WFOT provides statements to communicate the perspective of the Federation to different audiences.
WFOT Public Statements - outline the perspective of the Federation for significant topical issues of relevance to the profession.
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Current WFOT Public Statements
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- The Protection of Occupational Therapists and Access to Humanitarian Aid (2025)
- Transitioning from Diploma-Level Occupational Therapy Education (2023)
- Joint Statement on Coordinating Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology as Part of a Humanitarian Response (2022)
- Right to Access Occupations (2022)
- Statement on Systemic Racism (2020)
- Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation of People Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
- COVID-19 and WFOT Minimum Standards (2020)
- Occupational Therapy Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
WFOT Position Statements - present the official stance of the Federation regarding a substantive professional issue.
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Current WFOT Position Statements
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- Educational Research in Occupational Therapy (2021)
- Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Practice within Occupational Therapy (2012)
- Occupational Therapy - Professional Autonomy (2023)
- Occupational Therapy and Ageing Across the Life Course (2021)
- Occupational Therapy and Assistive Technology (2019)
- Occupational Therapy and Disaster Management (2024)
- Occupational Therapy and Human Rights (revised 2019)
- Occupational Therapy and Mental Health (2019)
- Occupational Therapy and Primary Care (2024)
- Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation (2019)
- Occupational Therapy and Telehealth (2021)
- Occupational Therapy and Wheeled Mobility and Seating Devices (2022)
- Occupational Therapy Human Resources (2021)
WFOT Statements with Partner Organisations - promote advocacy messages regarding the work of partner organisations.
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2025
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Non-State Actors’ statement at sessions of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa
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2023
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Non-State Actors’ Statement on the occasion of the WHO 152nd Executive Board Meeting:
World Rehabilitation Alliance:
76th World Health Assembly
- Strengthening rehabilitation in health systems
- Universal health coverage: Constituency Statement
- Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology in the new Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage
World Health Organization’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (2025-2028)
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2022
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WHO 73th session of the Regional Committee for Western Pacific - 24-28 October 2022:
WHO 75th World Health Assembly - 22-28 May 2022:
- Joint Statement to Agenda item 14.1: Follow-up to the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases
- Joint Statement to Agenda item 16.2: Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies
- Joint Statement to Agenda item 16.3: WHO’s work in health emergencies
WHO 150th Executive Board - 24-29 January 2022:
- Joint Statement to Agenda Point 7: Political declaration of the third high- level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases
- Joint Statement to Agenda Point 15.1: Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies
- Joint Statement to Agenda Point 15.3 - 15.5: WHO’s work in health emergencies / Global Health for Peace Initiative
Recordings of the delivery of the statements are accessible via this link.
Submission to the EU Commission:
Joint statement on Universal Health Coverage:
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2021
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WHO 148th Executive Board - 18-26 January 2021:
World Health Day 2021:
WHO 74th World Health Assembly - 24 May - 1 June 2021:
WHO World Health Assembly Second Special Session - 29 November - 1 December 2021:
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2020
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WHO Europe - Consultation on the European Programme of Work 2020:
WHO 73rd World Health Assembly - 8-19 May 2020:
WHO 70th session of the Regional Committee for Europe - 14-15 September 2020:
- Joint Statement to agenda items 2 and 3 on the COVID-19 pandemic
- WFOT - Statement on the COVID-19 Pandemic
- WFOT - Statement on the Environment and Health
- WFOT - Statement on the European Programme of Work
- WFOT - Statement on Migrant Health
- WFOT - Statement on the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases
- WFOT - Statement on the implementation of the Physical Activity Strategy
- WFOT - Statement on the joint progress report on implementation of Strengthening People-Centred Health Systems in the WHO European Region
- WFOT- Statement on Healthy Ageing
WHO 71st Session of the Regional Office for the Western Pacific – 6-9 October 2020:
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2019
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WHO 72nd World Health Assembly - Geneva, Switzerland - May 2019:
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2018
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WHO 69th session of the Regional Committee for Western Pacific - Manila, Philippines - October 2018:
WHO 68th session of the Regional Committee for Europe - Rome, Italy - September 2018:
- Joint Statement on Agenda Item 5 (C): Advancing Public Health In The Who European Region For Sustainable Development
- Joint Statement on ‘Advancing public health for sustainable development in the WHO European Region’ - agenda point of the 68th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Europe
- Joint Statement to the 68th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe on session 5 (e) Report on the WHO high-level meeting, Health Systems Respond to NCDs: Experience in the European Region (Sitges, Spain, 16–18 April 2018) and 5 (j) Report on the WHO high-level meeting, Health Systems for Prosperity and Solidarity: Leaving No One Behind (Tallinn, Estonia, 13–14 June 2018) and the draft resolution EUR/RC68/Conf.Doc./8 ‘Reaffirming commitment to health systems strengthening for universal health coverage, better outcomes and reduced health inequalities’.
- Joint Statement On Agenda Item 5 (I): Vaccine-Preventable Diseases And Immunization: Realizing The Full Potential Of The European Vaccine Action Plan 2015-2020
- Joint Oral Statement on EUR/RC68/13 Engagement with non-State actors: Accreditation of regional non-State actors not in official relations with WHO to attend meetings of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe
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2017
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WHO Rehabilitation 2030 - Geneva, Switzerland - February 2017:
WHO 140th session of the Executive Board - Geneva, Switzerland - January 2017:
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2016
WHO 66th session of the Regional Committee for Europe - Copenhagen, Denmark - September 2016
- WFOT Statement in response to EUR/RC66/9: Action plan for the health sector response to HIV in the WHO European Region Provisional Agenda item 5(d)
- WFOT Statement in response to EUR/RC66/11: Action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in the WHO European Region Provisional Agenda item 5(c)
- WFOT Statement in response to EUR/RC66/8: Strategy and action plan for refugee and migrant health in the WHO European Region Provisional Agenda item 5(f)
WHO 139th session of the Executive Board - Geneva, Switzerland - May 2016
WHO 138th session of the Executive Board - Geneva, Switzerland - January 2016
2015
WHO 65th session of the Regional Committee for Europe - Vilnius, Lithuania - September 2015
- WFOT Statement in response to EUR/RC65/9 Physical activity strategy for the WHO European Region 2016-2025
- WFOT Statement in response to EUR/RC65/11 Environment and health in the WHO European Region: progress, challenges and lessons learned
- Joint Statement on Agenda point 5a) Promoting intersectoral and interagency action for health and well-being in the WHO European Region
- Joint Statement on Agenda point 5c) Priorities for health systems strengthening in the WHO European Region 2015-2020: walking the talk on people centredness
- Joint Intervention of the IAPO, WFOT, ICM, WONCA Europe, ADI: WHO Reform, Framework for engagement with non-state actors (item 5g)
UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction - Sendai, Japan - March 2015
WHO 136th session of the Executive Board - Geneva, Switzerland - January 2015
- WFOT Statement in support of EB136/10 Update on the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity
- WFOT Statement in support of Provisional Agenda Item 7.2 EB136/16 Health and the environment Climate and health: outcome of the WHO Conference on Health and Climate
- WFOT Statement in support of Provisional Agenda Item 10.2 EB136/28 WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel
2014
WHO 64th session of the Regional Committee for Europe - Copenhagen, Denmark - September 2014
- WFOT/COTEC's Statement in response to EUR/RC64/12 Investing in children: the European child and adolescent health strategy 2015-2020
- Joint Intervention from EPHA, IPPF, WCPT, WFOT: Statement to the 64th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, on the European Child and Adolescent Health Strategy 2015-2020
WHO 134th session of the Executive Board - Geneva, Switzerland - January 2014
2012
WHO 62th session of the Regional Committee for Europe - Malta - September 2012
- WFOT/COTEC Oral statement in response to Agenda item RC62 5(c) Policy & technical topics strategy & action plan for Healthy Ageing in Europe, 2012-2020
- WFOT Response to the Call on International nongovernmental organisations to support the Draft resolution on Strategy and action plan on healthy ageing in Europe, 2012-2020
WHO Health 2020: a European Policy Framework supporting action across government and society for health and well-being