REGIONAL COMMITTEE Fifty-second Session
Provisional Agenda item 9 SEA/RC52/10 18 August 1999 Add.1
DRAFT PROVISIONAL AGENDAS OF THE 105TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND THE FIFTY-THIRD WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY 1. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board, the provisional agenda of each session shall be drawn up by the Director-General in consultation with the Chairman. It shall be despatched with the notice of convocation six weeks before the commencement of a session. 2. The attached indicative list of items for the 105th session of the Executive Board will be the subject of further consultation between the Director-General and the Chairman. It includes items requested by the Health Assembly or the Board at a previous session, proposed by members of the Board, and proposed by the Director-General. It is submitted to the regional committees for information. 3. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Health Assembly, the Board shall prepare the provisional agenda of each regular session of the Health Assembly after consideration of proposals submitted by the Director-General. INDICATIVE LIST OF ITEMS FOR THE 105TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 1. Opening of the session and adoption of the agenda 2. Gearing up for the next four years • • • • •
Director-General’s report Towards a strategic agenda for the WHO Secretariat Programme budget priorities for 2002-2003 Working in and with countries Draft policy on extrabudgetary resources
3. Technical and health matters • •
Food safety: the role of WHO WHO framework convention on tobacco control
•
HIV/AIDS
4. Staff development and support • • Human resources: annual report Statement by the representative of the WHO staff associations on matters concerning personnel policy and conditions service
5. Collaboration within the United Nations system and with other intergovernmental organizations 6. Implementation of budget resolutions (resolutions EB103.R6 and WHA52.20) 7. Management and financial matters • • • • Appointment of the Regional Directors for Africa and Europe Use of languages in WHO Review of WHO collaborating centres: progress report Other management issues • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Status of collection of assessed contributions, including Members in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution Casual income Real Estate Fund Financial Regulations and Rules Report of the International Civil Service Commission Confirmation of amendments to the Staff Rules Reports of the Joint Inspection Unit Collaboration with nongovernmental organizations: report of the Standing Committee on Nongovernmental Participation of WHO in the 1986 Vienna Convention on the law of treaties between States and International organizations or between international organizations Executive Board matters Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board on election of the Chairman Membership of the Audit Committee Provisional agenda for and duration of the Fifty-third World Health Assembly Date and place of the 106th session of the Executive Board
•
Awards
8. Matters for information • • Report on meetings of expert committees and study groups (including report on appointments to expert advisory panels and committees) Implementation of resolutions and decisions o Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (resolution WHA44.4) o Revised drug strategy (resolution WHA52.19) o Health promotion (resolution WHA51.12) o Elimination of transmission of Chagas disease (resolution WHA51.14) o Technical cooperation among developing countries (resolution WHA42.37) o Infant and young child feeding (resolution WHA33.32)
9. Closure of the session
REGIONAL COMMITTEE Fifty-second Session
Provisional Agenda item 9 SEA/RC52/10 Corr.1 20 August 1999
REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE FIFTY-SECOND WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY AND THE 103RD AND 104TH SESSIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND REVIEW OF THE DRAFT PROVISIONAL AGENDAS OF THE 105TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND THE FIFTY-THIRD WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY
Corrigendum In the document SEA/RC52/10 dated 15 July 1999, please make the following changes: Page 2, First para: First line, for ‘Forty-second’, read ‘Fifty-second’ Page 3, First para: Seventh line, for ‘WHA52’ read ‘WHA52.17’
REGIONAL COMMITTEE Fifty-second session
Provisional Agenda item 9 SEA/RC52/10 15 July 1999
REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE FIFTY-SECOND WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY AND THE 103RD AND 104TH SESSIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND REVIEW OF THE DRAFT PROVISIONAL AGENDAS OF THE 105TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND THE FIFTY-THIRD WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY
The twenty-eighth meeting of the Consultative Committee for Programme Development and Management (CCPDM) recommended that the working papers relating to resolutions of regional interest adopted by the previous sessions of the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly, and review of the draft provisional agendas of the future sessions of the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly be combined and brought out as one document. This recommendation was endorsed by the forty-eighth session of the Regional Committee. In accordance with this decision, a combined working paper on the two items has been prepared and is submitted for the consideration of the Regional Committee. Part 1 of the document relates to resolutions of regional interest while Part 2 relates to review of the draft provisional agendas of the governing bodies.
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CONTENTS
Part 1 Regional implications of the decisions and resolutions of the Fifty-second World Health Assembly and the 103rd and 104th Sessions of the Executive Board
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Active ageing (WHA52.7) Reimbursement of travel expenses for attendance at Regional Committees (WHA52.9 and EB103.R7) Smallpox eradication: Destruction of variola virus stocks (WHA52.10) Roll Back Malaria (WHA52.11 and EB103.R9) Unaudited interim financial report on the accounts of WHO for 1998; report of the External Auditor; report of the Internal Auditor (WHA52.14) Scale of assessment for the financial period 2000-2001 (WHA52.17) Towards a WHO framework convention on tobacco control (WHA52.18 and EB103.R11) Revised drug strategy (WHA52.19 and EB103.R1) Appropriation resolution for the financial period 2000-2001 (WHA52.20)
10. Poliomyelitis eradication (WHA52.22 and EB103.R10) 11. Strengthening health systems in developing countries (WHA52.23) 12. Prevention and Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (WHA52.24) 13. Appointment of the Regional Director for South-East Asia (EB103.R3) 14. Budget presentation and process (EB103.R6) 15. WHO/UNICEF Committee on Health (EB103.R17)
Part 2 Review of the draft provisional agendas of the 105th session of the Executive Board and the Fifty-third World Health Assembly
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PART 1 REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE FIFTY-SECOND WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY AND THE 103RD AND 104TH SESSIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD The working paper includes 15 resolutions of the governing bodies which are considered significant in the context of the regional perspective. These resolutions were selected out of 24 resolutions of the Fifty-second World Health Assembly and 33 resolutions/decisions of the 103rd and 104th sessions of the Executive Board. Salient information from the operative paragraphs of the resolutions, particularly that related to Member States, as well as actions proposed to date, are briefly presented in this paper. Copies of the resolutions referred to in this paper are placed at the end of Part 1. (A complete set of the resolutions of the Fifty-second World Health Assembly is available for reference).
1.
Active ageing (WHA52.7)
The Assembly called upon all Member States to take appropriate steps to carry out measures to ensure the highest attainable standard of health and well-being for the growing numbers of their older citizens. It also called for support for WHO’ s advocacy efforts for active and healthy ageing through multisectoral partnerships with intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, voluntary organizations and the establishment of a global network for active ageing.
2.
Reimbursement of travel expenses for attendance at Regional Committees (WHA52.9 and EB103.R7)
Taking into consideration the criteria for reimbursement of travel expenses provided for the representatives attending the World Health Assembly and Regional Committee sessions, the Assembly decided that actual travel expenses of one representative attending Regional Committee sessions may be financed by the Organization upon the request of those Members and Associate Members classified as least developed countries. The maximum reimbursement would be restricted to the equivalent of one economy or tourist return air ticket from the capital city of the Member to the place of the session.
3.
Smallpox eradication: Destruction of variola virus stocks (WHA52.10)
The Forty-ninth World Health Assembly had recommended that the only known remaining stocks of variola virus (which causes smallpox) located in two centres, one each in the USA and Russia, be destroyed by 30 June 1999, after a final decision by the Assembly.
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While reviewing this recommendation, the Forty-second World Health Assembly considered the report of the WHO secretariat on destruction of the variola virus, and also on implications in research for public health purposes including development of antiviral agents and safer vaccines. Reaffirming the goal of WHO to finally eliminate all variola virus, the Assembly authorized temporary retention of existing stocks of variola virus up to not later than 2002 for further international research and to permit high priority investigations of the genetic structure and pathogenesis of smallpox. The Assembly also requested the Director-General to appoint a new group of experts to establish what research was needed to reach global consensus on the timing for destruction of existing variola virus stocks. The new group will comprise a limited number of scientists and public health experts from Member States of each of the WHO regions. They would submit their initial recommendations to the Executive Board at its 106th session in May 2000.
4.
Roll Back Malaria (WHA52.11 and EB103.R9)
Malaria contributes significantly to the global disease burden. Primarily, malaria affects impoverished and disadvantaged communities, with the highest association of any disease category with poverty. Resolutions on Roll Back Malaria (RBM) call for reducing malaria-related suffering and promoting national development in a sustained way. RBM stresses the importance of improvement of malaria control activities as part of health sector development, effective utilization of relevant technical expertise within the countries and the Region and establishment of sustainable country-level partnerships. Member States are advised to enhance commitment to support national malaria control programmes as part of health sector development and development of sustainable broad-based partnerships with civil society, the private sector and other development partners. Member States are also encouraged to make strategic investments that are evidence-based and closely linked with partnership initiatives to ensure concerted and sustainable efforts for RBM. Member States are also urged to strengthen intercountry collaboration and inter-regional initiatives to solve common problems of border malaria.
5.
Unaudited interim financial report on the accounts of WHO for 1998; report of the External Auditor; report of the Internal Auditor (WHA52.14)
The reports of the External Auditor and the Internal Auditor had indicated the need to improve programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation. As a matter of priority, standardized business rules and procedures were needed for a unified evaluation system which would include linking of statements of intent in the strategic programme budget to annual plans of action. Institutionalization of external as well as independent internal evaluations of both regular and extrabudgetary programme activities were needed. Improved accountability for local expenditure and follow-through on consultancy recommendations, fellowships and other training results were also needed.
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6.
Scale of assessment for the financial period 2000-2001 (WHA52.17)
The Assembly adopted a new scale of assessment for the years 2000 and 2001. While the scale of assessment for seven of the ten SEAR countries is maintained with no change from 1999, changes have been noted in respect of three countries. The assessments for Indonesia and Thailand will increase by 0.004% and 0.003% respectively, while for the Democratic People’ s Republic of Korea, the assessment will decrease by 0.004% compared to 1999. The scale of assessment for the ten SEAR countries are shown below (extracted from resolutions WHA51.21 and WHA52). 1999 (Percentage) 2000-2001 (Percentage) Change (Percentage)
Country
Bangladesh Bhutan DPR Korea India Indonesia Maldives Myanmar Nepal Sri Lanka Thailand
0.010 0.001 0.019 0.294 0.181 0.001 0.008 0.004 0.012 0.164
0.010 0.001 0.015 0.294 0.185 0.001 0.008 0.004 0.012 0.167
Nil Nil (-) 0.004 Nil (+) 0.004 Nil Nil Nil Nil (+) 0.003
7.
Towards a WHO framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHA52.18 and EB103.R11)
The use of tobacco is a major public health threat all over the world. It is estimated that deaths due to tobacco-related diseases will rise from the current 3.5 million to 10 million by 2030 of which 70% will be in developing countries. Being concerned, the DirectorGeneral has launched the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) with a long-term mission to reduce the prevalence of global use of tobacco. She proposed to the Executive Board to accelerate tobacco control initiatives through a fast track approach for the development and negotiation of a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). FCTC would be an international legal instrument to be developed by WHO’ s 191 Member States for limiting the global spread of tobacco and tobacco projects. The Executive Board, at its 103rd session, recommended to the World Health Assembly a resolution for consideration. The Assembly adopted the resolution. It decided: (a) to establish an intergovernmental negotiating body open to all Member States to draft and negotiate the proposed WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and possible related protocols;
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(b) to establish a working group on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control open to all Member States in order to prepare the work of the negotiating body. This group will prepare the proposed draft elements of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The working group will report on the progress to the Executive Board at its 105th session. (c) that the regional economic integration organizations may actively participate in the drafting and negotiations of the intergovernmental negotiating body. The Assembly urged the Member States, inter alia, to give high priority to accelerating work on development of the WHO Framework Convention, to promote intergovernmental consultations to address specific issues of public health and other technical matters relating to negotiation of the proposed Framework Convention, to establish national commissions for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and mechanisms to examine the implications of a framework convention within the context of health and economic issues, especially its effects on the economy of agriculturally-dependent States, to facilitate and support the participation of nongovernmental organizations and to consider further development and strengthening of national and regional tobacco policies.
8.
Revised drug strategy (WHA52.19 and EB103.R1)
The Executive Board, at its 103rd session in January 1999, reformulated the resolution on the Revised Drug Strategy proposed by the ad hoc working group and recommended it to the Fifty-second World Health Assembly for consideration. In revising the resolution, commercial and trade issues have been toned down in favour of public health issues. The Assembly endorsed the revised resolution after reviewing all its aspects. It urged Member States, inter alia, to reaffirm their commitment for the development, implementation and monitoring of national drug policies to ensure global access to essential drugs and to ensure public health interests in pharmaceutical and health policies. Member States were also urged to establish and enforce regulations on good uniform quality assurance standards, to develop or maintain national guidelines governing drug donations and promotion of rational use of drugs.
9.
Appropriation resolution for the financial period 2000-2001 (WHA52.20)
The World Health Assembly passed a zero real growth effective working budget of US$ 842,654,000 representing the same dollar amount as for 1998-1999. In addition, the Assembly decided that: • US$ 15 million casual income be applied to Polio eradication, Roll Back Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and the Tobacco Free Initiative. • 2-3% (around US$ 25.3 million) efficiency savings be identified and reallocated to high priority programmes at country level; and
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• the Director-General undertake a study of the Financial Rules and Regulations concerning: - casual income - exchange rate facility - late payment/arrears of Members’contribution - Working Capital Fund - Internal borrowing - Financial incentive scheme - Unliqudiated obligations Further implications from this resolution may be found in the Regional Committee document under agenda item 7: Programme Budget.
10. Poliomyelitis eradication (WHA52.22 and EB103.R10) Noting that poliomyelitis remains endemic in a number of countries and realizing that eradication of this disease will have humanitarian and economic benefits for all poliomyelitic endemic countries, the Assembly urged Member States, among others, to accelerate eradication activities by conducting additional immunization rounds each year and enhance surveillance to detect acute flaccid paralysis cases promptly. The Assembly also urged mobilization of human and financial resources to achieve eradication.
11. Strengthening health systems in developing countries (WHA52.23) The World Health Assembly, mindful of the principles of technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC), and its previous resolutions in strengthening such cooperation to improve the health situation in developing countries, recognized the central responsibility of governments and all sectors of society in attaining the goals relating to eradication of poverty and to food security, health, education, employment, housing and social integration. It considered the fact that globalization presents opportunities and challenges for all countries and that developing countries, especially the poorest, are vulnerable to those adverse effects of globalization which lead to greater inequalities in health and health care. It acknowledged the valued services that WHO provides to all its Member States and anticipated that the services will be enhanced by the new organizational changes initiated by the Director-General. The Assembly, while welcoming WHO’ s initiative, reaffirmed its commitment to the objectives of the health-for-all strategy, particularly the achievement of equitable, affordable, accessible and sustainable health care systems based on primary health care in all Member States. The Assembly urged Member States, among others, to reaffirm the importance of health as an indispensable resource for sustainable development and adopt measures as a matter of priority to serve the needs of the most vulnerable population. It also called upon developed countries to continue to facilitate transfer of materials, equipment and technology, including safe medicines and resources appropriate to the health needs of developing countries.
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12. Prevention and Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (WHA52.24) The World Health Assembly was concerned that iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) are a major threat to the health and development of populations worldwide and many result in goitre, stillbirth, miscarriage, dwarfism, brain damage, intellectual impairment, etc. It recognized that elimination of iodine deficiency will truly be a public health triumph and commended the governments, international organizations, bilateral agencies and nongovernmental organizations, particularly the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, on their support to eliminate IDDs throughout the world. The Assembly also commended the salt industry for its collaboration and key role in salt iodization. Reviewing the existing situation and status of salt iodization, the Assembly urged Member States to assess the extent of IDDs in their countries and to redouble their efforts to promote salt iodization, including adoption of relevant legislation and to monitor the quality the of iodized salt used.
13. Appointment of the Regional Director for South-East Asia (EB103.R3) Article 52 of the WHO Constitution provides that the head of the Regional Office shall be the Regional Director appointed by the Board in agreement with the Regional Committee. Accordingly, the Regional Committee for South-East Asia, at its fifty-first session held in New Delhi in September 1998, nominated Dr Uton Muchtar Rafei for the post of Regional Director for the WHO South-East Asia Region and requested the Director-General to propose to the Executive Board his reappointment. The Executive Board reappointed Dr Uton Muchtar Rafei as Regional Director for South-East Asia for a period of five years from 1 March 1999.
14. Budget Presentation and Process (EB103.R6) The Executive Board welcomed the efforts of the Director-General to revitalize WHO through a process of restructuring and streamlining and reiterated that a strategic approach to results-based budgeting is based on a clear statement of cluster and departmental objectives in terms of measurable results for a specific period, and on a process for continuous monitoring of progress and reporting of results to governing bodies. The Board requested the Director-General to consider for future programme budgets the following: (a) Development of an integrated plan for monitoring, evaluating and reporting results to the governing bodies, for consideration by the Executive Board at its 105th session; (b) Drawing up an efficiency savings plan to maximize resources for programme activities, and (c) Providing an evaluation of the new management support units comparing and performances with that of the previous system.
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15. WHO/UNICEF Committee on Health (EB103.R17) The Executive Board, at its twenty-fifty session in January 1960, established the UNICEF/WHO Joint Committee on Health Policy (JCHP) to foster health development in a spirit of coordination and collaboration within the UN system. The Board, at its 31st session, expanded the JCHP through inclusion of UNFPA and named it the WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA Coordinating Committee on Health (CCH). Through resolution EB103.R17, the Board endorsed the composition and roles of the Committee. The Committee will consist of 16 Members of the Executive Boards of the three organizations, such members being selected by their respective Boards on the basis of one from each Region of the organization concerned. The role of the Committee, among others, will be: • to facilitate the coordination of health policies and programmes of the three organizations; • to review the overall needs for strategic, operational and technical coordination in the fields of maternal, child, adolescent and women’ s health, to ensure regular exchange of information in these areas and to make recommendations to the respective Executive Boards for follow-up action by the secretariats; • to promote consistency in implementation strategies and activities among the three organizations and with other partners, for the maximum benefit of Member States, especially at the country level, within the context of the Resident Coordinator system and, in this context, to ensure that these are guided by the overall policy framework for health development as defined by the World Health Assembly. The CCH shall meet biennially or, in special session, normally in Geneva. Chairmanship will be rotational by a member of the Executive Board of each organization. WHO shall provide the secretariat for the Committee and, in consultation with UNICEF and UNFPA, jointly convene intersecretariat meetings to prepare the agenda and supporting documentation for the sessions.
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PART 2 REVIEW OF THE DRAFT PROVISIONAL AGENDAS OF THE 105TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND THE FIFTY-THIRD WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY In order to foster greater correlation of the work of the Regional Committee with that of the Executive Board and of the World Health Assembly, the Regional Committee has adopted the practice, since, 1980, of reviewing the draft provisional agendas of the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly so that it could note important matters of regional and global interest. Regional Committees are urged to take an active part in the work of the Organization and to submit to the Executive Board their recommendations and concrete proposals on matters of regional and global interest. In its turn, the Executive Board routinely reviews the policy proposals of the Regional Committees concerning matters of worldwide interest, particularly for the ensuing sessions of the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly. The draft provisional agendas of the 105th session of the Executive Board (January 2000) and the Fifty-third World Health Assembly (May 2000) are awaited from WHO/HQ and will be submitted to the Regional Committee for its review.