SIXT TY-FIFTH WORLD W HEA ALTH ASS SEMBLY Prov visional age enda item 2
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Report R t of the e Execu utive Board o on its 129th h, 130th h and special s l sessio ons
1. The Execut tive Board held its 129th h session on 25 2 May 2011 1, its special session on WHO W reform m from 1 to 3 No ovember 201 11, and its 130th sessi ion from 16 6 to 23 Jan nuary 2012. This report t summ marizes the main m outcome es.
129T TH SESSIO ON (25 MA AY 2011) 2. After exten nsive discuss sions on WH HO reforms s for a healt thy future, and a road map m for that t 1 Member Sta proce ess, the Exec cutive Board d decided to establish a transparent, t ate -driven and a inclusive e consu ultative process on WHO O reform (dec cision EB12 29(8)). As part of that pro ocess, the Bo oard decided d to hold a special session s in No ovember 201 11 (see below w). 3. The Board d noted rep ports on th he fourteenth h meeting of the Pro ogramme, Budget B and d Adm ministration Committee e, the Con nsultative Expert E Wor rking Grou up on Res search and d Deve elopment: Financing F an nd Coordina ation, imple ementation of o WHO’s p publications s policy, the e meth hod of work of the gover rning bodies s, and meetin ngs of two expert comm mittees. The Board 4. d decided to defer furthe er considera ation of ame endments to o the Staff Rules to its s 130th h session.
SPEC CIAL SESSION ON WHO W REF FORM (1–3 3 NOVEMB BER 2011) ) 5. The Board d had been convened s specifically in i order to consider W WHO reform m. Members s discu ussed: progra ammatic priorities, gove ernance and d managerial l reform. Th he Board ad dopted three e decisions that set out the next t steps of the reform proc cess (decision ns EBSS2(1) )–(3)). It dec cided that the e Mem mber State-dr riven proces ss would tak ke place after its 130th h session wi ith a view to t providing g recom mmendations s on methods for program amme and pr riority setting g for the con nsideration of o the Sixtyfifth World Heal lth Assembl ly in May 2 2012. It agreed to stren ngthen the P Programme, Budget and d Admi inistration Committee, C an nd requested d further anal lyses of way ys to improve e governance e. The Board d welco omed the Director-Gen D neral’s propo osals on managerial m re eforms, in particular the t strategic c alloca ation of reso ources, and requested th hat proposals s be taken forward f in s several areas s whereas in n other rs it urged ca aution before e actions wer re taken. The Board deci ided to proce eed with an independent t ess. evalu uation, condu ucted in a two o-stage proce
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And, where applicable, reg gional economic c integration organizations.
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130TH SE ESSION (16 6–23 JANU UARY 2012 2) 6. In ad dopting its ag genda, the Bo oard agreed to include a supplemen ntary agenda a item on “U United Nations Con nference on Sustainable Developmen D nt (Rio+20)”. 7. In he er report to th he Board, th he Director-G General hig ghlighted the recent atten ntion being paid p to inequality a as a threat to t social sta ability and w world securi ity, but poin nted out that t universal health h coverage w was a powerf ful equalizer r. In the pas st year, nonc communicable diseases, for example e, had been given priority at the highest levels, and WHO wou uld meet its obligations in that area a. The challenges facing public health an nd the broad der context required the e Organizati ion to chan nge its governance and manag gement, prog grammes and d approach to priority setting. s The Board note ed her report.
Technical and health h matters 8. The attention be eing given to t the globa al burden of f mental di isorders and d the need for a comprehens sive, coordin nated respons se from healt lth and social sectors at the country l level was ref flected in the subm mission of a draft reso olution adop pted after a wide-rangi ing discussi ion, as reso olution EB130.R8. The develo opment of a comprehen sive mental health actio on plan, in consultation n with Member Sta ates, with me easurable out tcomes, was requested. 9. The B Board, noting g a report on n the develop pment of the draft compr rehensive im mplementation n plan on materna al, infant an nd young child c nutriti ion as a crit tical compon nent of a glo obal multise ectoral nutrition fra amework, ind dicated that the t plan need ded further work. w In deci ision EB130( (2), it decide ed that further cons sultations on n the targets of o the implem mentation pl lan and on a draft resolu ution that had d been submitted t to the Boar rd would be e held befor re the draft implementa ation plan w was finalized d and submitted to o the Health h Assembly in i May 2012 2. The Board d also noted the report on n the nutriti ion of women in the precon nception per riod, during g pregnancy y and the breastfeedin b ng period, which aspects wou uld be covere ed in the con nsultative pro ocess. 10. The B Board further noted a rep port on early y marriages, , adolescent and young pregnancies. The Secretariat was develop ping guideli ines and po licy papers, and workin ng closely w with other United U Nations bod dies on ways to reduce pr roblems asso ociated with these t events. . 11. In discussing th he monitori ing of the achieveme ent of the health-rela ated Millen nnium Developme ent Goals, th he Board rec cognized tha at progress was w varied, and a that muc ch remained to be done. A discussion of post-2015 dev velopment go oals should be b led by Me ember States s and WHO would w work on th hem within the t United Nations N syste em. The Bo oard adopted resolution E EB130.R3, which w contained s strong suppo ort for the implementati i ion of the recommenda r ations of the e Commissio on on Information n and Accou untability for r Women’s a and Children n’s Health, and a of the in ndependent Expert E Review Gro oup. 12. In re esolution EB B130.R11 on o social d determinant ts of health h: outcome e of the World W Conference e on Social Determinan D nts of Health h, the Board recommende ed to the Hea alth Assemb bly the adoption of a resoluti ion that, int ter alia, end dorsed the Rio Politica al Declaratio on on the Social S Determinan nts of Health h, and reque ested that th hose determi inants be a priority of the WHO reform r process. 13. The Board con nsidered tw wo Secretari iat reports on the prevention and control of dopting reso noncommu unicable dise eases and a draft d resoluti ion proposed d by Member r States. In ad olution EB130.R7, the Board recommende ed to the H Health Assem mbly the ado option of a resolution on o the 2
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follow w-up to the High-level Meeting of the United Nations Ge eneral Assem mbly on the Prevention n and C Control of Non-commu N unicable Dis seases, which h, inter alia, urged Mem mber States to o implement t the P Political Decl laration of th hat high-lev el meeting and a requested the Direct tor-General to t develop a comp prehensive global monito oring framew work, includi ing indicator rs and recom mmendations s for a set of f volun ntary global targets t for th he prevention n and control of noncomm municable di diseases. It also requested d the Secretariat to elaborate an n action plan for the prev vention and control c of non ncommunica able diseases s for 20 013–2020. 14. Recognizin ng that agein ng was a maj jor contribut tory factor to o the rising in ncidence and d prevalence e of no oncommunica able diseases s, the Board adopted resolution EB130.R6. The r requests to the t DirectorGene eral included considering focusing Th he world heal lth report 20 014 on the glo obal status of o ageing. 15. The Board d took note of the rep port on the implementa ation of th he action pl lan for the e preve ention of av voidable blin ndness and v visual impa airment. As the current a action plan would w end in n 2013, it requested d the Directo or-General to o develop, th hrough a con nsultative pro ocess, a new w action plan n to cov ver the perio od 2014–2019 (decision E EB130(1)). 16. The Board noted the re eport on the Implement tation of the e Internation nal Health Regulations R s (2005 5), which would w be updated for it ts submissio on to the He ealth Assem mbly in May y 2012 with h inform mation on countries th hat were un nlikely to meet m the July 2012 dea adline, obsta acles to the e imple ementation of o the Regula ations and pla ans for overc coming them m. Several me embers of th he Board had d highl lighted the im mportance of f the Regulat tions in relati ion to global l mass gathe erings. After r considering g the im mplications and opportu unities of glo obal mass gatherings g fo or global hea alth security y, the Board d adopt ted decision n EB130(3), which requ uested the Secretariat, S inter i alia, to o develop multisectoral m l guida ance on the management m of such even nts. 17. The Board d welcomed d the work of the Pan ndemic Infl luenza Prep paredness Framework F k Advi isory Group p, and noted the t Secretaria at’s report. 18. Reflecting members’ continuing c c concerns abo out the risks s to complet eting the era adication of f polio omyelitis, the e Board adop pted resolutio on EB130.R R10, which re ecommended d to the Healt th Assembly y the a adoption of a resolution that declare ed the completion of poliovirus erad dication a pr rogrammatic c emerg gency for gl lobal public health. It urg ged, inter ali ia, that the financial f reso ources neede ed to the end d of 20 013 be made e available as a a matter o of urgency and a planning g be initiated d for the fin nal stages of f eradic cation. In that context, , it also req quested the Director-Ge eneral to fin nalize a com mprehensive e eradic cation and en ndgame strat tegy. 19. The Board took note of f the report o on the elimin nation of sch histosomiasi is and adopte ed resolution n EB13 30.R9. Coun ntries endemi ic for the dis sease were urged u to intensify interve entions, inclu uding taking g advan ntage of non n-health prog grammes to i improve the environmen nt. The Board rd recommen nded that the e Healt th Assembly y request the Director-G General to provide p guid dance on wh hen and how w to initiate e elimination camp paigns, and how to docum ment their suc ccess. 20. The Board d welcomed the update on the draf ft global vac ccine action n plan and the t strategic c direct tions, and looked l forw ward to its f finalization. In decision EB130(4), it called fo or increased d emph hasis on measles, with am mbitious imm munization co overage targe ets and meas sles eliminat tion goals in n the fi inal action pl lan, particula arly in view o of recent out tbreaks partly y caused by d diminished coverage. c
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21. Recognizing the contribution n of regional vaccination n weeks towa ards promoti ing immuniz zation, the Board a adopted resolution EB130.R12, whic ch recommen nded to the Health H Assem mbly the ado option of a resolut tion that req quested Mem mber States to designate e a World Immunizatio I on Week an nd the Director-Ge eneral to sup pport its an nnual implem mentation as s an overarc ching framew work for reg gional initiatives. 22. The Board too ok the advice of the Working Group of f Member States on n the d/counterfei Substandar rd/spurious/ /falsely-labe elled/falsified it medical products contained in i its report and a adopted reso olution EB130.R13. The d draft resolut tion recomme ended to the e Health Asse embly included a decision to establish a new n Membe er State mec chanism for international l collaboration on cts from a pu ublic health perspective and the goal l, objectives and terms o of reference of o this such produc mechanism. . 23. The B Board noted d the report of the Con sultative Ex xpert Work king Group on Research and Developmen nt: financing g and coordin nation. The W Working Gro oup’s final re eport would b be the subjec ct of a briefing and d informal co onsultations before b the H Health Assem mbly in May 2012. 2 24. The B Board adopte ed resolution n EB130.R14 4 on WHO’s s response, and a role as t the health cluster lead, in me eeting the growing g dem mands of he ealth in hum manitarian emergencies e s, which had d been proposed by y some 30 Member M States. The text re ecommended d to the Heal lth Assembly y the adoptio on of a resolution th that called on n the Directo or-General, i inter alia, to ensure the necessary n po olicies, guide elines, managemen nt structures and proces sses, includi ing a streng gthened orga anizational su surge capacit ty for effective ac ction at the country c level, as well as s the means for WHO to o discharge i its function as the Global Hea alth Cluster Lead L Agency, and to as ssume the ro ole of Health h Cluster Le ead Agency in the field. It call led on the Di irector-Gener ral to put into o operation the t Emergen ncy Response e Framework k. 25. In de ecision EB13 30(5), the Bo oard decided d to convene e informal discussions am mong the Me ember States on W WHO’s contri ibution to the e forthcomin ng deliberatio ons on the United Nation ns Conferen nce on Sustainable e Developm ment (Rio+20 0), in order t to ensure tha at health is discussed d ap ppropriately in the conference.
WHO refo orm 26. The B Board engag ged in extens sive debate o on the three areas of WH HO reform: p programme es and priority se etting, gover rnance and manageria al reforms. In the area of program mmes and pr riority setting, the Board agre eed (decision n EB130(6)) ) the scope of work an nd terms of reference fo or the Member Sta ate-driven pr rocess, decided on by the e Board at its s second special session (see paragra aph 5), and identifi ied the suppo ort to be provided by the e Secretariat. A meeting on that area a would be held h in late Februar ry 2012. The e Board also agreed that, following fe eedback from m Member St tates on any aspect a of governa ance and ma anagerial reforms, the Secretariat would subm mit a conso olidated docu ument covering all l elements of f WHO refor rm to the He ealth Assemb bly in May 2012. The Bo oard welcomed the offer of the External Au uditor to carr ry out stage one of an in ndependent evaluation e of f WHO befo ore the Health Asse embly in May M 2012, wi ith the suppo ort of the Office O of Inte ernal Oversi ight Services s. The Board man ndated its Programme, P Budget and d Administr ration Comm mittee to in nform the Health H Assembly in n May 2012 of the results of its own discussions on o reform at its sixteenth h meeting.
Nominatio on of the Director-Gen neral 27. The B Board nomin nated Dr Mar rgaret Chan f for the post of Director-General, for or a second te erm. It adopted resolution EB130.R4, there eby submittin ng the nomin nation to the World Heal lth Assembly y. The Board also a adopted reso olution EB13 30.R5 on the draft contrac ct of the Dire ector-Genera al. 4
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Staff fing matter rs 28. The Board adopted res solution EB1 130.R1, appo ointing Dr Ala Din Alwa an as Region nal Director r for th he Eastern Mediterran nean. In reso olution EB13 30.R2, it exp pressed gratit tude and app preciation to o Dr Hu ussein A. Ge ezairy for his s contribution n, as Region nal Director, to t the work o of WHO. 29. After sever ral members s acknowled dged the con ntribution of the Organiz zation’s staff ff, the Board d noted d the stateme ent of the re epresentativ e of the WH HO staff asso ociations. 30. The Board d noted the annual a repo ort on huma an resource es, including g the information on the e staffing profile, but b requested d, in the inter rests of transparency, mo ore precise in nformation on n the overall l work kforce. 31. he report of t the Internat tional Civil Service S Com mmission. The Board also noted th
32. In resolutio on EB130.R1 15, the Board d confirmed amendments to the Sta aff Rules concerning the e remu uneration of staff s in the pr rofessional a and higher ca ategories. 33. In resoluti ion EB130.R16, the B Board recom mmended th hat the Hea alth Assemb bly note its s recom mmendations s regarding the t remuner ration of bo oth staff in ungraded p posts and th he DirectorGene eral, and esta ablished thos se salaries wi ith effect fro om 1 January y 2012.
Man nagement matters m 34. The Board took note of f the report o of the Work king Group on o the Proc cess and Met thods of the e Elect tion of the Director-Gen D neral of the e World Hea alth Organiz zation, and w with decision EB130(7), , agree ed that a furt ther session of the Work rking Group should be convened c in order to fur rther explore e discu ussed proposa als and finali ize its work a ahead of the Health Asse embly in May y 2012. 35. Regarding membership p of the Inde ependent Ex xpert Oversi ight Advisor tee (decision n ry Committ EB13 30(15)), the Board B agreed d to delegate e authority to o its Officers s, provisiona ally until its next n session, , to rep place the two o members of the Commi ittee whose term t of office had expire ed with two candidates c to o be pr roposed by th he Director-G General, on t the understan nding that th hose nominat tions would be approved d finall ly by the Boa ard at its 131st session. on Nongo 36. Having considered the t report of its Standing Committee C overnmental l Orga anizations, the Board adopted res solution EB B130.R17 on n relations with nongovernmental l organ nizations, ad dmitting fou ur such bod dies into official o relations: the In nternational Society of f Neph hrology, the World Hepa atitis Allianc ce, the Intern national Spinal Cord So ociety and th he Handicap p Intern national Fe ederation. Official O rela ations with three non ngovernment tal organiza ations were e disco ontinued. Aft ter review of o a third of all nongove ernmental or rganizations in official relations, r the e Board d agreed a se eries of actions, set out in n decision EB B130(8). 37. Following the reports of its comm mittees of sel lection panel ls on founda ations and awards, the e Board d decided to award six pr rizes (decisio ons EB130(9 9)–(14)). 38. In decision n EB130(16) ), the Board approved th he amended provisional l agenda for the Sixtyfifth World Hea alth Assemb bly, and in decision EB B130(17), ag greed that th he 131st ses ssion of the e Executive Board d would be held in Genev va on 28 and 29 May 2012.
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Matters fo or informat tion 39. The B Board took note n of the re eports on mee etings of fou ur expert com mmittees and study group ps, and on expert ad dvisory pane els and comm mittees and th heir members ship. 40. The B Board also took t note of f progress m made in im mplementing resolutions s in the follo owing areas: healt th system st trengthening; WHO’s r role and responsibilitie es in health research; global g strategy an nd plan of action on public p healt th, innovation and inte ellectual pro operty; sma allpox eradication n: destructio on of variola virus stoc cks; eradica ation of drac cunculiasis; ; Chagas dis sease: control an nd eliminat tion; viral hepatitis; prevention n and cont trol of mu ultidrug-resistant tuberculosi is and exten nsively drug g-resistant t tuberculosis s; cholera: mechanisms m s for contro ol and prevention; control of o human African try ypanosomia asis; global health sec ctor strateg gy on HIV/AIDS, , 2011–2015; preventi ion and co ontrol of sexually tra ansmitted in nfections: global g strategy; reproductiv ve health: strategy t to accelera ate progres ss towards s attainmen nt of internation nal developm ment goals and a targets ; advancing g food safety y initiatives s; climate ch hange and health; ; and partne erships.
Resolution ns 41. At it ts 130th ses ssion, the Board B adopte ed 17 resolutions. The financial a and administ trative implications s for the Sec cretariat of re esolutions pr roposed for adoption a by the t Executiv ve Board or Health H Assembly a as stated in th he costing do ocuments tha at accompan ny the draft resolutions r am mounted to a cost of US$ 1068 million for the bienni ium 2012–20 013. Of that projected cost, about US S$ 679 millio on was considered to be not ye ctivities plan et included within w the ac nned in the approved Pr rogramme bu udget. Most of th he reports on n the financ cial implicati ions of the programme activities re resulting from m the resolutions adopted by the Board at a its 130th session stat ted that volu untary contri ibutions wou uld be needed for i implementation.
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