Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa: Committee of Sponsoring Agencies, report of the fifty-fifth session, Geneva, 7 and 10 December 1992

t RESTRICTED ocP/csL/ss ENGLISH ONLY ONCHOCERCIASIS CONTROL PROGRAI'TME IN WEST AFRICA COMMITTEE OF SPONSORING AGENCIES Report of the fifty-fifth session Geneva, 7 and 10 Decernber L992 ) ocPlcsA. s5 Page 1 CONTENTS OPENING OF THE SESSION ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA APPROVAL OF THE REPORT OF CSA.54 UATTERS ARISING FROM THE REPORT OF CSA.54 13TH SESSION OF THE JOINT PROGRAI{I'IE COMMITTEE }.18},1BERSHIP OF THE EAC CSA WORK PROGRA}I}.IE IN REIATION TO SOCIOECONOMIC ANY OTHER BUSINESS DATES AND PI,ACES OF CSA MEETINGS IN ].993 Page A B c D E F G H I DEVEIOPMENT 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 5 5ANNEX I: PARTICIPANTS t ocPlcsA.55 Page 2 A. OPENING OF THE SESSION -1. The fifty-fifth session of the Couunictee of Sponsoring Agencies (CSA) washeld in WrIo Headquarters, Geneva on 7 and 10 Decenb er L992, ,rrr1"i the chairnanshipof Mr Bruce Benton. 2. In his opening remarks, the Chairman introduced Dr Yves Genevier, publicHealth Specialist in the Population and Human Resources Division of the l{or1dBank, and welcorned ouagadougou-based ocp chiefs of units. B. ADOPTTON OF TIIE AGENDA 3. The provisional agenda was adopted. C. APPROVAL OF THE REPORT OF CSA.54 4' The second draft of the reporE of CSA.54 was adopted afcer it was agreedthat the Secretariat would insert a paragraph stating tlat the Chairman CSA wasrequested to discuss with Chairman EAC certain statements contained in the EACrePort to JPC.13 (Docr-rmenE JPc13.3) which went beyond the mandare of the EAC. D. }IATTERS ARTSING FROU THE REPORT OF CSA.54 5. Matters arising from the report of csA.54 were considered appropriate agenda items of the current session of CSA. under the E. 13TH SESSTON OF THE JOINT PROGRAI{I{E COUUTTTEE Discussions of 7 December before JpC.13 5 ' Wtrile acknowledging that document JPC13. L2 ( "I'Ho and oCp support to oCpDevolution and Multidisease surveillance and control in ocp farticipatingCountriesr') was an important docu.urent, CSA members considered that it should nothave been presented to the JPC until Ehe CSA had had the opportunity to thoroughlyreview it. This had not been possible because the doctunent had not beendistributed until the end of the september 1992 session. rt was felt that thedocument could be inproved by incorporating the CSA,s views, by explaining theI'Ior1d Bank's current and projected contributions to the implementation of nationaldevolution plans, and by discussing eventual cost iuplicaCions in uerms that wouldbe -reassuring to the Donors. It was therefore agreed that Chairrnan CSA wouldexplain that while the CSA considered the docr:ment to be important and addressedsome vital questions, the csA had not had the opportunity to review it.c-onsequently, the document had been introduced for discussion p.ripo".s on1y. withthe benefit of any views the members of the JPC night express during this session,the csA would consider the docr.ment and report back to.r-pc at an appropriate time. informed members. that the funding shortfall for the fourth Financial phase was noqrestimated at us $ 10 rnillion, as opposed to us $ 8.09 nilrion which was the figureannounced during CSA.54 )Discussions of 10 Decenber after JPC'13 g. Members of the cSA agreed that JPC.13 had been an excellent meeting, even though there had been a relatively Poor particiPation by the Participating counEries (Guinea-Bissau, sierra Leone- and Togo were not represented' and only three of the ParticipaEing Countries were rePresented at ministerial leve1) and by the Donor Communiiy (IIaly was not rePresented, while the representatives of the USA, Canada, Germany and Japan were'either draun fron the relati-vely lower ranks of their administrations,'ot ,".. local consular officials)' The meeting had been excellently chaired, it had closed with an approved final report' and there had been no doubt left that there would be positive outcomes to many of the discussions. g. It was noted that the JPC had noC agreed to approve the docr'ment JPC13'12' but that the CSA had been requested to .*",i,te the issues contained in it and to report back to the JPC during its fourteenth session (December f993) ' A WIIO representative took exception to the manner in which the CSA actually nade its presentation, stating that it-did not sufficiently reflect the agreement reached *ittin the CSA on how to handle the presentation' 10. In closing the discussion of this subject it was agreed that' during its next session, tie EAC would be requested to address all the issues raised i'n docu-nent JPC]3.L2, wiUh special reference to disease surveillance in devolution' with a view to identifying the Eost appropriate nethod(s) for adoption by theparriciparing Countriej. In addition, -a ienior WHO official (possibly at ADG level) would be invited to Participate in the next session of CSA to present his views on this subjecc. ocPlcsA.55 page 3 F. UEUBERSHIP OF THE EAC ll.TheConrnitteewasinformedthatProfessorGerardllebbehadacceptedan invitation from the Director-General of I{HO to serve on the EAC for an initial period of two years, as a replacement for Dr Bryceson who would leave the EAC early in 1gg3. The seareh for one or Ewo rnore EAc members from North America and France was continuing. G. GSA IIORK PROGRATIIE IN REIATION TO SOCIOECONOUIC DEVEI'PUENT L2. The Chairman inforned the Committee that in recent weeks he had written to a number of Donors to solicit contributions towards the cost of the rninisterial conference proPosed for October l-993. The anticipated cost of the conference rtas us $ 4OO OO0 (including US $ 2OO OOO required to cover the travel costs of some33 participants from the Participating countries ' corresPonding to eleven delegations of three persons), and it had been hoped that this anount could be secured from some of the larger Donors (USA, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France; each contributing us $ 75 OOO) and from within the GSA (US $ 100 000) ' The initial r."porr"" frlm these enquiries had been positive, with IINDP also agreeing ao pro.ltride some financial "rripott, al-though no firm semmitments had been rE".ir.I from the Donors who had been approached. the outcome of a irunediately after 300 000 required 13. The Chairman then proceeded to brief the Committee on private neeting with Donois that had take place on 11 December' the closure of JPC. l'3, aimed at identifying sources of the US $ in addition to the CSA's contribution of US $ L00 000 ' ocPlcsA.55 Page 4 area L4' That meeting had not produced the results anticipated. Between them, threemajor Donors were able to commit a total amount of uS $ 1g5 000 while two otherDonors were stil1 looking into the possibilities of conrributing. Thus at thispoint in tiue, when preparations for the conference should be getting underway,there was a shortfall of over US $ 1OO OOO. 15. This state of affairs presented the CSA with a dilemma. Was the fundingsituation, as it now aPPeared, adequate for the GSA to proceed with preparationsfor the conference ? lJould it be prudent, on the basis of the GSA,s in-handcontribution of us $ roo ooo, to go ahead wich the mosr pressing of thepreparations, i.e. the issue of invltations and the p=.f"r"tio., of workingdocuments ? Should the conference be postponed ? 16 ' After debating these lssues it was agreed that the csA stirl had a littletine in which ro secure addirion"l Donor pr"edges before commitriig-iil}? ffilaunching of preparatory activities. Th; de;drine for the receipt of possibleadrlitiona-l pledges h,as set at 15 January Lgg3. Between now and then, the worldBalk would vigorously Pursue its contacts with potential contributors andendeavour to identify an appropriate conference organizer who courd be engaged asa csA consultant, initially to arrange for the production of working doc,ments. L7 ' The committee agreed that this draft proposal (contained in docunen'JPCI-3'13) had stimurated very positive responses from Jpc.13 partieipanrs (rheDonors and Participating countries arike). rn fact, the Jpc endorsed the pilotproject and stressed that it be funded from special Donor contributions and notfromocP funds' Furthermore, at least two Donois vouched financiar support to thepilot project, while several others expressed keen interest in corlaborating inone hray or another. 18' Havilg agreed that the pilot project be launched as soon as possibre, thec-ourmittee hoped chat the chairman of -the- Ecological Group wourd continue to advisethe committee and indirectly assist in secur'i.ng special Donor contributions tosuPPort the project. The chairr"l o_f the Ecolog1""r Group confirmed that duringthe l-4th session of the Ecological Group (cotonou, January Lggz) he would briefthe Group on recent developmeits and request Group members to riaise with theirGovernments with a view to drawing in additionll Donor support (the Donorsconcerned in this context being France, rtaly, Japan, the Netherlands and theusA). 19 ' The committee arso hoped that during the 14th session of the EcorogicalGroup it would be posslbre to make accurate assessments of the extent to which theHydrobiorogy Teams of ocP and of coEe d' rvoire 9ou1d parricipare in the pirotproject, and to Prepare an approp_riate budget which would be required by theDonors before they were able io r"I"""" fund-s. H. A}IY OTHER BUSTNESS CSA Chairman for 1993 29' --rt-was agreed that the tJorld Bank (Mr Bruce Benron) would hord the chair ofthe CSA for 1993. ocPlcsA.55 Page 5 Departure of OCP staff 2L. rhe Committee \,as unanimous in passing a vote of thanks to two senior scaff members who would leave the Prograrnne at ihe- end of December L992 ' l'[r George Koulischer, Chief, Administration and Support Services would be transferred to the post of Director, ProgFmm" S"ppott' -i;'Pt ry9 Regional Office for South-East Asia, New Delhi. Dr 6avid nafaiy w"uld be -taking early reti.rement from lgllO to give greater attention to tri" r"rry long-stanaing tribUies' in the foothills of the Jura l'tountains, France I. DATES AND PIACES OF CSA UEETINGS IN 1993 22. It was tentatively agreed that the venue of the ComrniEtee,s first two sessions in 1993 would be as follows: CSA.55: World Bank Office, Washington' 24-and 25 March CSA.57: IJorId Bank Office, London' 7 and 8 July' ocPlcsA.55 page 5 Members: - IJorld Bank ANNEX I: PARTICIPAIITS FAO I'NDP ITHO Mr Bruce Benton (Chairnan) Dr Bernhard Liese l.[r Cyril Groom Mr Benjanin A. Guruan Dr Ebrahin M. Samba Hr Thomas Topping Dr D.A.T. Baldry, Chief, OCP Liaison Office, IIHO, Geneva(Secrerary) Dr B. Boatin, Chief, EPI/OCP, Ouagadougou (O7/L2/92> Dr O.W. Christensen, OCP Consultant, !IHO, Geneva Dr John A. Elder, Onchocerciasis Unit, Wor1d Bank, WashingtonMr Birger Fredriksen, chief, Population and Human Resources, Sahelian Dept. Lrorld Bank, Washington.Dr Y.U. Genevier, Public Health Specialist, World Bank, Washington Dr C.D. Ginger, Project Manager, OCT/Nlacrofil, WHO, Geneva (07 /L2/e2) Mr G. Koulischer, chief, Administration and support Services, OCP, Ouagadougou (07 /L2/92)Dr D. Qui116v6r6, Chief, VCU, OCp, Ouagadougou (07/L2/92)Dr A. S6k6t61i, Chief, Devolution Unit, OCp, Ouagadougou (07 /L2/e2) Secretariat Other oarticipants Prof. Davide calamari, chairman, Ecorogicar Group (Lo/L2/gz)