Who is Andrew Forsyth?
He’s a person of influence who could help us understand what the hell is going on.
I hadn’t heard of him either until I stumbled upon his name on the World Health Organisation website.
Andrew Forsyth - the NZ Ministry of Health’s manager of Public Health Strategy - is a member of the WHO’s International Health Regulations Review Committee (IHRRC).
The IHRRC committee held meetings in Switzerland this month, from January 9 -13, to finalise a report regarding proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations.
It was expected to submit its report to the WHO Director-General no later than January 15, 2023.
Based on the review committee’s report, a working group is tasked with proposing a package of targeted amendments for adoption by the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO.
Consequently Andrew Forsyth is a person of significant influence.
New Zealand is among 16 countries who made submissions to the amendments.
As we are deep in the process, I was interested to hear details from the man on the spot - particularly as critics say the amendments will dramatically expand the role of the WHO and amount to handing over national sovereignty to that body.
So I wrote to Andrew Forsyth on January 17, four days after the review committee wrapped up its meetings in Switzerland.
.I asked him:
Did you attend the meetings?
If so, will you report back to the Ministry?
Will any such report be made public?
Did you make any recommendations or raise any points with the committee?
If so, what?
What issues did you vote on and did you vote in favour or against?
Is it possible to speak with you?
Several calls and emails later, I received a brush-off from the Ministry’s media team - neither confirming nor denying even that Andrew Forsyth had attended the meetings.
This response prompted more questions.
If he did attend, was he representing New Zealand?
Or was he engaged by the WHO?
Who paid for the trip - was it the WHO or the NZ taxpayer?
January 26: from the Ministry of Health principal media advisor Meredith Barker:
“Thanks for your inquiry about the recent Review Committee regarding amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005). Andrew has passed your email onto the media team for response.
Information about the Review Committee, including its terms of reference and meeting reports, is available on the WHO website: Review Committee regarding amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (who.int) If you require any further information, please contact the WHO Communications Team: mediainquiries@who.int “
After another request for information, she offered this (January 27):
“You will see that Andrew Forsyth is listed as a member here: Review Committee regarding amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)
I’m afraid the Ministry cannot help you with your other questions - these will need to be directed to the WHO (the email address for their media team is in my earlier email below).”
Information that Andrew Forsyth has and might share is needed because there are confusing reports about the proposed amendments.
Analysts identify a number of reasons why they should be rejected. These reasons include:
Loss of dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms
Dictatorial power give to the WHO’s Director General
Dictatorial powers given to unelected regional directors of the WHO
National sovereignty handed over to the WHO.
The introduction of health certificates affecting freedom of movement and travel
Violation of privacy
Censorship - the WHO proposes to strengthen capacities to counter misinformation and disinformation.
It’s said that the amendments are being negotiated in secret and that agreement by a simple majority of the 194 member nations is all that is needed to adopt them.
The WHO, itself, states that the regulations are an instrument of international law that is legally-binding on 196 countries, including its 194 WHO Member States.
Indeed, the proposed regulations require that member states recognise the WHO as the guidance and coordinating authority of international public health response during public health emergencies of international concern. And that they undertake to follow the WHO’s recommendations in their international public health response.
The WHO’s International Health Regulations Review Committee began its work in October 2022, with meetings held behind closed doors.
Back then concerns were expressed that the WHO’s performance during the COVID pandemic demonstrated both its subservience to corporate interests and its globalist ambition to centralise control at the expense of national and individual freedoms.
But fact checker Catalina Jaramillo of SciCheck Digest wrote in 2022 that the World Health Organization has no authority to dictate national health policies.
‘While the International Health Regulations make up a legally binding agreement, signed by 196 countries, the WHO has no control over national health policy, and no enforcement mechanisms”, she said.
She quoted the WHO official Lawrence Gostin, a global health law professor, also a member of the committee.
“The regulations have no control whatsoever over national health care policy or programs. That is entirely a matter for the sovereign nation to decide. The WHO can make recommendations after the declaration of a global emergency, but they are just recommendations and are non-binding. States are legally bound to report dangerous outbreaks, but there is no enforcement mechanism and countries often do not comply.”
So which is it?
Will the WHO be able to declare a health emergency and then impose the rules it chooses to implement global policies? Or not?
According to his WHO bio: “Mr Forsyth has more than 25 years’ experience in various positions with the New Zealand Ministry of Health. His work focuses on the development and implementation of public health law. In 2016/17 this included revising New Zealand's infectious disease legislation to include human rights principles.”
Andrew Forsyth could help us clear up this conundrum?
Awaiting a response, also, from the WHO.
Sources
International health regulations
WHO | Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)
‘WHO Has No Authority to Dictate U.S. Health Policy’ - FactCheck.org
https://worldcouncilforhealth.org/news/statements/secret-ihr-meetings/