

(e) have the authority to recommend new conventions or amendments of existing conventions with respect to any appropriate matter within the scope of the Organization, which would become operative as to each Member State when accepted by it in accordance with its constitutional procedures;

(ƒ) have the authority to adopt regulations prescribing:

(i) sanitary and quarantine requirements and other pro-
cedures designed to prevent the international spread of
disease;

(ii) nomenclature with respect to diseases, causes of death,
public health practice, and standards with regard to
diagnostic procedures for international use;
(iii) standards with respect to the safety, purity, and potency
of drugs moving in international commerce under
names in official pharmacopoeia;

(iv) standards with respect to the safety, purity, and potency
of biologic products moving in international commerce;
(v) conditions with respect to labeling pharmaceutical prod-
ucts moving in international commerce;

such regulations becoming effective as to all Member States of the Organization after due notice has been given of their adoption by the Conference, except for such Members as may notify the Director-General of rejection or reservations within the period stated in the notice;

(g) be empowered to invite any governmental or non-governmental organization which has responsibilities related to those of the Organization to appoint representatives to participate without right of vote in its meetings or in those of the committees and conferences convened under its authority, on the conditions prescribed by the Conference; but, in the case of national organizations, invitations should be issued only with the consent of the government concerned;

(h) consider recommendations bearing on health made by the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Security and Trusteeship Councils of the United Nations, and report to them on the steps taken to give effect to such recommendations;