The WHO – Destined to Fail?: Political Cooperation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In this essay, I argue that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not been equipped with the necessary authority to adequately fulfill its mission. The WHO was built on the mistaken assumption that attaining adequate global health is a matter of high-level coordination. However, the challenge of global health governance is, crucially, also one of complex political cooperation. I distinguish between different types of cooperation problems faced by the WHO and explain why achieving global health calls for intrusive powers by a governing authority—powers that the WHO does not enjoy.

Keywords: World Health Organization, International Health Regulation, Global Health, International Organizations, International Cooperation and Coordination