The director general of the World Health Organisation has been accused of “undermining the legitimacy and authority” of the institution, after it emerged he is set to attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will be joined by Antonio Guterres, head of the United Nations, despite multiple Western governments boycotting the event due to China’s human rights record.
The US announced at the end of last year that it would send no diplomats to Beijing due to what it describes as the “ongoing genocide” against Muslim Uyghurs in the western region of Xinjiang. The UK, Australia, Canada followed suit soon after.
A list of dignitaries who are expected to attend the Games, which open on February 4, was published by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday.
They include Dr Tedros and Mr Guterres, alongside 18 other foreign visitors, including Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Confirmed European invitees include Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and Prince Albert II of Monaco.
The decision for Dr Tedros and Mr Guterres to attend has sparked criticism from some, who argue that “failing to make a stand reduces the legitimacy and authority of the UN”.
Sources close to the UN counter that for Dr Tedros – who attended the summer Games in Japan – to turn down the Chinese invitation would be in of itself a political statement.
“International organisations – if they wish to be seen as legitimate, authoritative actors on the international stage – should boycott the event,” Dr Mark Eccleston-Turner, an expert in Global Health Law at King’s College London, told the Telegraph.
“We need a strong, principled United Nations system, one that can hold its members accountable for their actions. To be seen cosying up to a brutal, authoritarian, human rights abusing regime significantly decreases the UN’s ability to do that.”
He added that the WHO has failed to address human rights violations in China throughout the pandemic.
An alliance of 234 human rights groups coordinated by Human Rights Watch also called for a diplomatic boycott this week, citing abuses including the detention of Uyghurs, attacks on free press and activists, and high-tech surveillance violating the privacy of citizens.
In the run-up to the Games, set to begin on February 4, there have also been fears that the Chinese governments will spy on attendees. British athletes and staff have been offered temporary mobile phones amid concerns authorities could install spyware on devices.
Others defended Dr Tedros, noting that he “would be damned if he goes, damned if he doesn’t”.
“It would be a political statement to turn down the invitation, especially as he attended the Games in Japan”, said a source.
“Also, what is there to gain from a health perspective? His job is to encourage solidarity among countries, not divide them.”
Dr Clare Wenham, assistant professor of Global Health Policy at the London School of Economics, also said Dr Tedros is stuck between a rock and a hard place. As the WHO relies soley on diplomacy to encourage member states to share data and information, snubbing China could be damaging for global health cooperation in the long run.
According to the South China Morning Post, China has agreed that the UN human rights chief can visit Xinjiang after the Olympics. The newspapers cited sources who said approval for the visit was granted on condition that it should be “friendly”, and not framed as an investigation.
The WHO has been approached for comment.
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