The Technical Advisory Group on Diabetes (TAG-D) will provide technical advice to WHO on matters relating to WHO’s work on diabetes. These include:

• Leadership: On the prevention side, raise the priority given on global and national agendas on taking action to reduce obesity, especially among young people. On the treatment side, raise the priority given on global and national agendas on taking action to improve access to diabetes medicines and technologies as part of primary health care strengthening efforts, in particular in low- and middle-income countries.
  
• Global goods: Bring all WHO tools available for the prevention and management of diabetes together in one package.
  
• Country support: Support establishment of national coverage targets for diabetes, aligning with global coverage targets. This aims to expand access to high-quality diabetes services, including medications associated health technologies. It also involves enhancing accountability and tracking progress in integrating diabetes prevention and care as a part of primary health care and universal coverage.

The first group in the TAG-D has completed its 2-year term as per the terms of reference. Following a call for interests, WHO has appointed 12 members for the second TAG-D group.

Members serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to diabetes including but not limited to expertise on early diagnosis and treatment, prevention, and cure for diabetes (and co-morbidities). In the selection of the TAG members, consideration was given to attaining an adequate distribution of technical expertise, geographical representation and gender balance. WHO also considered lived experience of diabetes in the selection of TAG-D members..

Members of the TAG-D have been appointed to serve for a period of 2 years and shall be eligible for reappointment. Their appointment may be terminated at any time by WHO if WHO's interest so requires or, as otherwise specified in these terms of reference or letters of appointment. Where a member’s appointment is terminated, WHO may decide to appoint a replacement member.

In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG-D shall have the following functions related to diabetes:

1. To identify and describe current and future challenges in relation to WHO’s aims set out above
2. To advise WHO on strategic directions to be prioritized
3. To advise WHO on the development of global strategic documents, and
4. To propose other strategic interventions and activities for implementation by WHO.

TAG-D members must respect the impartiality and independence required of WHO. In performing their work, members may not seek or accept instructions from any government or from any authority external to the Organization. They must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest.

To this end, the members have completed a declaration of interests form and their appointment has been subject to the evaluation of completed forms by the WHO Secretariat, determining that their participation will not give rise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest. 

Notwithstanding the requirement to complete the WHO declaration of interest form, TAG-D members have an ongoing obligation to inform the WHO of any interests real or perceived that may give raise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest. WHO may, from time to time, request TAG-D members to complete a new declaration of interest form. This may be before a TAG-D meeting or any other TAG-D-related activity or engagement, as decided by WHO. Where WHO has made such a request, the TAG-D member’s participation in the TAG-D activity or engagement is subject to a determination that their participation would not give rise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest.