The 5th round of reporting on the implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel has kicked off. Countries but also civil society and other independent stakeholders are invited to share reports on progress of Code implementation. The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (or ‘WHO Global Code of Practice’, the ‘Code’) was adopted in 2010 at the 63rd World Health Assembly. The Code seeks to strengthen the understanding and ethical management of international health personnel recruitment and migration through strengthening data, information, and international cooperation.  

On 15 May, the Medicus Mundi International Network (MMI), Public Services International (PSI) and Wemos will organize a technical webinar on why and how civil society organizations can contribute to this 5th reporting round.

 Zoom webinar register here

As civil society “friends of the Code”, the organizers of this webinar are keen to see the Code further developing into a strong, relevant, and effective instrument. We therefore call on civil society organizations alike to provide, vie the reporting instrument, the input and evidence needed to improve the Code and its implementation. 

The webinar on 15 May will be an opportunity to learn more about the Code, the reporting process and instrument, and how to engage. This “technical” webinar will be complemented by a political discussion set up as World Health Assembly side event. 

Webinar programme 

Welcome and introduction 

• Corinne Hinlopen (moderator) (Wemos)

• Agya Mahat (World Health Organization)

Setting the scene: What’s the problem, and why to contribute to the reporting?

• Itai Rusike, Community Working Group on Health, Zimbabwe
  Challenges for the health systems and the people related to the out-migration of health workers

• Martin Leschhorn, Medicus Mundi Switzerland
  Challenges related to the recruitment of foreign health and care personnel in Switzerland (regulation, protection of workers, policy implications)

• Jillian Roque, Public Services Labour Independent Confederation (PSLINK), trade union affiliate of Public Services International – on experiences of migrating healthcare workers

How to contribute to the 5th Round of WHO Code Reporting

• Agya Mahat, World Health Organization
  The Global Code of Practice and the periodic reporting on its progress – introducing the Independent Stakeholder Reporting instrument (ISR)

• Thomas Schwarz, MMI Network
  How to use the Independent Stakeholder Reporting instrument (ISR) to report on realities of people and health workers and provide feedback on the implementation of the Code of Practice from a civil society perspective 

Questions and answers, and discussion

• Corinne Hinlopen, Wemos 

Registration, website and contacts 

• Zoom webinar – register here

• Find updates on the programme on the Wemos website of the webinar

• Contact for enquiries: Corinne Hinlopen, Wemos

The Code and its implementation 

The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (or “the Code”) was adopted in 2010 at the 63rd World Health Assembly. The Code seeks to strengthen the understanding and ethical management of international health personnel recruitment and migration through strengthening data, information, and international cooperation. 

Article 9.4 of the Code states that the WHO Secretariat may consider reports from relevant stakeholders on activities related to implementation of the WHO Global Code. In effect, WHO Secretariat has invited reports from civil society organizations since the second round of reporting (2015) and additional reports from recruitment agencies since the fourth round (2021). 

2024 is again an important year for engagement related to the Code: The fifth round of reporting will take place, and the third review of the Code’s relevance and effectiveness will start in June of this year, with a report to be presented in 2025 to the World Health Assembly. The 2024 National Reporting Instrument for member states (NRI) was published on 30 March 2024, and the Independent Stakeholder Reporting instrument (ISR) that can be used by civil society was published on 12 April 2024; the deadline for submitting reports is 31 July 2024.