Second report of Committee B (Draft)

SEVENTY-FIRST WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY (Draft) A71/55 25 May 2018 Second report of Committee B (Draft) Committee B held its second and third meetings on 24 May 2018 under the chairmanship of Dr Stewart Jessamine (New Zealand). It was decided to recommend to the Seventy-first World Health Assembly the adoption of the attached three decisions and four resolutions relating to the following agenda items: 15. Programme budget and financial matters 15.1 WHO programmatic and financial reports for 2016–2017, including audited financial statements for 2017 One decision 15.3 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 One resolution 16. Audit and oversight matters 16.1 Report of the External Auditor One decision 17. Staffing matters 17.1 Human resources: annual report One resolution entitled: – Reform of the global internship programme 17.3 Amendments to the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules One resolution entitled: – Deputy Directors-General (Draft) A71/55 2 One resolution entitled: – Salaries of staff in ungraded positions and of the Director-General 17.4 Appointment of representatives to the WHO Staff Pension Committee One decision (Draft) A71/55 3 Agenda item 15.1 WHO programmatic and financial reports for 2016–2017, including audited financial statements for 2017 The Seventy-first World Health Assembly, having considered the WHO Results Report for the Programme budget 2016–2017 and the audited financial statements for 2017;1 and having noted the report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Seventy-first World Health Assembly, 2 decided to accept the WHO Results Report for the Programme budget 2016–2017 and the audited financial statements for 2017. 1 Documents A71/28 and A71/29. 2 Document A71/45. (Draft) A71/55 4 Agenda item 15.3 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 The Seventy-first 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-first World Health Assembly; 2 Noting that, at the time of opening of the Seventy-first World Health Assembly, the voting rights of the Central African Republic, Comoros, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, South Sudan and Ukraine 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 Cameroon, Libya, Niger, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) were in arrears at the time of the opening of the Seventy-first 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-second World Health Assembly in 2019, 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-second World Health Assembly, Cameroon, Libya, Niger, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 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; (2) that any suspension that takes effect as set out in paragraph (1) above shall continue at the Seventy-second World Health Assembly and subsequent Health Assemblies, until the arrears of Cameroon, Libya, Niger, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 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. 1 Document A71/31 Rev.1. 2 Document A71/47. (Draft) A71/55 5 Agenda item 16.1 Report of the External Auditor The Seventy-first World Health Assembly, having considered the report of the External Auditor to the Health Assembly;1 and having noted the report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Seventy-first World Health Assembly,2 decided to accept the report of the External Auditor to the Health Assembly. 1 Document A71/32. 2 Document A71/48. (Draft) A71/55 6 Agenda item 17.1 Reform of the global internship programme The Seventy-first World Health Assembly, Having considered the human resources annual reports of 2015, 2016 and 2017; 1 Recognizing, consistent with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and progress toward the attainment of universal health coverage, the need for effective public health leadership, resilient health systems and strong health workforce capacity; Guided by the Thirteenth General Programme of Work, outlining the WHO’s strategic vision for the period 2019–2023, which commits to, inter alia, promoting greater access to, and equity in, the internship programme; Affirming the internship programme’s goal to build future leaders in public health through professional training and capacity-building opportunities across headquarters, regional and country offices, and the valuable contributions interns make to the Organization; 2 Recalling Member States’ concerns over the persistent imbalance in geographical participation on the internship programme, due in large part to the absence of financial support for talented future health leaders and insufficient attention paid so far to geographical diversity and gender equity among interns; Underscoring the commitment of all Member States towards improvements in the WHO reform process across the three levels of the Organization, including balanced geographical participation and gender equity; Recognizing WHO’s efforts and changes to improve the transparency and accessibility of the internship programme and its ambition to implement comprehensive reform, 1. DECIDES that continued improvements to the internship programme be achieved through: (1) the development of a sustainable and equitable internship programme based on an internship strategy and semi-structured training curriculum for interns to maximize their training experience and reinforce the learning objectives of the programme, which are, inter alia, to build a diverse pool of future leaders in public health and provide experience in the technical and administrative programmes of WHO; 1 Documents A69/52, A70/45 and A71/35. 2 The WHO e-Manual defines an intern is an individual who is at least 20 years old, enrolled in a university or equivalent institution leading to a formal qualification (graduate or postgraduate). Applicants who have already graduated may also qualify for consideration provided that they apply for an internship within six months after completion of their formal qualification. Interns do not have the status of WHO staff members and cannot represent the Organization in any official capacity. (Draft) A71/55 7 (2) the strengthening of a transparent, merit-based intern recruitment process that promotes the widest possible geographical participation and gender equity, through objective review of all intern applicants who meet the criteria; (3) the setting of a target that by 2022, at least 50% of accepted interns on the programme originate from least developed countries and middle-income countries with the objective of achieving balanced participation among WHO regions and gender equity; (4) the provision by the Secretariat of financial assistance, as soon as possible and no later than 2020, and where applicable, in-kind assistance, including through collaboration with host countries, for all accepted interns without sufficient existing support, at a level set for the duty station, to cover reasonably incurred travel and living expenses for the duration of the internship; 2. URGES Member States, development partners and donors to support WHO in mobilizing the resources necessary for financial sustainability and where applicable in-kind assistance for the internship programme, thereby ensuring that talented future health leaders from all Member States can equally access the programme, irrespective of economic circumstance; 3. INVITES international, regional, national and local stakeholders, to engage in and support the implementation of the actions set out in this resolution; 4. REQUESTS the Director-General: (1) to take the necessary measures and, in keeping with the aims of broader human resources policy, to operationalize the objectives of this resolution, across all three levels of the Organization, drawing from the best practices of other United Nations agencies and in line with United Nations rules, regulations and relevant resolutions; (2) to include as part of the human resources annual report, statistics on applicants’ and accepted interns’ demographic data, including gender and country of origin, as well as information on progress towards the implementation of this resolution; (3) to submit a report to the Executive Board at its 144th session in January 2019, detailing by which mechanism financial and in-kind support to accepted interns will be provided commensurate with their needs; (4) to submit a stand-alone report to the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly through the Executive Board in 2023, outlining the progress made in achieving the targets set out in this resolution and the future steps planned. (Draft) A71/55 8 Agenda item 17.3 Deputy Directors-General The Seventy-first World Health Assembly, Noting the recommendations of the Executive Board with regard to Articles I, III and IV of the Staff Regulations,1 1. ADOPTS the proposed amendments to Staff Regulations 1.11, 3.1 and 4.5; 2. DECIDES that these amendments shall take effect from 1 January 2018. 1 Document A71/37. (Draft) A71/55 9 Agenda item 17.3 Salaries of staff in ungraded positions and of the Director-General The Seventy-first World Health Assembly, Noting the recommendations of the Executive Board with regard to remuneration of staff in ungraded posts and of the Director-General,1 1. ESTABLISHES the salaries of Assistant Directors-General and Regional Directors at US$ 176 292 gross per annum, with a corresponding net salary of US$ 131 853; 2. ESTABLISHES the salary of Deputy Directors-General at US$ 194 329 gross per annum, with a corresponding net salary of US$ 143 757; 3. ESTABLISHES the salary of the Director-General at US$ 239 755 gross per annum, with a corresponding net salary of US$ 173 738; 4. DECIDES that those adjustments in remuneration shall take effect on 1 January 2018. 1 See document A71/37. (Draft) A71/55 10 Agenda item 17.4 Appointment of representatives to the WHO Staff Pension Committee The Seventy-first World Health Assembly nominated Dr Assad Hafeez of the delegation of Pakistan and Dr Alan Ludowyke of the delegation of Sri Lanka, as members for the remainder of their terms of office until May 2020. The Health Assembly also nominated Dr Chieko Ikeda of the delegation of Japan and Dr Christoph Hauschild of the delegation of Germany as alternate members of the WHO Staff Pension Committee for three-year terms until May 2021. = = =