Sixty-fourth Regional Committee for Europe: Copenhagen, 15–18 September 2014: a country focus for the WHO Regional Office for Europe

REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR EUROPE 64th SESSION Copenhagen, Denmark, 15–18 September 2014 A country focus for the WHO Regional Office for Europe Technical briefing Tuesday, 16 September 2014, 13:00 © WHO © WHO WORLD HEALTH OR GANIZAT ION REGIONAL OFF ICE FOR EUROPE UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Telephone: +45 45 33 70 00 Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: governance@euro.who.int Web: http://www.euro.who.int/en/who-we-are/governance Regional Committee for Europe EUR/RC64/TD/3 64th session Copenhagen, Denmark, 15–18 September 2014 9 September 2014 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Technical briefing, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 13:00–14:20 A country focus for the WHO Regional Office for Europe Background The 62nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC62) recommended that a new country strategy for the WHO Regional Office for Europe be prepared and presented to RC64, when discussions on WHO reform at the global level were completed. Resolution EUR/RC62/R7, “A country strategy for the WHO Regional Office for Europe 2012–2014,” recommended that a flexible, more effective approach to country work, as discussed at RC62, should place greater emphasis on new initiatives, such as country cooperation strategies. In accordance with the recommendations in resolution EUR/RC62/R7, the Twenty-first Standing Committee of the Regional Committee for Europe (SCRC), at its first session in September 2013, commenced the preparations for a new country strategy. An informal working group was established by the Secretariat to assist in the development of a concept note outlining the format of the new country strategy, which was prepared in time for consideration at the second session of the Twenty-first SCRC in December 2013. The working group comprised eight members from different Member States, three of whom were SCRC members. Given the fact that the global country focus strategy being developed by WHO headquarters is still under discussion, the members of the informal working group and the SCRC agreed that the new country strategy for the WHO European Region should not be presented to RC64. The informal working group further recommended that during RC64 a technical briefing be held on this topic. Scope and purpose The main objectives of this technical briefing are:  to provide an overview of the country work of the WHO Regional Office for Europe;  to provide clarification about how country-specific work differs from intercountry work;  to highlight the ways of working with, for and in countries through country offices and with Member States that do not have a WHO country presence;  to clarify the roles and responsibilities of small and medium-sized country offices in the WHO European Region and country offices with WHO representatives; EUR/RC64/TD/3 page 2  to outline the tools and mechanisms commonly used to collaborate with Member States, such as biennial collaborative agreements, country cooperation strategies and partnership agreements;  to clarify how Member States can best utilize the expertise and information available to them through the Regional Office;  to report on progress achieved in implementing resolution EUR/RC62/R7. Agenda  Introduction of the session [Chairperson]  Presentation on key points of country strategy implementation in the context of resolution EUR/RC62/R7 and progress on country work [Lucianne Licari]  Role and responsibilities of small liaison country offices [Marijan Ivanusa]  Role of medium-sized country offices [Haris Hajrulahovic]  Work of large country offices with a WHO Representative [Melita Vujnovic]  Role of Strategic Relations with Countries unit [Batyr Berkdyklychev]  Open discussion  Conclusion [Chairperson] Format The session will begin with a presentation on progress made on country strategy implementation in the context of resolution EUR/RC62/R7. This will be followed by presentations by three heads of WHO country offices, who will give an overview of their work at country level and the opportunities and challenges thereof. The final part of the presentation will be a brief introduction of the Strategic Relations with Countries unit and its role in coordinating the work between the Regional Office and the country offices. Total presentation time will be approximately 30 minutes. After the presentation, the floor will be opened for questions, comments and general discussion. = = =