STATEMENT
79th World Health Assembly, 18 - 23 May 2026
Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services
Item 18.11 Prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment
Item 18.12 Governance reform
Item 18.12 Update on the Infrastructure Fund
Norway’s National Statement
Thank you chair.
On item 18.11 we thank the Secretariat for the positive progress made and for having a structural and risk-based approach within all levels of the organization.
Sustained culture change and management accountability are essential for lasting impact. Continued transparency, management reporting and behavior-informed approaches will be critical to embedding integrity and trust across the Organization.
There is a risk that gains may be reversed if momentum cannot be sustained because of resource constraints. We welcome further information on the impact of the restructuring exercise and the level of ambition and strategic direction of the new strategy.
We also welcome information on the possibilities the WHO sees for co-financing training and awareness activities with other UN organizations.
Chair,
On item 18.12, Norway applauds the results made by the Secretariat to implement reforms and underscore the importance of sustained efforts.
We encourage all Member States to be proactive in playing our part to reduce the burden on the Secretariat, where possible.
This requires an active approach to prioritisation and efficiency – to continuously reflect on where we can be more efficient, save time, avoid repetition and duplication, and chose not to ask the Secretariat for nice-to-haves, and focus on the need-to-haves.
Thank you.