The Programme budget is a critical tool for Member States to set and approve the priorities of the Organization, define the targets to be delivered, and to monitor their achievement. It sets out the resource levels required to deliver this work, and provides the tool for the Member States to control these, so as to balance the Organization’s work across the different areas for which it is accountable.

The biennial Programme budgets themselves are derived from the General Programme of Work approved by the Member States, which sets out the strategic direction of WHO. At present, WHO is operating within the scope of the 13th General Programme of Work (2019-2023).