(WPR/RC37/SR/9)
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE NINTH MEETING WHO Conference Hall, Manila Friday, 19 September 1986 at 9 a.m. CHAIRMAN: Dr B.W. Christmas (New Zealand)
CONTENTS
1. 2.
Consideration of draft resolutions
....................... .. '
188
3.
4.
............... Resolution of appreciation ................................. Closure of the session .....................................
Statements by representatives of the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations in official relations with WHO
L92
192 192
- 187 -
188
REGIONAL COMMITTEE:
THIRTY-SEVENTH SESSION
1.
CONSIDERATION OF DRAFT RESOLUTIONS The Committee considered the following draft resolutions:
1.1
Programme budget for 1988-1989 (Document WPR/RC37/Conf. Paper No. 7) Decision: The draft resolution resolution WPR/RC37.R7) was adopted without comment (see
1.2
mechanisms of collaboration of national and with WHO
Dr KHALID (Malaysia) proposed the addition to operative paragraph 2 of the words "to report to the Regional Committee at its fortieth session •••• " The proposal was adopted. Decision: The draft resolution resolution WPR/RC37.R8). 1.3 was adopted as
thus
amended
(see
Resolutions of regional interest adopted by the Thirty-ninth World Health Assembly (Document WPR/RC37/Conf. Paper No. 9) Decision: The draft resolution resolution WPR/RC37.R9). was adopted without comment (see
1.4
Representation of the Western Pacific Region on the Executive Board (Document WPR/RC37/Conf. Paper No. 10)
Mr HANDLEY (United States of America) said his delegation was sympathetic to the sentiments expressed in the draft resolution and was relieved to see that it contained nothing unconstitutional or which would imply an amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board. He understood that the term :in operative paragraph 3, " ••• arrangements should be made to ensure adequate representation ••• " was not intended to ask the Executive Board to take any action beyond that extended to Member States from any region of WHO sending an observer to its sessions, and did not imply any additional expense to the Region or to WHO as a whole. On that understanding the United States delegation commended the draft resolution and would take operative paragraph 2 very seriously. The REGIONAL DIRECTOR, replying to a request by the CHAIRMAN, said that the Secretariat noted the comments of the representative of the United . States of America. Dr VIGNES (Legal Counsel) indicated that the United States representative's understanding of the provisions of the draft resolution was correct. The recommendation to the Executive Board was simply that "arrangements should be made", which left the nature of those arrangements to the discretion of the Board and the Health Assembly. The CHAIRMAN said that he understood the important point made by the representative of the United States of America to be in effect that consideration for observer status was open to any Member State.
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE NINTH MEETING
189
Dr VIGNES (Legal Counsel) confirmed that that was in no doubt. Mr HANDLEY (United States of America), expressing appreciation for the comments on his statement, said that the important point was that the resolution made it very clear how the Regional Committee felt about the new seat and whose seat it was. He only wished it to be equally clear that the Board was not being asked to make any special unconstitutional arrangements or change its Rules of Procedure. Dr TAPA (Tonga) said he thought operative paragraph 3 was redundant in the light of Legal Counsel's explanation of the constitutional situation at the seventh meeting, and suggested it should be deleted. Dr .DE SOUZA (Australia) supported that suggestion. Dr KHALID (Malaysia) shared the doubts of the representative of Tonga as to the relevance and practicality of operative paragraph 3. His understanding would be that any country that wished to send an observer to the Board would be doing so in its own capacity; that observer would not be representing the interests of the Western Pacific Region and would not be equivalent to a fourth member on the Executive Board. He suggested that the words "the formal acceptances" in operative paragraph 2 should be amended to read "the formal instruments of acceptance", in line with the wording used in the fourth preambular paragraph. The CHAIRMAN said that that technical amendment was justified in the interest of consistency. Dr REILLY (Papua New Guinea) fully supported the comments made by the representative of Tonga. The REGIONAL DIRECTOR said that operative paragraph 3 had been included in accordance with the Director-General's proposal to the Executive Board at its seventy-eighth session. Its deletion might be interpreted as indicating that the Regional Committee was rejecting that proposal, although it could naturally be deleted if the Committee so wished. The CHAIRMAN observed that the Committee appeared to feel that the paragraph was unnecessary. In his view, its deletion would in no way inhibit the Director-General's activities in negotiating with the Executive Board, but he would at least not be constrained by any specific recommendation by the Regional Committee in an area that might be regarded as quasi-constitutional. In the absence of any specific objection, he suggested that the paragraph be deleted and that the Committee should adopt the minor technical amendment to operative paragraph 2 proposed by the representative of Malaysia. It was so agreed. Decision: The draft resolution, resolution WPR/RC37.Rl0). as amended, was adopted (see
190
REGIONAL COMMITTEE:
THIRTY-SEVENTH SESSION
1.5
Tobacco or health (Document WPR/RC37/Conf. Paper No. 11) second preambular paragraph of smoking" and that a new "Further expressing concern use of non-smoked tobacco
Dr DE SOUZA (Australia) suggested that the should end at the words "the current pandemic third preambular paragraph be added, to read: at the health effects of the increase in the products in some countries of the Regio~'.
Dr BROYELLE (France) said that the word used in the French text for smoking (tabagisme) covered the excessive use or abuse of tobacco in all its forms, not only iri smoked form. She therefore suggested that the second preambular paragraph should refer to "smoking (tabagisme) in all its forms". The CHAIRMAN said that there could be no smoke t.Tithout fire, and the word "smoking" in English meant the use of a form of tobacco that was on fire. The Australian representative's suggestion appeared to solve some of the problems of interpretation that had arisen, and he would welcome the acceptance of that suggestion. The REGIONAL DIRECTOR said that the word tabagisme was used in the French text of the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases and could readily be interpreted as meaning tobacco addiction. The word "smoking" in English could cover not only tobacco but other substances. The French word fumer also referred to any form of smoking behaviour. An appropriate wording might be something on the lines of "the use of all kinds of tobacco". Perhaps a suitable formula might be suggested by a Committee member of English mother tongue. Mr HANDLEY (United States of America) said that the probJ em could easily be solved by having a French translation of the Australian representative's proposal. The text would then be clearer in both languages. Dr TAPA (Tonga) was inclined to agree with the French representative's reservation. During the Committee's discussion of resolution WHA39.14, reference had been made to the change in its title from the originally used term "Smoking and health" to "Tobacco or health" to take account of the fact that smoking was not the only form of tobacco use. People might turn, for example, to tobacco chewing. The emphasis should therefore be on all forms of tobacco. The CHAIRMAN considered that the provision of a French translation of the amendment proposed by the Australian representative would make the situation clearer. Dr DE SOUZA (Australia), agreeing with that suggestion, said that the pandemic was essentially one of smoking. The use of the word tabagisme might give rise to problems of interpretation, which might be solved by such a translation. Mr HANDLEY (United States of America) be inserted before the word "smoking". sug~ested
that the word "tobacco"
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE NINTH MEETING
191
The CHAIRMAN said that the paragraph would then read: "Expressing its concern at the serious public health problem in the Region due to the current pandemic of tobacco smoking; Further expressing concern at the health effects of the increase in the use of non-smoked tobacco products in some countries of the Region". That amendment was adopted. Decision: Subject to a suitable French translation of the amendment, the draft resolution was adopted (see resolution WPR/RC37,Rll). 1.6 Correlation of the work of the World Health Assembly, the Executive Boarq and the Regional Committee (Document WPR/RC3 7/Conf. Paper No. 12) Decision: The draft resolution resolution WPR/RC37.Rl2). 1.7 was adopted wit:tlo4t: commept (see
Spe~ial . Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases: Membership of the Joint Coordinating Board (Document WPR/RC37/Conf. Paper No. 13) '
Decision: The draft resolution resolution WPR/RC37.Rl3). 1.8
was
adopted
without
comment
(see
Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Re roduction; Membership of the Polic and Coordination Advisor Committee Document WPR RC37 Conf. Paper No. 14 Decision: The draft resolution resolut1on WPR/RC37.Rl4). was adopted without comment (see
1.9
Blood and blood products (Document WPR/RC37/Conf. Paper No. 15)
Mr HANDLEY (United States of America) suggested that there should be some indication of the reference numbers of the Code of Ethics for Blood Donation and Transfusion and of the recommendations made by the WHO meeting on the safety of blood and blood products. It might be useful for copies of those documents to be provided as an annex.1 In response to a question by the CHAIRMAN, the REGIONAL DIRECTOR said that that would be done. Decision: The WPR/RC37.R15). draft resolution was adopted (see resolution
1.10 Technical Discussions (Document WPR/RC37/Conf. Paper No. 16) Decision: The draft resolution resolution WPR/RC37.Rl6). was adopted without comment (see
lFor the full text of the documents, see Annexes 1 and 2.
192
REGIONAL COMMITTEE:
THIRTY-SEVENTH SESSION
1.11 Thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth sessions of the Regional Committee (Document WPR/RC37/Conf. Paper No. 17) Decision: The draft resolution resolution WPR/RC37.Rl7). 2. was adopted without comment (see
STATEMENTS BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED NATIONS, THE SPECIALIZED AGENCIES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN OFFICIAL RELATIONS WITH WHO: Item 19 of the Agenda
At the invitation of the CHAIRMAN, statements were presented by the following: United Nations Children's Fund Asian Development Bank International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness International Association of Cancer Registries International Academy of Pathology International Hospital Federation International Association for Maternal and Neonatal Health World Federation for Mental Health International Council of Nurses The CHAIRMAN acknowledged statements received for circulation to Member States from the following: International Dental Federation Medical Women's International Association International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies International Pediatric Association World Federation of Public Health Associations 3. RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TANG AM (Viet Nam) presented was a draft by resolution of (see
Dr NGUYEN appreciation.
Decision: The draft resolu:tion resolution WPR/RC37.Rl8). 4. CLOSURE OF THE SESSION
adopted
acclamation
The CHAIRMAN thanked representatives for their cooperation and declared the thirty-seventh session of the Regional Committee closed.
The meeting closed at 11.40 a.m.