AFR/RC57/INF.DOC/5 21 May 2007
REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AFRICA Fifty-seventh session Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 27–31 August 2007 Provisional agenda item 8.5
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
MEETING OF AFRICAN REGION DELEGATIONS TO THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Information document
CONTENTS Pages PROCEDURES ................................................................................................................................ 1–2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY ................................................................................................... 1 EXECUTIVE BOARD.................................................................................................................... 1
AFR/RC57/INF.DOC/5 Page 1
PROCEDURES In view of improving the implementation of the Terms of Reference of the Meeting of African Delegations to the World Health Assembly (AFR/RC56/INF.DOC/5, AFR/RC56/24 para 196–198) adopted by the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in its fifty-sixth session held in Addis Ababa in 2006, the Meeting of African Delegations to the Sixtieth World Health Assembly (2007) agreed to the following: 1. INTRODUCTION The above-mentioned Terms of Reference remain the guiding document in relation to the Meeting of African Delegations to the World Health Assembly (WHA) and the Executive Board (EB); 2. WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY (USUALLY IN MAY) 2.1 Based on the provisional agenda of the WHA, the Regional Director will provide technical briefings and propose assignment of agenda items to Member States by the end of March; The ministers of health or heads of delegations of assigned countries will send their draft statements to the Regional Director and African Union Group in Geneva by 15 April; By 20 April at the latest, the coordinator of the African Union Group in Geneva will facilitate meetings of Representatives of the African Region diplomatic missions to consider the proposed draft statements and proposals for amendment of resolutions, in consultation with their respective capitals and technical advice from the Regional Office; During the last week of April, the coordinator of the African Union Group in Geneva will visit the Regional Office to finalize the draft statements with technical support from the Regional Office; During the first week of May, the revised draft statements referring to the agenda items will be sent by the Regional Director to all the ministers of health of the African Region in two working languages (English and French); During the first coordination meeting, usually on the Saturday that precedes the opening of the WHA, and subsequent daily meetings of the African Delegations to the WHA, the ministers and heads of delegations will agree on the contents.
2.2 2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
3.
EXECUTIVE BOARD (JANUARY SESSION) 3.1 Based on the provisional agenda of the Executive Board (EB), the Regional Director will provide technical briefings and propose assignment of agenda items to the Member States by mid-October; The Members of the Executive Board or Alternates of assigned countries will send their draft statements to the Regional Director and African Union Group in Geneva by the end of October;
3.2
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3.3
During the first week of November, the coordinator of the African Union Group in Geneva will facilitate meetings of Representatives of the African Region diplomatic missions to consider the proposed draft statements and proposals for amendment of resolutions, in consultation with their respective capitals and technical advice from the Regional Office; During mid-November, the coordinator of the African Union Countries in Geneva will visit the Regional Office to finalize the draft statements with technical support from the Regional Office; During the first week of December, the revised draft statements referring to the agenda items will be sent by the Regional Director to the Executive Board Members with copies to all the ministers of health of the African Region in two working languages (English and French); During the first coordination meeting, usually on the Saturday that precedes the opening of the EB, and subsequent daily contacts, the Delegations of the African Region will agree on the contents of the statements on behalf of the African Region.
3.4
3.5
3.6