Regional WHO consultation meetings on a global alcohol strategy are starting late February

The World Health Assembly decided in May 2008 that a Global Strategy to Reduce Harmful Use of Alcohol will be presented for adoption at the Health Assembly in 2010. Consultation meetings have already been held with the NGO community and economic operators.

Stage 2 in the process is a series of Regional technical consultations between WHO and the Member States. There will be meetings in all six WHO regions, and the dates are as follows:

South-East Asia:                       24-26 February, Bangkok,Thailand

Africa:                                          3-5 March, Brazzaville, Congo

Western Pacific:                        24-26 March, Auckland, New Zealand

Eastern Mediterranean:          6-9 April, Cairo, Egypt

Europe:                                       20-23 April, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Americas:                           6-8 May, Sao Paolo, Brazil

Read more about the consultation process at the WHO web site.

The regional meetings are good opportunities for NGOs all over the world to enter into dialogue with their respective national governments and suggest topics that governments should address at the regional WHO meetings.

If you want background information on the WHO process, ideas to documentation that can be used or ideas for issues that can be raised, you may contact the GAPA Secretary Øystein Bakke: oystein.bakke@forut.no Useful material for preparing your input to the government can also be found at the ADD web site: www.add-resources.org