Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
discussed with countries in advance of making the recommendations so that they knew
that they were coming, and took into consideration any comments that they might have.
It didn't change our decision, but it did bring into consideration any comments that they
had before we actually made the recommendations public.
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Similarly, in commenting on whether the issuance of travel advisories constitutes
independent power, bill Kean, wHo Director of Governance in 2003, stated
that
certainly Dr. brundtland thought about that very carefully as to whether it was the right
thing to do public health-wise. but as for the economic impact, was she able to act alone?
[Brundtland] decided that she was. So independent? Well, it was independent of other
bodies. I mean [Brundtland] didn't consult the WTO [World Trade Organization] on the
trading considerations or WTO tourism [World Tourism Organization] on the tourism
implications … but the member states were advised that this action was happening.
15
although it is thus openly acknowledged the wHo's bureaucracy did act
unilaterally, the decision was approached cautiously and with regard to the impact
upon member states. Indeed, the organisation's ability to act autonomously was
ultimately one of the key strengths of its response to the 2003 SarS pandemic. Had
the bureaucracy failed to respond rapidly and forcefully, it is highly likely that SarS
would have become yet another endemic disease, periodically reappearing to cause
further human suffering and death. It was the wHo's ability to act independently,
without the requirement to convene committees and sit through extensive debates
about the potential consequences of each decision, that enabled SarS to be contained
and eradicated within four months of its spreading internationally. while it is agreed
that there are inherent dangers associated with allowing Ios too much freedom, the
2003 SarS pandemic powerfully demonstrated that the autonomy of Ios can have
positive outcomes.
Conclusion
the very features that some have suggested were unauthorised, unprecedented,
and undesired were, in the end, critical to the wHo's success in containing and
eradicating SarS. In issuing the global alerts and travel advisories, and in criticising
the chinese government for its lack of action, the wHo put the world on alert and
embarrassed a recalcitrant member state into amending its behaviour. by acting
autonomously, it was able to institute a variety of constitutionally authorised
measures that proved effective in both rapidly containing the SarS-associated
coronavirus and preventing its further dissemination. these methods were somewhat
unconventional, particularly for the wHo—which has historically sought to avoid
controversy. However, member states had explicitly requested that the organisation
undertake a comprehensive programme of reforming its disease-eradication policies
