WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION FIFTY-SECOND WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY (Draft) A52/33 21 May 1999
First report of Committee B (Draft)
Committee B held its first meeting on 18 May 1999 under the chairmanship of Dr R. Tapia (Mexico). After consideration of the proposal of the Committee on Nominations,1 Dr J. Eskola (Finland) and Mr B. Kesang (Bhutan) were elected Vice-Chairmen and Dr M.E. Mbaiong (Chad) Rapporteur. The second and third meetings were held on 20 May 1999 and it was decided to recommend to the Fifty-second World Health Assembly the adoption of the attached resolutions relating to the following agenda items: 15. Management and financial matters C 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 Four resolutions entitled: % Status of collection of assessed contributions % Arrears in payment of contributions: Latvia % Arrears in payment of contributions: Liberia % Members in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution 17. Health conditions of, and assistance to, the Arab population in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine One resolution entitled: % Health conditions of, and assistance to, the Arab population in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine
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Document A52/30.
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Agenda item 15
Status of collection of assessed contributions
The Fifty-second World Health Assembly, Noting with concern that, as at 31 December 1998: (1) the rate of collection in 1998 of contributions to the effective working budget for that year amounted to 77.94%, leaving US$ 92 373 784 unpaid; (2) only 105 Members had paid their contributions to the effective working budget for that year in full, and 63 Members had made no payment; (3) total unpaid contributions in respect of 1998 and prior years exceeded US$ 180 million,
1. EXPRESSES deep concern at the continuing high level of outstanding contributions, which has had a deleterious effect on programmes and on the financial situation of the Organization; 2. CALLS THE ATTENTION of all Members to Financial Regulation 5.6, which provides that instalments of contributions shall be considered as due and payable in full by the first day of the year to which they relate, and to the importance of paying contributions as early as possible to enable the Director-General to implement the budget in an orderly manner; 3. REMINDS Members that, as a result of the adoption, by resolution WHA41.12, of an incentive scheme to promote the timely payment of assessed contributions, those that pay their assessed contributions early in the year in which they are due will have their contributions payable for a subsequent budget reduced appreciably, whereas Members paying later will see their contributions payable for that subsequent budget reduced only marginally or not at all; 4. URGES Members that are systematically late in the payment of their contributions to take immediate steps to ensure prompt and regular payment; 5. REQUESTS the Director-General and the Regional Directors to intensify contacts with Member States to pay their outstanding contributions; 6. REQUESTS the Director-General to review, taking into account developments in other organizations in the United Nations system, current financial arrangements and to propose other possibilities to promote early payments with a view to ensuring a sound financial basis for programmes, and to report on this matter to the Executive Board at its 105th session and to the Fifty-third World Health Assembly; 7. FURTHER REQUESTS the Director-General to draw this resolution to the attention of all Members.
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Agenda item 15
Arrears in payment of contributions Latvia
The Fifty-second World Health Assembly, Having considered the second report of the Administration, Budget and Finance Committee of the Executive Board on Members in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution, with respect to Latvia’ s request for the settlement of its outstanding contributions, and the terms of that proposal as set forth in the report of the Director-General to the Administration, Budget and Finance Committee,1 1. DECIDES to restore the voting privileges of Latvia at the Fifty-second World Health Assembly;
2. ACCEPTS as an interim measure, that Latvia should settle its outstanding contributions for 1999 of US$ 100 450 before the end of 1999 and liquidate the contributions that remain outstanding in respect of the period 1993-1998 inclusive, totalling US$ 2 148 600, in six annual instalments as follows: US$ 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 400 000 350 500 350 500 350 500 350 500 346 600
payable in each of the years 1999 to 2004, subject to the provisions of Financial Regulation 5.6, in addition to the annual contributions due during the period; 3. DECIDES that, in accordance with Article 7 of the Constitution, voting privileges will be automatically suspended again if Latvia does not meet the requirements laid down in paragraph 2, and, notwithstanding the provisions of Financial Regulation 5.8, payment of the 1999 instalment of Latvia’ s contribution for the financial period 1998-1999 and contributions for subsequent periods shall be credited to the financial period concerned; 4. REQUESTS the Director-General to report to the Fifty-third World Health Assembly on the prevailing situation; 5. REQUESTS the Director-General to communicate this resolution to the Government of Latvia. 1
Annex 5 of document EBABFC11/2, contained in document A52/27, Annex 3.
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Agenda item 15
Arrears in payment of contributions Liberia
The Fifty-second World Health Assembly, Having considered the second report of the Administration, Budget and Finance Committee of the Executive Board on Members in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution, with respect to Liberia’ s request for the settlement of its outstanding contributions, and the terms of that proposal as set forth in the report of the Director-General to the Administration, Budget and Finance Committee,1 1. DECIDES to restore the voting privileges of Liberia at the Fifty-second World Health Assembly;
2. ACCEPTS as an interim measure, that Liberia should settle its outstanding contributions for 1999 of US$ 8370 before the end of 1999 and liquidate the contributions that remain outstanding in respect of the period 1989-1998 inclusive, totalling US$ 356 682, over a five-year period as follows: US$ 1999-2002 2003 71 336 per year 71 338
payable in each of the years 1999 to 2003, subject to the provisions of Financial Regulation 5.6, in addition to the annual contributions due during the period; 3. DECIDES that, in accordance with Article 7 of the Constitution, voting privileges will be automatically suspended again if Liberia does not meet the requirements laid down in paragraph 2, and, notwithstanding the provisions of Financial Regulation 5.8, payment of the 1999 instalment of Liberia’ s contribution for the financial period 1998-1999 and contributions for subsequent periods shall be credited to the financial period concerned; 4. REQUESTS the Director-General to report to the Fifty-third World Health Assembly on the prevailing situation; 5. REQUESTS the Director-General to communicate this resolution to the Government of Liberia.
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Annex 6 of document EBABFC11/2, contained in document A52/27, Annex 3.
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(Draft) A52/33
Agenda item 15
Members in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution
The Fifty-second World Health Assembly, Having considered the second report of the Administration, Budget and Finance Committee of the Executive Board to the Fifty-second World Health Assembly on Members in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution; Noting that, at the time of opening of the Fifty-second World Health Assembly, the voting rights of Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Niger, Republic of Moldova, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Yugoslavia remained suspended, such suspension to continue until the arrears of the Member State concerned have been reduced, at the present or future Health Assemblies, to a level below the amount which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution; Noting that, in accordance with resolution WHA51.2, the voting privileges of Gambia have been suspended as from 17 May 1999 at the opening of the Health Assembly, such suspension to continue until the arrears of Gambia have been reduced to a level below the amount which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution; Noting that Guinea was in arrears at the time of the opening of the Fifty-second World Health Assembly to such an extent that it is necessary for the Health Assembly to consider, in accordance with Article 7 of the Constitution, whether or not the voting privileges of Guinea should be suspended at the opening of the Fifty-third World Health Assembly, 1. EXPRESSES great concern at the large number of Members that have been in arrears in the payment of their contributions in recent years to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution and the unprecedented level of contributions owed by them; 2. URGES the Members concerned to regularize their position at the earliest possible date;
3. FURTHER URGES Members that have not communicated their intention to settle their arrears to do so as a matter of urgency; 4. REQUESTS the Director-General and Regional Directors to approach the Members in arrears to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution, with a view to pursuing the question with the governments concerned; 5. REQUESTS the Executive Board, in the light of the Director-General’ s report to the Board at its 105th session in 2000, and after the Members concerned have had an opportunity to explain their situation to the Board, to report to the Fifty-third World Health Assembly on the status of payment of contributions;
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6.
DECIDES: (1) that in accordance with the statement of principles in resolution WHA41.7 if, by the time of the opening of the Fifty-third World Health Assembly, Guinea is still in arrears in the payment of its contributions to an extent which would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution, its voting privileges shall be suspended as from the said opening; (2) that any suspension which takes effect as aforesaid shall continue at the Fifty-third and subsequent Health Assemblies, until the arrears of Guinea have been reduced to a level below the amount which 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.
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Agenda item 17
Health conditions of, and assistance to, the Arab population in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine
The Fifty-second World Health Assembly, Mindful of the basic principle established in the WHO Constitution, which affirms that the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security; Recalling the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East (Madrid, 30 October 1991), on the basis of the United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973 and 425 (1978) of 29 March 1978, as well as on the basis of the principle of “land for peace”, and the subsequent bilateral negotiations; Expressing the hope that the peace talks between the parties concerned in the Middle East will lead to a just and comprehensive peace in the area, taking into account the continuing and unqualified Palestinian right to self-determination including the option of a State; Noting the signing in Washington, D.C. on 13 September 1993 of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the commencement of the implementation of the Declaration of Principles following the signing of the Cairo Accord on 4 May 1994, the interim agreement signed in Washington, D.C. on 28 September 1995, the transfer of health services to the Palestinian Authority, and the launching of the final stage of negotiations between Israel and PLO on 5 May 1996; Emphasizing the urgent need to implement the Declaration of Principles and the subsequent Accord; Expressing grave concern about the Israeli settlement policies in the Palestinian occupied territory, including occupied East Jerusalem, in violation of international law and of relevant United Nations resolutions; Stressing the need to preserve the territorial integrity of all the occupied Palestinian territory and to guarantee the freedom of movement of persons and goods within the Palestinian territory, including the removal of restrictions of movement into and from East Jerusalem, and the freedom of movement to and from the outside world having in mind the adverse consequences of the recurrent closure of the Palestinian territory on its socioeconomic development, including the health sector; Recognizing the need for increased support and health assistance to the Palestinian population in the areas under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority and to the Arab populations in the occupied Arab territories, including the Palestinians as well as the Syrian Arab population; Recognizing that the Palestinian people will have to make strenuous efforts to improve their health infrastructure, and taking note of the initiation of cooperation between the Israeli Ministry of Health and the
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Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority, which emphasizes that health development is best enhanced under conditions of peace and stability; Reaffirming the right of the Palestinian patients to be able to benefit from health facilities available in the Palestinian health institutions of occupied East Jerusalem; Recognizing the need for support and health assistance to the Arab populations in the areas under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority and in the occupied territories, including the occupied Syrian Golan; Having considered the report of the Director-General,1 1. EXPRESSES the hope that the peace talks will lead to the establishment of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East; 2. CALLS UPON Israel not to hamper the Palestinian health authorities in carrying out their full responsibility for the Palestinian people, including in occupied East Jerusalem, and to lift the closure imposed on the Palestinian territory; 3. EXPRESSES the hope that the Palestinian people, having assumed responsibility for their health services, will be able themselves to carry out health plans and projects in order to participate with the peoples of the world in achievement of WHO’ s objectives of health for all; 4. AFFIRMS the need to support the efforts of the Palestinian Authority in the field of health in order to enable it to develop its own health system so as to meet the needs of the Palestinian people in administering their own affairs and supervising their own health services; 5. URGES Member States, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations and regional organizations to provide speedy and generous assistance in the achievement of health development for the Palestinian people; 6. THANKS the Director-General for her report and efforts, and requests her: (1) to take urgent steps in cooperation with Member States to support the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to overcome the current difficulties, and in particular so as to guarantee free circulation of those responsible for health, of patients, of health workers and of emergency services, and the normal provision of medical goods to the Palestinian medical premises, including those in Jerusalem; (2) to continue to provide the necessary technical assistance to support health programmes and projects for the Palestinian people; (3) to take the necessary steps and make the contacts needed to obtain funding from various sources including extrabudgetary sources, to meet the urgent health needs of the Palestinian people; (4) to continue her efforts to implement the special health assistance programme and adapt it to the health needs of the Palestinian people, taking into account the health plan of the Palestinian people;
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Document A52/25.
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(5) to activate the organizational unit at WHO headquarters concerned with the health of the Palestinian people, and continue to provide health assistance so as to improve the health conditions of the Palestinian people; (6) to report on implementation of this resolution to the Fifty-third World Health Assembly;
7. EXPRESSES gratitude to all Member States, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations and calls upon them to provide the assistance needed to meet the health needs of the Palestinian people.
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