WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION EXECUTIVE BOARD 107th Session Agenda item 8.4 EB107/21 16 January 2001
Governing body matters Method of work of the World Health Assembly Report by the Director-General
1. Ministerial round tables were first introduced at the Fifty-second World Health Assembly. Resolution WHA52.21 on reform of the Health Assembly subsequently welcomed the innovation and decided to incorporate in the provisional agenda for the Fifty-third World Health Assembly high-level discussions in order to enhance the involvement of the ministers and heads of delegations in policy debate. In reviewing the outcome of the Fifty-third World Health Assembly, the Executive Board at its 106th session concluded that the round tables added value to the Health Assembly; they made it possible to deal more effectively with the overall health agenda, with delegations learning from one another. The Board noted that further options would be prepared for the conduct of the round tables for consideration at its 107th session. 2. The Director-General has proposed an agenda and timetable for the Fifty-fourth World Health Assembly which includes one half-day for ministerial round tables.1 The Director-General proposes that mental health should be the theme for the round tables. This proposal takes into account the preference previously expressed by delegates for a theme related to The world health report, which, in 2001, will feature mental health. 3. With respect to the procedures for the conduct of the round tables, the Director-General proposes that: • the round tables should take place on the morning of Tuesday, 15 May; • participants should be ministers or those designated personally to represent them; • up to four round tables could be held concurrently on the theme; • the Health Assembly should select chairmen from among the delegates. 4. In addition, the Director-General proposes that, on this occasion, resource persons be identified to deliver short opening statements and respond to points raised during the discussions. These resource persons could be well known professors, researchers, scientists, chief executive officers of companies
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Document EB107/22.
EB107/21
or of nongovernmental organizations, senior editors of international publications, or high-level government officials.
ACTION BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 5. The Executive Board may wish to adopt the draft decision contained in document EB107/22 concerning the provisional agenda for the Fifty-fourth World Health Assembly.
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