Status of collection of assessed contributions, including Member States in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent that would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution: special arrangements for settlement of arrears: report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Seventy-second World Health Assembly

SEVENTY-SECOND WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY A72/66 Provisional agenda items 15.3 and 15.4 20 May 2019 Status of collection of assessed contributions, including Member States in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent that would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution Special arrangements for settlement of arrears Report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Seventy-second World Health Assembly 1. The Secretariat informed the Committee that since the publication of document A72/37, six Member States (Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Nauru, Paraguay and Tonga) had made payments allowing them to recover the right to vote. 2. Two Member States had submitted requests to reschedule payment of their arrears: the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in a request dated 6 May 2019; and the Central African Republic, in a request dated 14 May 2019. 3. Under resolution WHA54.6 (2001), any such requests should be received no later than 31 March, however the Health Assembly could decide to waive that deadline. It had done so two years previously when Somalia had successfully requested the rescheduling of its arrears at the Seventieth World Health Assembly.1 4. One member of the Committee, noting that document A72/60 had been circulated very late, submitted a statement on behalf of five Member States questioning the legitimacy of the proposal contained in the referred document and stressed that, as indicated in the document, the request had been presented well beyond the deadline established by resolution WHA54.6 (2001). In reply to a request for clarification by the Committee, the Secretariat clarified that the Committee’s task was not to formally adopt the draft resolution, but to make a recommendation or not to the Health Assembly. It was clarified that the Health Assembly could decide to waive the deadline. It was also explained that, upon the adoption of the resolution by the Health Assembly concerning a given Member State, the voting rights for that Member State would immediately be restored. 1 See document A70/67. A72/66 2 5. The Chair proposed that the Committee recommend to the Health Assembly the adoption of two draft resolutions and that it make no recommendation in respect of a third.1 RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE HEALTH ASSEMBLY 6. The Committee, on behalf of the Executive Board, recommended that the Health Assembly adopt the following draft resolution in respect of requests for special arrangements by Central African Republic: The Seventy-second World Health Assembly, Having considered the request of the Central African Republic in respect of its outstanding contributions from 2018 of US$ 134 646; considering also the request of the Central African Republic to reschedule payment of this balance over the period 2019–2028; Noting that this request did not comply fully with the requirements of resolution WHA54.6 as to timing and procedure, 1. DECIDES to restore the Central African Republic’s voting privileges at the Seventy- second World Health Assembly on the following conditions: The Central African Republic shall pay its outstanding arrears of assessed contributions, totalling US$ 134 646 over 10 years from 2019 to 2028, as set out below, in addition to payment of its annual assessment for the current year; Year US$ 2019 13 465 2020 13 465 2021 13 465 2022 13 465 2023 13 465 2024 13 465 2025 13 465 2026 13 465 2027 13 465 2028 13 461 Total 134 646 1 See document A72/60. A72/66 3 2. FURTHER DECIDES that, in accordance with Article 7 of the Constitution, voting privileges shall be automatically suspended if the Central African Republic does not meet the requirements laid down in paragraph 1 above; 3. REQUESTS the Director-General to report to future Health Assemblies on the prevailing situation; 4. FURTHER REQUESTS the Director-General to communicate this resolution to the Government of the Central African Republic. 7. The Committee, on behalf of the Executive Board, recommended that the Health Assembly adopt the following amended draft resolution: The Seventy-second World Health Assembly, Having considered the report on status of collection of assessed contributions, including Member States in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent that would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution, and special arrangements for settlement of arrears;1 Having noted the report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Seventy-second World Health Assembly;2 Noting that, at the time of opening of the Seventy-second World Health Assembly, the voting rights of the Central African Republic,3 Comoros, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, South Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)4 were suspended, such suspension shall continue until the arrears of the Member States concerned have been reduced, at the present or future Health Assemblies, to a level below the amount that would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution; Noting that Congo, North Macedonia, Senegal and Sudan were in arrears at the time of the opening of the Seventy-second World Health Assembly to such an extent that it was necessary for the Health Assembly to consider, in accordance with Article 7 of the Constitution, whether the voting privileges of those countries should be suspended at the opening of the Seventy-third World Health Assembly in 2020, DECIDES: (1) that, in accordance with the statement of principles set out in resolution WHA41.7 (1988), if, by the time of the opening of the Seventy-third World Health Assembly, Congo, North Macedonia, Senegal and Sudan are still in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent that would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution, their voting privileges shall be suspended as from the said opening; 1 Document A72/37. 2 Document A72/66. 3 See document A72/61. 4 See document A72/60 A72/66 4 (2) that any suspension that takes effect as set out in paragraph (1) above shall continue at the Seventy-third World Health Assembly and subsequent Health Assemblies, until the arrears of Congo, North Macedonia, Senegal and Sudan have been reduced to a level below the amount that would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution; (3) that this decision shall be without prejudice to the right of any Member to request restoration of its voting privileges in accordance with Article 7 of the Constitution. = = =