Distinguished Representatives of Ministries of Health,
Heads of National Regulatory Authorities,
SEARN Members,
Partners and Colleagues,
A very good afternoon to you all.
Almost a decade ago, the Delhi Ministerial Declaration set a clear ambition: to strengthen regulatory cooperation and improve the availability, quality and safety of essential medical products across our Region.
SEARN was one of the vehicles chosen to carry that commitment forward.
Over the past ten years, it has done so with real impact.
SEARN now brings together more than one hundred experts who meet regularly throughout the year to address common regulatory challenges and opportunities.
It has fostered trust among national regulatory authorities and advanced practical cooperation through working groups, shared strategies and joint activities.
As the Network has evolved, countries have also explored ways to strengthen and formalize this collaboration. The Memorandum of Understanding currently under review by your governments reflects that commitment to deeper cooperation, stronger capacity building and enhanced information sharing.
Taken together, these efforts have contributed to stronger regulatory systems and improved access to safe, effective and quality medical products across our Region.
These are genuine achievements.
But as we celebrate ten years of progress, we must also look ahead.
SEARN has reached a level of maturity where its current model may no longer be sufficient to sustain and expand its impact.
The Network faces several structural challenges that cannot be addressed through technical cooperation alone:
the absence of a formal legal status;
dependence on external funding; and
a collaboration framework that remains largely voluntary.
Combined with limited engagement at the policy level, these challenges constrain both the sustainability of the Network and its ability to move towards deeper regulatory convergence, work-sharing and reliance.
That is why this consultation matters.
SEARN stands at an important crossroads—between remaining a technical cooperation network and evolving into a more structured, policy-driven platform.
The question before us today is not whether the Network should evolve, but how far and how fast—and what level of ambition should define its next phase.
We are seeking your guidance on four strategic areas:
the future vision and ambition for SEARN;
the path towards a sustainable legal and institutional framework;
financing approaches that ensure predictability and ownership; and
options to better align the Network with national policies and priorities.
As WHO, we remain fully committed to supporting SEARN.
But the future of the Network belongs to you—our Member States.
The decisions ahead on ambition, structure and sustainability are policy decisions, and they require your ownership and direction.
I encourage you to engage openly, weigh the opportunities and implications of the options before you, and help chart a course that ensures SEARN continues to deliver for your countries and for the people we serve.
I wish you a productive discussion.
Thank you.