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When America’s exit from WHO was averted

Dr Mahler got up from his seat, held my hands and embraced me. In a heavy voice, he said: “Thank you, my friend, for saving the WHO”.
American threat: The writer (right) with WHO Director-General Halfdan Mahler (extreme left) at the World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva in May 1982. File photo
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A few days back, US President Donald Trump heralded his second term by issuing a slew of orders to implement the promises made during his electoral campaign. One of these announced that the US shall stop paying contribution and withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This news revived memories of an occurrence of over four decades ago when, while serving as a Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, I was representing India at the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA) at Geneva, Switzerland, in May 1982. The exhaustive agenda was split and discussed in two Commissions, named A and B.

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The 1982 WHA, comprising 163 member countries, unanimously selected me to chair the proceedings of Commission B. Our Ambassador in Geneva, AP Venkateswaran, reported to New Delhi that this was a notable “diplomatic victory for India”.

On the third day of my chairmanship, the first item on the agenda, moved by a group of Afro-Asian countries, brought up a draft resolution that sought to draw attention to the poor health conditions of Palestinians living in Israeli-occupied territories.

Dr Halfdan Mahler, Director-General of the WHO, was sitting by my side, having just come in, when I called upon the leader of the Palestinian delegation to introduce the agenda item which, inter alia, referred to the report of an Expert Committee on the subject, as also to the reports presented by the Israeli Health Ministry, the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the specialised UN agency for providing relief to the Palestinian refugees; a reference was also made to a related UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution. Before I could call upon the next delegate to speak on this item, Dr John Bryant, the well-regarded leader of the US delegation, stood up in his chair and furiously waving his name card, seeking permission to make an immediate intervention.

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Speaking in an angry voice, Dr Bryant complained that if certain text in the draft resolution was not deleted forthwith, the proposed resolution would have the “most deleterious consequence of cutting off the membership rights and services of Israel”. He warned that if this item was discussed any further, he was under instructions to “inform that the USA shall, here and now, suspend its budgetary support and withdraw from the WHO” (at that time, America’s total support was perhaps one-fourth of the WHO’s entire budget!!). After Dr Bryant’s statement, there was an unprecedented uproar in the Assembly Hall — the conflicting protagonists and all their supporters were standing and shouting.

My continuous banging of the gavel and calling for order were lost in the din. However, I managed to announce that the proceedings were suspended for the next hour. After a brief consultation with Dr Mahler, who was crestfallen beyond words, I stepped down to the hall and for the next about two hours, engaged with the principal stakeholders in this rather unfortunate imbroglio. Realising that the controversy could not be easily resolved, I announced that the Commission would reassemble next morning.

I procured copies of all the reports and resolutions referred to in the draft resolution from the Commission B Secretary. I also requested him to contact the leaders of the USA, Israel, Palestine and the Afro-Asian Group delegations and get appointments for me to meet them from 6 pm onwards that evening, keeping a one-hour gap between successive meetings. Rushing back to my hotel room, I spent the next about six hours studying all relevant documents, taking notes and revising the draft resolution to remove all potential irritants, particularly redoing the text which, according to Dr Bryant, had negative implications qua Israel’s national interests.

From 6 pm onwards, I had continuous discussions with the leaders of the concerned delegations. In every meeting, I particularly went over the text of the revised resolution that I had drafted and was successful in securing the full endorsement of the Palestinian and Afro-Asian delegations, both of whom I had met together. It was already past 9 pm when I met the Israeli group and was able to get their agreement after rather prolonged discussions.

It was past 11 pm when I reached the hotel in which the American delegation was staying. As all others were already on board, I had expected that this last meeting would end quickly. Instead, I was led through dozens of Israel-related UNGA resolutions, not one of which was relevant to the instant debate. I kept my patience and, at the end, was able to get Dr Bryant’s endorsement for the new draft. I got back to my hotel around 1 am after handing over a neat handwritten copy of the new draft — for which I had been able to get the endorsement of all the contesting elements — to Ms Simone, a responsible WHO executive, who agreed to have the required number of copies made and distributed to the Assembly before it commenced its business in the morning (it was already the next day!).

There was an uneasy quiet in the Assembly Hall when Dr Mahler and I arrived on the dais. Calling the meeting to order, I briefly explained the developments since the preceding afternoon and how I had been able to get the leaders of all the member countries concerned to endorse the revised draft resolution prepared by me. I asked whether there was any opposition to this resolution being adopted. As there was no comment, I struck the gavel and announced that the resolution had been adopted unanimously. The Assembly heaved a sigh of perceptible relief.

Before I could move to the next item, Dr Mahler got up from his seat, held my hands and embraced me. In a heavy voice, he said: “Thank you, my friend, for saving the WHO”.

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