Introduction
From 27 to 29 October 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened the 16th Annual Meeting of its International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) in Jakarta, Indonesia, hosted by the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM). The gathering brought together regulators, policy-makers, researchers, and WHO representatives from around the world with a shared objective: strengthening global regulatory collaboration on herbal medicines to ensure their safety, quality, and efficacy.
In an era where traditional, complementary, and integrative medicines are increasingly used across the globe, the IRCH meeting represented a key platform to harmonise regulatory frameworks, build institutional capacity, and promote evidence-based oversight.
Setting The Scene: Regulatory Cooperation In Focus
The meeting opened with remarks from Sungchol Kim, Chair of WHO-IRCH, who emphasised that cooperation among member states is essential to build confidence in herbal medicines through evidence-based regulation and shared learning. His message underscored how harmonised regulation not only enhances consumer safety but also builds trust among practitioners, regulators, and the public.
The host country’s regulator, Taruna Ikrar, Chairperson of Indonesia’s FDA (BPOM), highlighted Indonesia’s long-standing heritage in traditional medicines, particularly the jamu system, and reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to advancing global regulatory excellence.
Over the course of three days, a total of 57 in-person participants and 31 online delegates representing 22 IRCH member states and 31 observer institutions took part in the meeting. The diverse representation reflected the growing urgency of global cooperation in regulating herbal medicines and addressing shared challenges in quality control, safety, and efficacy.
Key Themes: Safety, Quality, Efficacy, And Sustainability
The meeting’s technical sessions were organised around three working groups, each addressing a major regulatory dimension:
Working Group 1: Safety and regulation of herbal medicines.
Working Group 2: Quality control, standardisation, and sustainability of herbal medicines.
Working Group 3: Efficacy and intended use of herbal medicines.
These groups facilitated discussions, workshops, and case studies to strengthen national regulatory systems. India hosted a hybrid workshop covering safety and efficacy, while China held an online session focusing on quality and sustainability. The sessions explored ways to improve post-market surveillance, develop common standards for contaminants, and promote sustainable sourcing of herbal materials.
These initiatives underscored that ensuring safety and quality is not enough; regulators must also ensure herbal medicines are used appropriately and supported by credible evidence. Sustainability was another central theme, given the dependence of herbal medicines on natural resources and the increasing need for environmentally responsible production and supply chains.
Advancing The Traditional Medicine Agenda
A major highlight of the Jakarta meeting was the presentation of progress by the WHO Secretariat on several ongoing initiatives under the Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. These initiatives included the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy itself, which aims to integrate traditional and complementary medicine safely into health systems; the Global Benchmarking Tool for evaluating national regulatory capacities; and the WHO International Herbal Pharmacopoeia, a reference standard for herbal medicine quality.
The meeting also discussed ongoing work on harmonising terminology and establishing reference limits for contaminants in herbal medicines. These developments reflect WHO’s growing emphasis on scientific rigour, safety assurance, and the alignment of traditional medicine practices with modern health governance.
The Jakarta discussions are directly linked to the upcoming Second WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit in New Delhi, where a dedicated session on regulation of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine products will continue this conversation. Together, these initiatives signal that herbal medicine regulation is becoming a cornerstone of global health policy rather than a peripheral issue.
Looking Ahead: Outcomes And Next Steps
In his closing address, Sungchol Kim expressed appreciation for the active participation of member states and commended the Indonesian government’s excellent organisation. He encouraged members to maintain momentum through continued dialogue, capacity-building, and data sharing.
The key outcomes and agreed next steps from the meeting include:
- Strengthening collaboration among regulatory authorities to implement harmonised policies and share best practices.
- Expanding capacity-building programmes at both national and regional levels to improve oversight and monitoring of herbal medicines.
- Operationalising WHO tools such as the Global Benchmarking Tool and International Herbal Pharmacopoeia for national use.
- Ensuring that the outcomes of the meeting feed directly into the New Delhi Traditional Medicine Summit later in 2025.
- Preparing for the next IRCH annual meeting in 2026, which will serve as a checkpoint to assess progress and emerging challenges.
These outcomes demonstrate a clear roadmap for strengthening herbal medicine regulation and aligning national strategies with WHO’s global goals.
Why This Matters: Implications For Global Health And Traditional Medicine
The significance of this IRCH meeting lies in its potential to transform how the world views and manages herbal medicines.
Public health and safety: Herbal medicines are widely used across continents, often without consistent regulatory oversight. Strengthening regulation helps protect consumers from substandard or adulterated products, contamination, or false therapeutic claims.
Trade and market access: Harmonised regulation supports fair international trade and improves confidence in exported herbal products. Countries that align their regulatory systems with WHO standards can better access global markets while ensuring product integrity.
Integration into health systems: Many countries are integrating traditional medicine into their healthcare systems. Well-regulated herbal medicines can enhance primary health care options and support universal health coverage goals.
Sustainability and conservation: Herbal medicines depend on natural resources. Sustainable cultivation and harvesting of medicinal plants, combined with transparent supply chains, are essential to prevent ecological degradation.
Innovation and evidence-based practice: As traditional medicine enters modern healthcare, regulators must encourage scientific validation of efficacy and safety. This fosters innovation, improves consumer confidence, and bridges the gap between traditional knowledge and modern medical science.
Challenges And Considerations
Despite the progress made, several ongoing challenges remain in achieving global regulatory harmony:
Uneven regulatory capacity: Many countries have limited resources or institutional frameworks for regulating herbal medicines effectively.
Evidence generation: Traditional medicine often relies on empirical knowledge, which must be complemented with scientific research to meet international standards.
Terminology and classification differences: Countries use varying terminologies and product classifications, which can complicate regulatory cooperation.
Environmental sustainability: The increased demand for herbal medicines poses risks to biodiversity and sustainable sourcing.
Substandard products and adulteration: Markets remain vulnerable to counterfeit or unsafe herbal products in the absence of strong enforcement mechanisms.
Balancing access with safety: Regulators must find the right balance between promoting access to traditional medicine and maintaining rigorous safety standards.
These challenges highlight the importance of continuous collaboration, investment, and innovation in the regulatory domain.
Regional Implications: Opportunities For India And Beyond
For countries like India, which has a rich heritage in systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani, the outcomes of the IRCH meeting are particularly relevant. Strengthened global cooperation creates new opportunities for India to position itself as a leader in traditional medicine regulation and research. Aligning with WHO standards can enhance India’s export potential for herbal products, improve consumer confidence, and foster collaboration in global health research.
The upcoming WHO Traditional Medicine Summit in New Delhi provides a strategic opportunity for India to showcase its advancements in regulatory policy and scientific validation. It will also allow countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America to exchange experiences, share best practices, and promote responsible integration of traditional medicine into public health systems.
Beyond Asia, countries in Europe and the Americas are increasingly recognising the need to regulate herbal products with the same rigour as conventional medicines. This global convergence of regulatory principles marks a major step toward ensuring safe, effective, and sustainable use of herbal medicines worldwide.
Conclusion
The 16th Annual Meeting of the WHO International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines in Jakarta stands as a milestone in the global effort to harmonise and strengthen the regulation of herbal medicines. By bringing together experts and regulators from multiple regions, the meeting reinforced the shared commitment to quality, safety, and evidence-based governance.
As herbal medicines continue to gain global prominence, the work of IRCH and the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 will shape the future of this field for the next decade. The discussions in Jakarta highlighted the importance of global solidarity, scientific integrity, and sustainable development in advancing traditional and complementary medicine.
