WO R L D H EAL T H O RG AN I Z AT IO N R EG I ON AL O F F I C E FO R EU R O PE UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Telephone: +45 45 33 70 00 Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: eugovernance@who.int Web: http://www.euro.who.int/en/who-we-are/governance Regional Committee for Europe EUR/RC71/CONF./9 Rev.1 71st session Virtual session, 13–15 September 2021 9 September 2021 210905 Provisional agenda item 9 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Draft resolution WHO sustainable financing in the European Region Proposed by the Twenty-eighth Standing Committee of the Regional Committee for Europe The Regional Committee, Acknowledging the importance of health for ensuring global, regional and national sustainable social and economic development; Recognizing that the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) and its Member States have a vital role in dealing with health emergencies and achieving universal health coverage and health equity, which are prerequisites for future resilience; Recognizing the need for a global, coherent and coordinated approach to health issues, including health emergencies, at all three levels of WHO; Noting that the increase in the WHO programme budget over time without a proportionate increase in corporate flexible funding, including assessed contributions, has led to an increased share of and reliance on voluntary contributions and to the persistence of underfunded areas of work within the programme budget, including core emergencies functions; EUR/RC71/CONF./9 Rev.1 page 2 Noting that, despite a significant number of European Member States being among the top contributors to WHO globally, many of them provide little or no voluntary contribution to the WHO/Europe; Acknowledging that WHO/Europe has made significant efforts to garner voluntary contributions, including most recently through the development of a resource mobilization strategy and of a WHO/Europe “investment case”; 1. URGES Member States: (a) to continue to engage with and contribute to the work of the WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing (EB148/PSR/13); (b) to ensure that the sustainable financing of WHO encompasses all three levels of the Organization, including WHO/Europe, and that discussions include the question of resource allocation across WHO major offices; (c) to explore options to improve the financial sustainability of WHO through various funding types, including a justified increase in assessed contributions based on countries’ capacities, and greater flexibility in the use of voluntary contributions; (d) to explore ways to increase support for WHO/Europe, including by increasing voluntary contributions from ministries of health and other agencies; and (e) to take stock after the 150th session of the WHO Executive Board (and the presentation of recommendations by the WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing) and decide on the way forward at the 72nd session of the Regional Committee; 2. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to continue making efforts to ensure that WHO/Europe is adequately funded to fulfil its mandate, with a focus on the implementation of the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025; (b) to sustain WHO/Europe’s efforts to improve financial management and accountability, systematically implement a value-for-money approach to the use EUR/RC71/CONF./9 Rev.1 page 3 of financial resources, and communicate and demonstrate outcomes transparently to Member States; (c) to ensure that the work of WHO/Europe is better communicated to, visible to and well understood by Member States and relevant partners, including potential resource partners, with clear demonstrations of impact and added value; (d) to ensure that the resource mobilization approaches of WHO/Europe and WHO headquarters are aligned and that agreed principles for distribution of resources remain a central objective of this approach; and (e) to ensure that Member States are duly provided with the necessary budgetary information, costing of functions, explanations of spending, and envisioned cost savings and efficiency gains. = = =
WO R L D H EAL T H O RG AN I Z AT IO N R EG I ON AL O F F I C E FO R EU R O PE UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Telephone: +45 45 33 70 00 Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: eugovernance@who.int Web: http://www.euro.who.int/en/who-we-are/governance Regional Committee for Europe EUR/RC71/CONF./9 Rev.1 71st session Virtual session, 13–15 September 2021 9 September 2021 210905 Provisional agenda item 9 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Draft resolution WHO sustainable financing in the European Region Proposed by the Twenty-eighth Standing Committee of the Regional Committee for Europe The Regional Committee, Acknowledging the importance of health for ensuring global, regional and national sustainable social and economic development; Recognizing that the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) and its Member States have a vital role in dealing with health emergencies and achieving universal health coverage and health equity, which are prerequisites for future resilience; Recognizing the need for a global, coherent and coordinated approach to health issues, including health emergencies, at all three levels of WHO; Noting that the increase in the WHO programme budget over time without a proportionate increase in corporate flexible funding, including assessed contributions, has led to an increased share of and reliance on voluntary contributions and to the persistence of underfunded areas of work within the programme budget, including core emergencies functions; EUR/RC71/CONF./9 Rev.1 page 2 Noting that, despite a significant number of European Member States being among the top contributors to WHO globally, many of them provide little or no voluntary contribution to the WHO/Europe; Acknowledging that WHO/Europe has made significant efforts to garner voluntary contributions, including most recently through the development of a resource mobilization strategy and of a WHO/Europe “investment case”; 1. URGES Member States: (a) to continue to engage with and contribute to the work of the WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing (EB148/PSR/13); (b) to ensure that the sustainable financing of WHO encompasses all three levels of the Organization, including WHO/Europe, and that discussions include the question of resource allocation across WHO major offices; (c) to explore options to improve the financial sustainability of WHO through various funding types, including a justified increase in assessed contributions based on countries’ capacities, and greater flexibility in the use of voluntary contributions; (d) to explore ways to increase support for WHO/Europe, including by increasing voluntary contributions from ministries of health and other agencies; and (e) to take stock after the 150th session of the WHO Executive Board (and the presentation of recommendations by the WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing) and decide on the way forward at the 72nd session of the Regional Committee; 2. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to continue making efforts to ensure that WHO/Europe is adequately funded to fulfil its mandate, with a focus on the implementation of the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025; (b) to sustain WHO/Europe’s efforts to improve financial management and accountability, systematically implement a value-for-money approach to the use EUR/RC71/CONF./9 Rev.1 page 3 of financial resources, and communicate and demonstrate outcomes transparently to Member States; (c) to ensure that the work of WHO/Europe is better communicated to, visible to and well understood by Member States and relevant partners, including potential resource partners, with clear demonstrations of impact and added value; (d) to ensure that the resource mobilization approaches of WHO/Europe and WHO headquarters are aligned and that agreed principles for distribution of resources remain a central objective of this approach; and (e) to ensure that Member States are duly provided with the necessary budgetary information, costing of functions, explanations of spending, and envisioned cost savings and efficiency gains. = = =