The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is pleased to open a call for applicants to form an informal Civil Society Consultation Group for Health Emergency Risk Management.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) – nongovernmental or nonprofit organizations comprised of individuals with shared values and commitments to local communities and/or causes – are valuable leaders and contributors in communities, especially when it comes to public health interventions. Collaboration between PAHO and CSOs is especially critical in the context of emergency preparedness and response as emergencies always start and end within communities. CSOs are trusted entities that are uniquely positioned to support prevention, preparedness and readiness measures and the uptake of health emergency response and recovery efforts with communities.
In order to strengthen community readiness and resilience to emergencies, PAHO aims to increase its meaningful engagement with CSOs. To do so, the Health Emergencies Department is forming an informal Civil Society Consultation Group for Health Emergency Risk Management. The aim of this Consultation Group is to inform and improve PAHO's work in health emergency risk management and enhance the participation of civil society and communities in those efforts at subnational, national and regional level.
How to Participate
PAHO invites all Civil Society Organizations interested in participating in its Civil Society Consultation Group for Health Emergency Risk Management to apply (see How to Apply section on the right).
Eligible participants consist of non-governmental organizations, including, for example: grassroots movements, community-based organizations, civil society groups and networks, faith-based organizations, professional groups and patient groups etc. The goal is to have representation from a cross section of civil society organizations including those from different income settings, a variety of issue focus areas and geographical regions and levels.
Prospective applicants must meet the following criteria:
The mission and purpose of the applying organization must be consistent with PAHO values and policies.
Applicants must respect the intergovernmental nature of PAHO and the decision-making authority of its Member States.
Applicants should be considered a nongovernmental organization according to PAHO’s Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA) and pass the due diligence and risk assessment process performed under FENSA.
Applicants should contribute to the advancement of public health at international, regional, national and/or local levels and to the objectives, vision and goal of the PAHO Civil Society Consultation Group for Health Emergency Risk Management.
Applying organizations must be based in the Americas and have working knowledge of at least one of PAHO's four official languages (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese).
Applicants must be willing to commit to actively participate in the Group for at least 12 months.
How to Apply
To submit an application for your organization to participate in the PAHO Civil Society Consultation Group for Health Emergency Risk Management, please download and complete the Application Form and send it, along with the required supporting documents, via email to emergenciesinfo@paho.org.
Application period extended
The application period has been extended until 31 January 2025.
The aim is to have the Consultation Group established by the end of February 2025. The initial phase of this work will last 12 months.