What can WHO do to strengthen civil-state interactions?

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5. INTRODUCTION
Strengthening civil-state interactions

Identifying the civic organisations to work with

Working with communities
Supporting information exchange

Other skills
Checking our progress

Interactive exercise

In opening up work with new non-state actors, WHO actions may involve:

  • mapping stakeholders, interests and current actions and strategies within civil society on health;
  • ensuring wider understanding within civil society of WHO and its role;
  • responding to demand driven interactions from civil society and integrating these within WHO-state interactions and programmes;
  • seeking ways of strengthening state-civil society interactions (without compromising the integrity of either);
  • supporting wider understanding, knowledge and awareness of health issues in stakeholders outside the health sector;
  • drawing on NGO technical expertise and information, especially from public health related NGOs;
  • involving civil society at early stages in shaping positions, programmes, in bridging between communities and state, and facilitating issue based civil-state interactions;
  • providing technical and financial support to NGO/civil activities (INFACT, 1999).