SEA/RC69/R2
PROPOSED PROGRAMME BUDGET 2018–2019 The Regional Committee, Having considered the Proposed Programme Budget 2018–2019, which builds on the approved Programme Budget 2016–2017; and which is the last of the three Programme Budgets covered in the Twelfth General Programme of Work 2014–2019, providing the overall strategic direction and results chain for the Organization, Noting that the development of Programme Budget 2018–2019 too has followed a needs-based, bottom-up prioritization process involving the Member States, in response to their requests to identify a focused number of priorities for technical cooperation and aligning these with the regional and global commitments, Recognizing that the Programme Budget is the primary instrument to express the full scope of work of the Organization and identify the roles, responsibilities and budgetary allocations of the three levels of the Organizations, Noting that the Strategic Budget Space Allocation (SBSA) formula applied resulted in a gradual decrease of allocation to the South-East Asia Region by 1% spread over four bienniums, Noting further that the budget for the new Health Emergencies Programme is likely to see an increase as also Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Noting the Proposed Programme Budget 2018–2019 for the South-East Asia Region is largely commensurate with the priorities and areas of concern for the Member States, and is also in line with the Regional Flagships Priority Areas which in effect were an iteration of country priorities, 1
Noting that the total allocation for the Region has increased by US$ 7.3 million but considering the observations and concerns related to health in South-East Asia, there is a perceived need for an increase in the allocation of the Budget for the Region, Acknowledging that although the Region’s needs for greater allocation of resources for NCDs has been reflected in the parameters of the Proposed PB, given the double burden of disease in the South-East Asia Region, the allocation for communicable diseases needs to be maintained at a higher level, Noting the significant decrease in the Budget for polio and acknowledging that the Region is conducting transitional planning to address this shift in needs which include human, financial and material resources, Noting that the South-East Asia Region continues to maintain its polio-free status and that the Member States are moving to implement the Polio Endgame Strategy, the significant decrease in the budget for polio, is a cause for concern as this could negatively impact the implementation of polio transition and endgame activities, Endorsing the recommendations of the Inter-sessional Meeting held on 4 September 2016 and the Ninth Meeting of the Sub-Committee on Policy and Programme Development and Management in July 2016 on the Draft Proposed Programme Budget 2018–2019, 1. URGES Member States: (a) to continue active participation in the Programme Budget-related discussions at the Regional and Global Governing Body meetings; and
2. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to continue to implement the Twelfth General Programme of Work and attempt to align its biennial programme implementation and performance indicators with the SDG targets; to convey the following views of the Regional Committee to the DirectorGeneral for her consideration while finalizing the Proposed Programme Budget 2018–2019:
(b)
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(i)
the need for a Programme Budget increase for the South-East Asia Region for the biennium 2018–2019, to account for the high disease burden and large population of the Region;
(ii) the concern about the decreased funding allocations for certain areas such as communicable diseases of which the Region continues to share a disproportionate burden, especially for diseases such as tuberculosis wherein six of the 25 high-burden countries are situated in the Region; (iii) the Region should get full funding against the Programme Budget; (iv) the Region should get an increase in Assessed Contributions and flexible non-earmarked Voluntary Contributions to provide for sufficient resources to address the priorities set by the World Health Assembly; (c) to negotiate and secure at the appropriate forums additional budget space and budget for the APO and the proposed shift of the Regional Office building including recurrent rental cost and planned moves of some WHO Country Offices and their refurbishment and increased rental costs, (d) to continue supporting the corporate resource mobilization efforts, particularly to attract flexible and un-earmarked funds and other Voluntary Contributions for underfunded categories, priority programme areas and Member States with limited fund mobilization capacity as well as ensure that the Region receives adequate/full funding for the approved Programme Budget 2018–2019, and (e) to advocate to Member States of the Region to consider supporting an increase in the Assessed Contributions.
Seventh session, 9 September 2016
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