WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONAL OFFICE FOR AFRICA
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE BUREAU REGIONAL DE L'AFRIQUE
ORGANIZAÇÃO MUNDIAL DE SAÚDE ESCRITORIO REGIONAL AFRICANO
REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AFRICA Fiftv-second session Harare, Zimbabwe, 8–12 October 2002 Provisional agenda item 14
AFR/RC52/17 9 May 2002 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
DATES AND PLACES OF THE FIFTY-THIRD AND FIFTY-FOURTH SESSIONS OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE 1. In accordance with Article 4 of the Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee and Procedural Decision No. 10 of the fifty-first session of the Committee, the Regional Committee will take a decision on the venue of the fifty-third session at its fifty-second session. In this regard, the venue of the fifty-third session of the Regional Committee would be the Regional Office unless a Member State offers to host the meeting. The venue of the fifty-fourth session will be determined at the fiftythird session of the Regional Committee in 2003. 2. As regards Member States' requests to host the Regional Committee, it should be noted that the cost of holding the session outside the Regional Office is high. Furthermore, by virtue of resolution AFR/RC41/R13, the additional costs of hosting the Regional Committee in a country other than that of the Regional Office shall be fully borne by the host country. 3. Should a Member State wish to host a Regional Committee meeting, an agreement is drawn up between the host country's Government and the Organization, covering the following items which are required for the holding of the session: (a) (b) premises, furniture and equipment, including interpretation equipment, required for the Regional Committee' s work; lighting equipment, including 'maintenance, electric power supply and ventilation of the premises;
(e) staff for maintenance, cleaning and surveillance of the premises, installations, equipment and supplies; (d) postal and telephone services, together with radio and television coverage essential for the efficient and proper coverage of the Regional Committee' s proceedings; (e) accommodation and travel expenses for persons authorized to attend the meeting; (f) vehicles for transporting Member States' representatives, members of the WHO secretariat, equipment, supplies and documents; (g) national currency at the best rate of exchange and in the amount needed to meet the Organization' s expenses in the host country. 4. The Regional Director deems it expedient to draw the attention of Member States to the need to give full consideration to these commitments, especially given the present financial difficulties.