The World Health Organization needs more freedom from politics when it proposes measures to fight future global health crises, a leader of a panel formed to evaluate the world's response to the COVID-19 pandemic said.

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Helen Clark said concerns about responses to proposals, including possible trade-disrupting border closures, may weaken the W.H.O.'s ability to tackle new health menaces.

"We expect from the world's leading global public health authority to offer the best public-health advice that it can," Clark said during an interview.

"That advice needs to be able to be offered in a way that tells 'truth to power.' And in a sense, if the 'power' doesn't like it, that's not W.H.O.'s problem. It must act in what it sees as the best interests of public health."

Clark added that the global health body has been open to the inquiries by member states and they, in turn, have been "responsive".

U.S. President Donald Trump has been the most critical voice on the W.H.O.'s response to the pandemic, accusing it of covering up and mismanaging the pandemic. The U.S. subsequently suspended its funding to the health body.

At the time the panel was being announced in July, W.H.O. Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that period was one for "self-reflection" and to find ways to strengthen the body's collaboration to save lives and bring the pandemic under control.

Clark and former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf were selected as co-chairs of the panel.

The panel is due to present an interim report at the resumption of the World Health Assembly this month.

In January 2021, the Executive Board will hold its regular session, where the Panel's work will be further discussed, according to the W.H.O., while in May next year, at the World Health Assembly, the panel will present its substantive report.

(With input from agencies)