WHO's Chief in China Steps Down

[Theresa42]

Hat-tip, aurora!

WHO's Chief in China Steps Down
By NICHOLAS ZAMISKA
August 15, 2007

HONG KONG -- The World Health Organization's chief representative in China, Henk Bekedam, is stepping down from his post after five years on the job, despite calls from Chinese health officials for him to stay on longer.

Hans Troedsson, the WHO's representative in Vietnam, will succeed the 49-year-old Dr. Bekedam, a native of the Netherlands. Dr. Bekedam said the shift was part of a normal rotation at the WHO.

Next week, he is expected to start his new job as director of health-sector development for the WHO's Western Pacific regional office in Manila, reporting to Shigeru Omi, the regional director.

During Dr. Bekedam's tenure, the WHO's representative in China has been a participant in global public-health issues, given China's central role in contagious diseases such as bird flu and SARS.

A senior official within the Chinese Ministry of Health who has worked with Dr. Bekedam over the years said that, despite occasional disagreements, the two sides worked well together and "he has contributed a lot." The official said China's minister of health had personally requested the WHO delay his new appointment because the ministry felt that Dr. Bekedam was "familiar with the health sector and he can provide more help."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118708268303897069.html

 

[gsgs]

Re: WHO's Chief in China Steps Down

that "normal rotation" may be true or not.
I won't trust trust WHO on such statements very much.
Just my feeling.

 

[Laidback Al]

Re: WHO's Chief in China Steps Down

that "normal rotation" may be true or not.
I won't trust trust WHO on such statements very much.
Just my feeling.

WHO does seem to a have policy on employee rotation:

Rotation and mobility
20. The first phase of work on this subject, in the form of a voluntary scheme, has been completed.
The exercise highlighted the importance of keeping staff adequately informed. This was particularly
true for information concerning the potential impact on a staff member?s career, the nature of the
possible new job, and the living conditions at the proposed new duty station. Experience in the
voluntary phase has shown that moves within programmes were the most successful as staff members
benefited from the existence of strong informal networks and familiarity with many of the persons
involved.
21. WHO is supporting an interagency initiative to improve access to information on living
conditions at all duty stations around the world. Launched in June 2005, this initiative is being further
developed and enlarged.
22. A global steering committee was created to provide advice on the rotation and mobility policy
and to oversee its finalization. Organization-wide consultations have taken place involving extensive
negotiation. Two tools are being prepared for making the rotation and mobility policy operational: the
inventory of posts that will be subject to mobility; and the compendium of funded positions open to
mobility that are either vacant or about to become vacant through retirement.
23. During the biennium 2006-2007 there will be a move to a more systematic approach to rotation
and mobility through phased introduction, which will initially be limited to a small number of job
categories; other job categories will be added progressively as experience and understanding grow
with regard to the process and the needs involved. In preparation for this, a number of initiatives have
been put into motion including the following: the current strategic direction and competency review,
which will enable the entire Organization to deliver programmes more effectively, with a focus on
doing the right things, in the right place, and with the resources needed; the implementation of the
human resources planning tool; and a greater emphasis on career counselling, for which a specialist is
being recruited.
24. As a matter or critical importance, a communication strategy on rotation and mobility will be
prepared to ensure that accurate and comprehensive information is disseminated throughout the
Organization. Rotation and mobility will have an effect on recruitment, retention, career development,
conditions of service for staff and organizational culture. They will therefore have a major impact on
the overall performance of the Organization and its staff.​

From a January 2006 annual human resources report: http://www.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB117/B117_21-en.pdf​

 

[gsgs]

Re: WHO's Chief in China Steps Down

thanks.

I was somehow thinking at the trouble inside CDC ...

What was with Stoehr going to Novartis , also rotation ?

Maybe Chan is only general director because it was China's turn
due to rotation

 

[Laidback Al]

Re: WHO's Chief in China Steps Down

I am not sure that WHO has an abundance of Director-Generals available for rotation.

 

[gsgs]

Re: WHO's Chief in China Steps Down

the jobs are rotating, not the people... or both ?

 

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: WHO's Chief in China Steps Down

At very low levels, one changes (rotates) because one is fed up with seeing always the same things, or fed up with sickness problems, or fed up with the locals, the animals, the insects, or fed up of the same social, personal or professional circle, or your own children are sick. Rotation is easy taken and delivered.

At very high levels, one changes (rotates) because of compelling health reasons like a heart attack (then you come back to Europe). Room is made for you to be comfortable, and sometimes you might even get an interesting job or small promotion. Or you rotate for diplomatic reasons (you have angered a powerful local official or your own hierarchy), you're then placed in an office cupboard, same grade, pushing pen with hands tied behind your back. Rotation in this instance is a punishment.

SARS and BF both originate from China.

So the Viet Nam WHO guy (experienced with "secondary" SARS and "secondary" BF) goes to China. The WHO China guy (experienced with "primary" SARS and "primary" BF) goes to WHO regional office in the Philippines. Note that the press release says it's the China guy that gets ousted, not the Viet Nam guy...

Note also that the above-mentiond 2006 document on rotation in WHO describes a tentative to change (established though non written) rules about rotation. This new staff politic has been started in 2005. Chan is shuffling the trump cards. The new rotation ideas had been started with the Korean WHO DG (2005) and it could well serve Chan goals, as she won't have to stand being accused of starting the shakes.

Methinks something stinks.

It either:

- smells bad in China and Chan is doing what she can to lift the lid and see in the bottom of the bowl,

or

- smells bad in China and Chan is doing what she can to flip the lid close over the bowl so that no-one can sniff it.

Just my ideas of course, nothing more to it than that.