Geneva/Seoul: The World Health Organization has expanded its international regulatory cooperation network with the designation of the Global Harmonization Centre in the Republic of Korea as a new WHO Collaborating Centre focused on strengthening health product regulatory systems and professional training.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the designation, describing stronger regulatory institutions as a fundamental component of resilient health systems. The initiative is expected to combine WHO’s international standards and technical expertise with South Korea’s experience in health product regulation.

The new collaboration is designed to support training opportunities for regulators and health-sector professionals in countries around the world. By improving access to specialized knowledge, the partnership could help countries develop stronger regulatory workforces capable of evaluating medicines and vaccines more effectively.

Regulatory authorities play a critical role in public health. Before medicines and vaccines reach patients, regulators assess issues including quality, safety and effectiveness. Strong regulatory systems can therefore help countries respond more efficiently to health emergencies while maintaining confidence in medical products.

The Global Harmonization Centre’s new role is expected to contribute to international efforts to strengthen regulatory capacity, particularly by supporting education, knowledge-sharing and technical training. Greater cooperation between national authorities and international institutions can also help promote consistency in regulatory practices.

Tedros emphasized that the partnership brings together WHO’s global mandate and standards with Korea’s regulatory expertise. The goal is not simply to expand training, but also to help countries build sustainable regulatory capabilities that can support their health systems over the long term.

The initiative comes amid continued international efforts to improve access to quality-assured medicines and vaccines. Differences in regulatory capacity between countries remain an important challenge, particularly where health authorities have limited resources or shortages of trained personnel.

By supporting the development of skilled regulatory professionals, WHO’s collaboration with the Korean centre could contribute to more effective oversight of health products and greater public confidence in medical treatments.

The designation also reflects South Korea’s growing role in international health cooperation. Its regulatory experience can provide an additional source of expertise for countries seeking to improve their own systems while working toward internationally recognized standards.

WHO considers effective regulation an essential part of achieving universal health goals. Reliable regulatory institutions can help ensure that health products reaching patients meet appropriate standards for quality, safety and efficacy.

The new Collaborating Centre is consequently positioned to support a broader global objective: strengthening health systems so that people, regardless of where they live, can obtain safe and effective medicines and vaccines.

As international health challenges become increasingly complex, cooperation between global organizations and national regulatory institutions is expected to remain an important part of building resilient health systems and advancing the goal of Health for All.