10 A staff member who is involved in a significant personal relationship, or who is related by blood, marriage or a domestic partnership to a person (for example, a spouse, a recognised domestic partner, a child, an adopted child, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, parents, parents-in-law, a brother, a sister, a brother-in-law, a sister-in-law or any persons recognized by WHO as a dependent), who has an interest in (including association with) any entity with;
- which the staff member may be required, directly or indirectly, to have official dealings on behalf of the Organization; or
- which has a commercial interest in the work of WHO, or a common area of activity with WHO,
shall report this interest to the Director-General through the Office of Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics (CRE).
20 In addition, in reference to Staff Rule 110.7.2, the following categories of staff are required to file a Declaration of Interests annually: Regional Directors, Assistant Director-General’s, Directors, and staff in equivalent employment categories as determined by the Director-General.
Staff in equivalent employment categories are:
- all staff members at grade P5/P6/D1 and above (inclusive) - referring to the grade of the staff member, not the grade of the post that he or she occupies;
- WHO Representatives, Liaison Officers, Heads of Offices and Country Desk Officers, regardless of the grade of the staff member assigned to the post, and whether or not a post is held on an acting basis; and
- staff members at grade G5 (or local equivalent) and above who are responsible for the procurement of goods and services, or who otherwise perform procurement functions (other than of a purely routine administrative nature), including on an acting basis.
In addition, all staff in the Office of Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics (CRE), all professional staff in the Office of the Legal Counsel (LEG), staff members that sit on the Research Ethics Review Committee (ERC) and the Guidelines Review Committee (GRC), and staff members that form part of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), have also been identified as requiring to file a Declaration of Interests annually.
30 The staff member should include in the Declaration of Interests:
- any entities with which a staff member may be required by the Organization to have dealings with; and
- any entities of which it is reasonably foreseeable or otherwise possible during the course of the staff member's official duties that he might be called upon to have contact with, even though no such contact is immediately foreseen.
40 If what was reported as a mere possibility of future contact actually materializes, the staff member should immediately report this fact to the Director, CRE. Director, CRE, on behalf of the Director-General, will review the matter and advise accordingly. In addition, as a result of WHO's strong stance against tobacco use and the need to ensure impartiality in relation to the commercial pharmaceutical industry, designated staff must disclose to the Organization whether they, or any person that they are related to as referred to in paragraph 10 above, have any relationship with any part of what may be called the tobacco industry and/or the pharmaceutical industry.
50 Designated staff members shall complete the Declaration upon appointment and annually thereafter.
60 Any offer of appointment to a prospective staff member who falls within designated employment categories can only be made upon completion of a Declaration of Interests (WHO 849) and upon the decision that any declared interest is compatible with WHO employment. Declarations are to be submitted to CRE, which shall advise the Director-General on any action to be taken under Staff Rule 110.7. The Director-General shall decide on the compatibility of any interests declared by staff members and prospective staff members with Article I of the Staff Regulations, and on any action to be taken under this Rule.
70 Failure to submit the Staff Declaration of Interests form by the due date, during the annual Staff DOI exercise, could result in the establishment of misconduct and, accordingly, result in disciplinary measures.
Outside activities; remuneration from outside sources
80 In compliance with Staff Regulation 1.4 and Staff Regulation 1.7, staff members are not to engage without prior authorization from the Director, CRE in any outside office or activity, whether remunerated or not. This includes any remuneration for work performed in the staff member’s own time or in their private capacity.
90 Before any commitment is entered into, a request for permission should be made in writing to the Director , CRE. In consultation with others, as necessary, the Director, CRE will determine whether the outside office or occupation is compatible with the proper discharge of the staff member's duties with the Organization.
100 For additional information on standards and requirements in this area, staff should carefully consult Information Note 14/2015, accessible on the Office of CRE/Ethics intranet site at: http://intranet.who.int/homes/cre/ethics/outside.
