Diplomatic roles of regional coordinators for WHO Member States

To examine the coordination functions, decision-making processes and consensus-building strategies of World Health Organization (WHO) regional coordinators of Member States in Geneva within the WHO's federal governance structure.

In this qualitative study, we interviewed 12 current and former regional coordinators from five WHO regions (African, the Americas, South-East Asia, European and Eastern Mediterranean) using a semi-structured questionnaire. A regional coordinator from the Western Pacific Region later provided a written response to the questionnaire which we report separately due to methodological and time differences. We analysed the data using a hybrid thematic approach combining initial coding assisted by artificial intelligence with our rigorous interpretive validation.

We identified eight main coordination functions. Core liaison and information-sharing were functions undertaken by regional coordinators in all the regions, while position development and meeting organization were undertaken by regional coordinators in most regions. Coordination complexity and consensus-building strategies, such as bilateral mediation and issue reframing, varied depending on regional political dynamics and institutional capacities. A formal job description and procedural handbooks were lacking, and therefore the regional coordinator role was a negotiated practice dependent on informal knowledge transfer.

Regional coordinators serve as boundary-spanners linking regional autonomous governance with global health governance. To address the absence of documented institutional knowledge, we propose developing formal induction curricula, cross-regional mentorship pairing and harmonized procedural handbooks. These measures will strengthen regional voices and ensure more inclusive participation in global health diplomacy.