The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Strategic Advisory Group on Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health. This “Call for Experts” provides information about the Strategic Advisory Group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Issued on: April 4 2024
Deadline: May 17 2024
Background
The current and future negative impact of climate change, air pollution, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and solid waste management, risks related to hazardous chemicals and loss of biodiversity among others, are pressing environmental public health threats in the Region. These threats are compounded by weak governance practices and health inequities, as well as by limited expertise and resources for this area in the health sector. Climate change and other environmental health threats disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including the poor, migrants, ethnic minorities, women, children, the elderly living in precarious conditions, and those least capable to fence for themselves.
The Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) on Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health will provide strategic guidance to the Organization to prevent or minimize threats to health related to climate change and environmental determinants of health, including water, sanitation, and hygiene, air pollution, chemical safety and waste management, with a specific focus on equity, within the existing mandates such as the Agenda for the Americas on Health, Environment and Climate Change, 2021-2030.
The SAG will also advise about new and emerging environmental health threats, and provide guidance for the development of plans, programs, and interventions to forecast and address these issues. Furthermore, it will play an advisory role in the development of the Policy Strengthening the Health Sector’s Actions on Climate Change with Equity to be presented during the Pan American Health Organization ‘s 2024 Executive Committee (EC) and the Directing Council (DC), and its linkages with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Resolution on climate change and health to be presented during the 2024 World Health Assembly.
Functions of the Strategic Advisory Group on Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health
In its capacity as an advisory body to PAHO, the SAG shall have the following functions:
- To assess the implementation of PAHO’s Agenda for the Americas on Health, Environment and Climate Change, 2021-2030 and elaborate recommendations for improving its implementation.
- To advise on priorities and emergent topics to be addressed and provide advice on the development of the Policy on Strengthening Health Sector’s Actions on Climate Change with Equity to be presented during the 2024 EC and DC, and its linkages with the WHO’s Resolution on climate change and health to be presented during the 2024 World Health Assembly.
- To provide guidance on optimal strategies and approaches to reach PAHO’s environmental determinants of health goals, with a focus on equity.
- To advise on mechanisms to synergize efforts among technical institutions, bilateral, multilateral, and private agencies, as well as among political leaders, to support the progress towards regional environmental determinants of health goals and targets.
- To provide recommendations on the criteria, methodology and research needed in order to meet environmental determinants of health goals in the Americas.
- To advise the identification of opportunities for fundraising for the area of climate change and environmental determinants of health.
Operations of the Strategic Advisory Group on Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health
The SAG shall normally meet at least twice each year, with one in-person meeting and one virtual meeting with the working languages being English and Spanish. However, PAHO may convene additional meetings. SAG meetings may be held in person (at PAHO headquarters in or another location, as determined by PAHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.
Who can express interest?
The Strategic Advisory Group on Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to climate change and environmental public health. Approximately 15 members may be selected.
PAHO welcomes expressions of interest from individuals with proven expertise in the following areas:
- Climate Change and Health, including mitigation and adaption strategies, and climate justice
- Development and implementation of environmental health policies and promotion of legislation to protect the health of the population from environmental risks
- Environmental health surveillance of environmental hazards, exposures, health risks, and risk management measures
- Sanitary and/or environmental engineering related to health
- Promotion and management of environmental health research and knowledge
- Social participation and social mobilization related to environmental health
- Risk communication
- Integration of a social determinants of health and health equity focus on environmental public health or environmental justice
- Development of human resources for environmental public health
- Efficient and equitable environmental public health financing.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Strategic Advisory Group on Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health, please submit the following documents by May 17, 11:59pm, Washington, D.C. time to eijkemansg@paho.org and bussd@paho.org using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Strategic Advisory Group on Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
- Your curriculum vitae; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests form for PAHO/WHO Experts (PDF, 279.47KB).
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by PAHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of PAHO SAGs must be free of any real, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the PAHO Declaration of Interests for PAHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a SAG is, amongst other things, dependent on PAHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to PAHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All SAG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions, or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for PAHO Experts. SAG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and PAHO’s Secretariat to enable PAHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant SAG. The selection of members of the SAGs will be made by PAHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of SAG members will also take into account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by PAHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter. Appointment as a member of a SAG will be subject to the proposed member returning to PAHO the countersigned copy of this document, as well as the Declaration of Interests Form and the confidentiality undertaking mentioned above.
PAHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for PAHO's action. PAHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the SAG, disband an existing SAG or modify the work of the SAG.
PAHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
PAHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the PAHO internet.
SAG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the SAG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of SAG members to participate in SAG meetings will be covered by PAHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules, and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to eijkemansg@paho.org and bussd@paho.org well before the applicable deadline.