2.4 WHO Executive Board

The Executive Board of WHO is composed of 34 individuals technically qualified in the health field, each one designated by a Member State elected to do so by the World Health Assembly. Member States are elected for three-year terms. The main functions of the Executive Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the World Health Assembly to advise it and to facilitate its work.

Between 1949 and 1996, the Republic of Korea was elected as a Member State entitled to designate a person to serve on the Executive Board only three times – in 1960, in 1984 and in 1995. Since 1995, however, representatives from the Republic of Korea have served on the Executive Board more frequently: Om Young-jin, Assistant Minister for Social Welfare Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) from 2001; Sohn Myong-sei, Professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine from 2007; and Jeon Mahnbok, Assistant Minister for Planning and Coordination at MOHW from 2013 (29–31).

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Q Jeon Man-bok, then director of international cooperation at the Ministry of health and Welfare (centre), was named as a member of the Who executive board in 2013. he is shown here with J.a. Vanderburg (left), Who country liaison officer in the republic of Korea.

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Q sohn Myong-sei (left), Who executive board Member from 2007 to 2010, with shin young-soo, Who regional director of the Western pacific (right) and reiko lee (centre), the widow of lee Jong-wook.

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Q The delegation of the republic of Korea at the World health assembly in 1995: om young-jin (far right, front row), then the Minister councillor in health at the Mission of the republic of Korea to the united nations and other international organizations in geneva, was named as a member of the Who executive board in 2001.