France pledged €24 million to the WHO in Geneva, with €4.5 million earmarked for Core Voluntary Contributions Account under 2020‑2025 France‑WHO partnership.

France pledged €24 million to the World Health Organization on Thursday in Geneva, signing seven contribution agreements at WHO headquarters.

The €24 million, channeled through France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, falls under the 2020‑2025 France‑WHO Framework Agreement that sets out a strategic partnership aligned with WHO priorities.

Within the total, €4.5 million will be placed in the Core Voluntary Contributions Account as fully flexible voluntary funds, giving WHO discretion to allocate resources where needed.

Funding focus areas

The agreement earmarks money for non‑communicable disease prevention, urban health laboratories, the One Health approach and the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies. It also backs specific responses, including the WHO effort in Gaza, cholera outbreak control and mental‑health assistance in Ukraine.

France will continue to fund the WHO emergencies centre in Lyon, which coordinates preparedness and response to epidemics.

Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont said France remains deeply committed to supporting WHO’s work on health equity, emergency response and health‑system strengthening.

WHO Director‑General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed gratitude, saying the contribution will help address key health threats and protect vulnerable populations.

Broader partnership

Paris is a leading advocate for a fully and flexibly financed WHO and co‑hosts the agency’s first Investment Round aimed at mobilising predictable resources for the Fourteenth General Programme of Work (2025‑2028), approved by the World Health Assembly in 2024.

The signing marks another milestone in the long‑standing France‑WHO partnership and underscores a joint commitment to a healthier, safer world.