REGIONAL COMMITTEE Sixty-second Session Kathmandu, Nepal 7–10 September 2009
Provisional Agenda item 15.2 SEA/RC62/22 16 July 2009
SPECIAL PROGRAMMES: UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/WORLD BANK SPECIAL PROGRAMME FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN HUMAN REPRODUCTION: POLICY AND COORDINATION COMMITTEE (PCC): REPORT ON ATTENDANCE AT PCC IN 2009 AND NOMINATION OF A MEMBER IN PLACE OF MYANMAR WHOSE TERM EXPIRES ON 31 DECEMBER 2009 The Policy and Coordination Committee (PCC) acts as the governing body of the Special Programme for Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction. The last PCC meeting was held from 18 to 19 June 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. Its report was presented to the High-Level Preparatory (HLP) Meeting. At present, there are three Member States from the South-East Asia Region (Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka) that are members of the PCC. Since the term of office of Myanmar ends on 31 December 2009, the HLP Meeting was requested to recommend the election of one of the Member States of the Region to serve on the PCC for a three-year term of office from 1 January 2010. The attached working paper and report of the PCC were submitted to the HLP Meeting. The HLP Meeting proposed to the Sixty-second Session of the Regional Committee for consideration and decision that Thailand be elected as the Member State from the SEA Region in the PCC in place of Myanmar whose term expires in December 2009. The paper is now submitted to the Sixty-second Session of the Regional Committee for noting the report of the PCC meeting, and for its decision on the HLP meeting’s recommendation.
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Background 1. The Policy and Coordination Committee (PCC) of the Special Programme for Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction acts as the governing body of the Special Programme and is responsible for its overall policy and strategy. For the purpose of coordinating the interests and responsibilities of the parties cooperating in the Special Programme, it: • •
reviews and decides upon the planning and execution of the Special Programme; reviews and approves the plan of action and budget for the coming financial period prepared by the Executing Agency and reviewed by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) and the Standing Committee; reviews the proposals of the Standing Committee and approves arrangements for the financing of the Special Programme; reviews the proposed longer-term plans of action and their financial implications; reviews the annual financial statements submitted by the Executing Agency, and the audit report thereon, submitted by the External Auditor of the Executing Agency; reviews periodic reports that will evaluate the progress of the Special Programme towards the achievement of its objectives; reviews and endorses the selection of members of STAG by the Executing Agency in consultation with the Standing Committee; and considers such other matters relating to the Special Programme as may be referred to it by any Cooperating Party.
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Composition 2. The PCC consists of members from among the Cooperating Parties as follows (Annex 1): (1) Largest financial contributors: eleven government representatives from countries that are the largest financial contributors to the Special Programme, including India and Thailand. Countries elected by WHO regional committees: fourteen Member states elected by the WHO regional committees for three-year terms according to population distribution and regional needs. Three countries representing the South-East Asia Region under this category are Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. In their election, due account is taken of a country's financial and/or technical support to the Special Programme, as well as its interest in the fields of family planning, and research and development in human reproduction and fertility regulation, as demonstrated by national policies and programmes. Other interested Cooperating Parties: two members elected by PCC for three-year terms from the remaining Cooperating Parties. Permanent members: the cosponsors of the Special Programme viz., UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, The World Bank and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Members of PCC in Categories 2 and 3 may be re-elected. Observers: other Cooperating Parties may be represented as observers upon approval of the Executing Agency, which is the World Health Organization, after consultation with the Standing Committee. Observers may attend sessions of PCC at their own expense.
(2)
(3) (4)
(5)
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Action to be taken by the Regional Committee Report on the PCC Session 3. The Regional Committee, at its earlier session, recommended that the PCC members elected by it should report to the Regional Committee giving a summary of the deliberation of the last PCC session attended by them. The report of the PCC Meeting held on 18-19 June 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland is being presented to the High-Level Preparatory (HLP) Meeting for noting (Annex 2).
Membership from the South-East Asia Region under Category 2 4. The following table depicts the membership of PCC from the South-East Asia Region over the past few years. Country Bangladesh Period 1987-1989 1990-1992 2000-2002 2006-2008 1988-1989 1990-1991 1993-1995 1996-1998 1999-2001 2002-2004 1992-1994 1995-1997 1998-2000 2001-2003 2008-2010 2007-2009 1989-1991 2000-2002 2005-2007 1988-1990 1994-1996 2004-2006 2009-2011 1988-1990 1991-1993 1997-1999 2003-2005 Elected by Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee PCC PCC Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee PCC Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee PCC Regional Committee Regional Committee Regional Committee Paragraph of the Memorandum on the administrative structure under which elected 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.1 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.2 2.2.2 2.2.2
India
Indonesia
Myanmar Nepal
Sri Lanka
Thailand
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5. At present, the three Member states from the South-East Asia Region that are members of PCC are Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Since the term of office of Myanmar ends on 31 December 2009, the High-Level Preparatory (HLP) Meeting may consider recommending the election, in this session, of one of the Member States of the Region to serve on the PCC for a three-year term of office from 1 January 2010. The recommendation of the HLP Meeting will be submitted to the Sixty-second Session of the Regional Committee for consideration. 6. In selecting a Member State, the HLP Meeting may keep in view that due account should be taken of a country's financial and/or technical support to the Special Programme, as well as its interest in the fields of family planning, and research and development in human reproduction and fertility regulation, as demonstrated by the national policies and programmes.
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Annex 1 Category 1 – Largest financial contributors in the previous biennium Canada China Flemish Government, Belgium France India Netherlands Norway Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Category 2 – Countries elected by the WHO Regional Committees Argentina Eritrea Ethopia Ghana Guinea Indonesia Iraq Japan Mexico Mongolia Myanmar Republic of Korea Sri Lanka Ukraine Category 3 – Other interested Cooperating Parties Niger Russian Federation Category 4 – Permanent members UNDP UNFPA WHO The World Bank IPPF ) ) ) )
Cosponsors
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Annex 2 REPORT OF THE TWENTY-SECOND POLICY AND COORDINATION COMMITTEE MEETING UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme for Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, WHO, Geneva, 18-19 June 2009 At its Twenty-second Meeting, held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 18-19 June 2009, the Policy and Coordination Committee (PCC) of the UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme for Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (“the Programme") made the following statements and recommendations. Report by the Assistant Director-General, WHO Family and Community Health Cluster •
HIGHLIGHTED the unique opportunity that the heightened political commitment to the MDGs, and especially to MDG 5 "to improve maternal health", represents to reposition reproductive health. RECOMMENDED that WHO reflects its priority to the area of work on sexual and reproductive health by increasing its allocation of budget to this area. WELCOMED the commitment made by the heads of the UN H4 (UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO and The World Bank) initiative to work together to enhance support to countries to achieve the two MDG5 targets, including scaling up quality health services to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health. REAFFIRMED the need to develop mechanisms for ensuring that the adapted national guidelines are actually used to help scale up new evidence-based models/technologies, including those from developing countries, and improve service delivery. ENCOURAGED the Programme to increase its support to studies addressing issues related to the demand side of, and the users' perspectives on, sexual and reproductive health service-provision as well as other health systems' issues. EMPHASIZED the need to build on the current indicators framework to develop more practical tools for monitoring progress in countries and guiding the measurement of the achievement of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health, including strengthening national health information systems. NOTED the recommendation by the Honourable Minister of Health, Nigeria, on the importance of conducting research on the demand side of sexual and reproductive health services in order to design programmes that meet the needs of local communities. NOTED the importance of local research capacity in informing national policy and guidelines. REAFFIRMED the importance of advocacy on the prevention of unsafe abortion, particularly in the context of reducing maternal mortality.
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Director’s Report on Special Programme Activities •
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Technical Presentation •
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It was agreed to hold the Twenty-third meeting of the PCC on 24-25 June 2010 in Geneva.