WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION FIFTY-SIXTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Provisional agenda item 12.1 A56/50 17 May 2003
Proposed programme budget for 2004-2005 Real Estate Fund Fourth report of the Administration, Budget and Finance Committee of the Executive Board to the Fifty-sixth World Health Assembly
1. The nineteenth meeting of the Administration, Budget and Finance Committee (ABFC) took place in Geneva on 15 May 2003 under the chairmanship of Dr A. A. Yoosuf (Maldives).
REAL ESTATE FUND 2. The Committee noted with appreciation the information provided1 and the additional details presented by the Director, Administration and Finance, Regional Office for Africa. 3. The Committee recognized that there had been a substantial increase in the number of Member States in the African Region since the current facilities were built some 25 years ago. It noted that there were no commercial facilities available locally that could accommodate the number of participants attending regional meetings, particularly sessions of the Regional Committee. Moreover, the number of staff working at the Regional Office had increased significantly since it moved to Harare in 1997. These considerations, together with the need to bring back the remaining staff from Harare, had led to the current proposal to increase the office and residential accommodation. The acquisition of 10 residences in the WHO compound area which were currently privately owned would in addition improve the security of the compound. 4. In response to a query about the way in which the project would be financed from real estate funding, it was confirmed that the proposed appropriation of US$ 6 million in the Proposed programme budget for 2004-2005 included a part of the project. The overall requirements of the Organization would be prioritized and, where appropriate, funding appropriated for the area of work Infrastructure and informatics services would also be used.
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Document A56/5.
A56/50
RECOMMENDATION TO THE HEALTH ASSEMBLY 5. The Committee recommended to the Fifty-sixth World Health Assembly adoption of the following resolution, as amended: The Fifty-sixth World Health Assembly, Having considered the report of the Director-General on the Real Estate Fund;1 Noting that the Regional Office for Africa has moved a substantial part of its operations back to the Regional Office in Brazzaville, but noting also that both office and staff accommodation is inadequate to meet the present and future needs of the regional office, AUTHORIZES the Director-General: (1) to proceed with the construction within the Djoué compound of both new office space to accommodate some 180 staff members and new conference facilities, including a conference room with capacity for 600 people and office amenities, at a total estimated cost of US$ 2 330 000, to be financed from the Real Estate Fund; (2) to proceed with the purchase and renovation of 10 new villas, together with the related acquisition of land, the construction of 24 apartments in two blocks of flats and of related facilities, and the refurbishment and extension of existing residential homes, at a total estimated cost of US$ 3 000 000, to be financed from the Real Estate Fund.
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Document A56/5.
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