As one of the first seven non-governmental organisations to be accepted into official relations with the World Health Organization in 1948, ICN has worked collaboratively on many projects of mutual interest over the years.
As a non-State actor, every year ICN actively participates in the WHO Executive Board meetings and the World Health Assembly to represent the voice of nurses and nursing to advance global health and promote public health.
Collaborative work with WHO on the nursing profession and health includes:
Ahead of World Patient Day (17 September), ICN CEO Howard Catton is calling for urgent action on patient safety to back-up the World Health Organization’s new charter on patient safety rights.
15 September 2023
ICN’s 80-strong delegation of nurses at the WHA, led by ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano, spoke at a wide range of side events and intervened on numerous agenda items at the event, including on emergency preparedness, UHC, infection prevention and control, and women’s and children’s health.
1 June 2023
ICN has a delegation of nurses at the WHA, with six delegates attending in person, and around 80 following the proceedings online. Today they continued making contributions to the debates and discussions of the WHA, including two formal interventions.
25 May 2023
ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano met with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at this week’s World Health Assembly in Geneva. They discussed why investment in nurses is essential not just to recover, but also to rebuild health systems and deliver UHC2030
24 May 2023