EXCLUSIVE: World Health Assembly Declines to Recognize Argentina’s Withdrawal From WHO

After a full day of intense diplomatic debate, the World Health Assembly adopted a last-minute compromise text on Friday declining formal recognition of Argentina’s withdrawal notification, and leaving the nation’s legal status unresolved.

GENEVA – Delegates at the Seventy-Ninth World Health Assembly in Geneva reached a compromise regarding Argentina’s withdrawal from the global health body. The finalised text, seen by Health Policy Watch, takes note of Argentina’s departure notification but officially resolves that “it is not considered that any further action at this stage is desirable”.

This passive manoeuvre effectively ignores the exit declaration, preventing a historic legal precedent for the international organisation. Had the assembly formally accepted the departure, it would have been the first time the organisation officially recognised a member state as leaving – despite the absence of a pre-existing constitutional caveat.

Diplomatic horse-trading behind the scenes

Ahead of the compromise vote, Norway and Paraguay agreed to a compromise amendment to endorse a unified resolution. Paraguay had initially proposed that the assembly formally recognise the exit, while an opposing bloc insisted that the body remain ambiguous.

The final compromise now contains both a direct reference to Argentina’s withdrawal notification – a reference that the Norwegian-led bloc had originally deleted in its draft – but it also states firmly the WHA decision to refrain from formally recognising the member state’s departure.

While the final resolution passed by consensus and was accompanied by applause in the UN Assembly Hall, a diplomat involved in the negotiations expressed deep frustration at the process. Speaking to Health Policy Watch, the diplomat criticised the introduction of last-minute amendments that caught negotiating delegations by surprise, eventually delaying the process by hours.

Navigating Argentina’s withdrawal legality

In contrast to the situation with Buenos Aires, the United States explicitly reserved the right to exit WHO when it joined the organisation in 1948. However, this week, the Assembly moved to suspend American voting rights by 2027 due to unpaid contributions, enforcing the strict financial conditions attached to that original American accession.

The American withdrawal required a one-year notice alongside the full payment of outstanding financial obligations. Because Washington failed to settle outstanding fees for 2024 and 2025, the WHO refused to recognise the US departure as legally binding.

Stars and Stripes No Longer Flying at WHO – But US Can’t Really Leave Until Dues are Paid, Agency Says

The WHO constitution lacks a formal mechanism for member states to withdraw, leaving diplomats without a clear protocol. Consequently, the organisation treats attempted departures with intentional ambiguity, classifying quitting states as inactive members who can return seamlessly.

WHA leaves backdoor open for Argentina

This non-decision leaves Argentina’s obligations and privileges suspended in a bureaucratic grey area. The member states were clear to state in the final text that the organisation will always welcome the South American nation’s full cooperation, leaving a backdoor for future administrations to rejoin the organisation.

“The UN, in the absence of an express decision by the WHA to recognise Argentina’s withdrawal, will probably continue to list both Argentina and the US as members,” explained Former WHO Legal Counsel, Gian Luca Burci, in a statement to Health Policy Watch.

The current decision on Argentina mirrors how the organisation handled seven Soviet-bloc nations that attempted to leave in 1949 and 1950. Those nations eventually resumed active participation years later, without navigating a formal re-accession process.

Image Credits: Thiru Balasubramaniam, Felix Sassmannshausen/HPW.