NGOs ask Tedros to reject Argentina's move to withdraw from WHO

Argentina’s controversial move to withdraw from the World Health Organization is facing growing opposition at home, as a coalition of nongovernmental organizations warns it could jeopardize the country’s access to lifesaving health support. The group is asking the World Health Organization’s director-general to reject the withdrawal. In a letter dated May 23 and shared with Devex, the organizations said the decision to withdraw from WHO requires congressional approval. They argued that, per Argentina’s Constitution, Congress has the power to “approve or reject treaties concluded with other nations and international organizations,” and thus it follows that Congress should have a say when a country wishes to withdraw from such treaties. The Argentine Congress “has done absolutely nothing so far,” and no lawmaker has challenged the government’s decision to withdraw, according to Juliana Miranda, who serves as coordinator for Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales, one of the organizations behind the letter. They said the withdrawal poses risks for the Argentine population, from accessing “critical real-time information on outbreaks, pandemics and emerging threats” to losing key WHO technical and financial support in areas such as implementing vaccination programs and access to medicines. They are also concerned that leaving WHO would prevent the country from participating in decisions critical to the health of its population and those in the Americas region, and affect its scientific cooperation with others globally. “In a national context characterized by severe budget cuts, healthcare emergencies and institutional fragmentation, to do without this support is a decision as risky as it is unjustifiable,” the NGOs wrote in the letter. Argentina publicly announced its decision to withdraw from WHO in early February, just a few weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order announcing the U.S. intention to exit from the agency. Argentine Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni accused WHO of lacking independence and said Argentina won’t allow the global body to intervene in its sovereignty. Adorni said the withdrawal is due to the country’s “deep differences” with WHO when it comes to health management, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when the country dealt with long lockdowns. Argentina took measures to formalize its decision soon after. Based on a WHO document published for the 78th World Health Assembly, Argentina’s permanent mission to the U.N. transmitted a letter in March from Argentina’s minister for foreign affairs, international trade and worship, dated Feb. 25, informing the U.N. secretary-general of the country’s decision “to denounce the Constitution of the World Health Organization and withdraw from that Organization.” According to the letter, the decision was made under the terms of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, and the withdrawal will be effective one year from the letter’s receipt. Argentina owes over $4 million in assessed contributions to WHO annually, or a total of over $8.2 million for the period 2024-2025. As of December 2024, however, it still had an outstanding balance of $3.78 million. But the WHO Constitution doesn’t actually include a withdrawal clause. Given this, the U.N. in New York couldn’t determine if it could accept the notification and asked WHO to put the matter before the WHA. WHO confirmed to Devex that they received the letter from the NGOs. However, WHO only received information on the notice to withdraw in April. Given the complexity of the issue, WHA decided the executive board should consider the matter in its 158th session first, which is expected to take place in early 2026, and report back to the 79th WHA. The board will also consider “any remaining issues” regarding the U.S. withdrawal from WHO, which is expected to take effect on Jan. 22, 2026. The U.S. Congress adopted a joint resolution in 1948 that allows the president to accept WHO membership and states that the U.S. reserves the right to withdraw from WHO after a one-year notice period. However, it states that the U.S. should fully pay its dues for the current fiscal year for the withdrawal to become effective. The resolution is unclear on whether the president can withdraw from the agency without congressional approval, although experts argued that it can’t.