The Fifty-Seventh Meeting of the Regional Director with the WHO Representatives, Opening Remarks, 28 November - 3 December 2005, WHO/SEARO, New Delhi, India

Opening Remarks By Dr Samlee Plianbangchang Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia at The Fifty-Seventh Meeting of the Regional Director with the WHO Representatives WHO/SEARO 28 November – 3 December 2005 The Fifty-Seventh Meeting of the Regional Director with the WHO Representatives 28 November – 3 December 2005 WHO/SEARO Opening Remarks by DR SAMLEE PLIANBANGCHANG REGIONAL DIRECTOR, WHO SOUTH-EAST ASIA WHO Representatives, WHO/SEARO staff members, Ladies and gentlemen. • I warmly welcome you all to the 57th meeting of the Regional Director with the WHO Representatives. • This is our most important internal meeting. • It is time for close dialogue and interaction between WRs and the Regional Office staff. • Instead of following the traditional ways of organizing and conducting the meeting, we have made a change in its agenda and programme. • The agenda consists of four main substantive items; these are: - Review of actions taken on the conclusions and recommendations of the last meeting; - Presentation and discussion on the reports of WRs; - Presentation and discussion on the work of various departments and units; and - Conclusions and recommendations of the meeting. 2 • I hope this new arrangement would lead to a more effective dialogue and interaction among us. • And this would lead to a closer and more collegial working relationship between the country offices and the Regional Office. • Colleagues, 2005 has been a year of hard work for us. • We have faced a number of daunting challenges: - Earthquake and tsunami at the end of last year; - Persistent presence of Avian Influenza with human cases in two countries of the Region; - Severe floods in India; and the resurgence of polio in Indonesia. • These are in addition to the emerging situations in some countries, which made our collaboration with them more difficult. • However, with understanding, patience and a tactful approach, especially of WRs, we have come through these difficulties successfully. • I am very thankful to the staff members, particularly WRs, for their hard work throughout the year. • Our dialogues in the specific areas of work will continue; and, certainly, we will face new and emerging challenges. • We have to be well prepared to face them squarely and courageously in the years to come. • Now, let us look at the WHO biennial programme budget, which is our main tool for collaboration with the Member States. • We have already concluded and finalized the workplans for execution of the programme budget for 2006-2007 biennium. 3 • There is need now for very good preparation to implement these workplans, so that, right from the first of January next year, financial obligation can be effected and activities started without delay. • Please keep in mind that from the next biennium onward, there will be no carry over of the unliquidated obligation. • All activities in the workplans will have to be completed and funds liquidated by the end of the biennium concerned. • Otherwise, the budget balance, after liquidation will lapse. • In connection with the workplans, I would like to specifically touch on Multicountry Activities (MCA). • These activities are not compulsory, they are voluntary. • The decision to have or not to have these activities is with the WRs and concerned national authorities in the individual countries. • Let MCA depend entirely on the spirit and will at the country level to get involved in intercountry cooperation. • There should not be any imposition from the regional level. Ladies and gentlemen, • Now, let me touch on an important issue relating to the regional budget. • A decade ago, not less than 80 per cent of our budget came from assessed contributions; this was what we called the Regular Budget. • The rest, which was only a small portion, came from extrabudgetary sources or voluntary contributions. • Today, this ratio is reversed. 4 • For the 2006-2007 biennium, the assessed contributions or Regular Budget is only 28 per cent, the rest comes from voluntary contributions. • As we are aware, only the assessed contributions are available for use from the beginning of the biennium. • And these funds are used to finance most of the staff posts. • Only a small sum of voluntary contributions will be available through transfer from the previous biennium. • For the forthcoming biennium, almost all voluntary contributions are yet to be mobilized. • Therefore, resource mobilization will have to be the main priority activity of all technical units. • We already know that at the Regional Office, the assessed contributions are not enough, even just to finance the core staff posts, or to maintain the routine operation of the Office. • Not to talk about financing regional or intercountry programme activities. • All departments and units now have to prepare and implement vigorously their strategies and plans for resource mobilization. • They have to work closely with their counterparts at HQ; to identify funding agencies and explore voluntary contributions from them. • This has to be done quickly without delay, if we are going to fully implement activities supported from EB funds as reflected in the workplans. • Coordination of resource mobilization is under the responsibility of DRD/ERO. • They are ready to help departments and units in facilitating the process to mobilize extrabudgetary resources. 5 • Voluntary contributions are also very important for WHO collaboration with the individual countries. • Resource mobilization at the country level should also be given high priority. • WRs and their offices have to move in equal pace to mobilize EB funds to support WHO country activities. • Colleagues, with the reversing trend in budgetary components (much less Regular Budget, much more extrabdugetary funds); • We are compelled to reform the way we manage the available resources. • We have to be much more efficient and effective than before in managing our work. • We have to try to get more from less; to get the most from what is already available. • We have to be fully transparent, and ensure full responsibility and accountability in utilizing the resources. • Very important, we have to ensure that the countries will benefit from the work of WHO in tangible and measurable terms. • We have to ensure that we can help countries reduce health problems and raise the health status of their populations. • Please devise effective tools to measure our achievements in this regard. • At least, we should monitor regularly various morbidity and mortality trends in the individual countries. • In the years to come, we will give priority attention to monitoring, evaluation and oversight of our work. • This is to ensure our efficiency and effectiveness. 6 • We will have to quickly identify deficiencies and shortfalls in the process of our operations, and rectify them without delay. • I liberally delegated authority to WRs and Department Directors. • This was with the view to help facilitate efficient execution of their decentralized responsibilities and resources. • I hope that this authority would be used responsibly and accountably. • Please keep in mind that the decision to delegate authority is not static or permanent. • If it is warranted, more authority may be delegated, such as in an emergency. • And, if it is indicated at any point in time, such a decision may have to be reversed. • Colleagues, during the 2004-2005 biennium, we were faced with a budget deficit of 3.5 million US Dollars. • Certain economy measures have been put in place for some time already to curtail unnecessary or unproductive activities. • This is with the view to balancing the overall budget at the end of the biennium. • For 2006-2007, in spite of a small increase in the Regular Budget, we expect to have a budget deficit of about 4.5 million US Dollars. • This is due mainly to the cost increase from inflation; and due to a statutory increase in the staff cost. • This time, we have to start implementing, the economy measures, from the beginning of the biennium. • This will be done in a more elaborate and systematic manner. • DAF group will explain to you these measures in detail. 7 • I expect cooperation from everyone of you in enforcing these measures in the process of our programme implementation. • The projected budget deficit at the beginning of the biennium, and the applications of economy measures during the course of programme implementation are not new in the Organization. • During the 1990s, the whole Organization had faced this budgetary problem for several biennia. • However, we could successfully overcome the problem by implementing economy measures. • To offset the budgetary deficit is the total responsibility of both the Regional Office and country offices. • We have to work together toward this end. • As we are aware, work of the Regional Office is entirely in support of WHO activities in countries. • Starting from the ensuing biennium, more staff support from the Regional Office to countries will be needed. • The Regional Office will have to be ready to respond to the increasing demand for such support. • Now, let me briefly touch on staffing at WHO country offices. • As all of us are aware, the countries do not want to see many staff members at the WHO country offices; • Especially those whose posts are financed from the Regular Budget. • Furthermore, the countries do not want to see the WHO Country Offices operating under the high ratio of expenditure from the Regular Budget. 8 • They always voice their concern with this issue at the Regional Committee session every year. • And they always request for streamlining of the operation of WHO country offices. • We are now in the process of studying the issue. • There is a plan to move forward in this regard, case by case. • We talked about a global standard framework for WHO presence in countries, including staffing of the WHO country offices. • But nothing has come out for practice yet. • Furthermore, it might be impractical, to implement such a global framework across the board worldwide. • The best, therefore, is to look at the individual cases within the context of specific country situations; • And to apply pragmatic approaches, case by case. • As already mentioned, our work in future will rely more and more on voluntary contributions. • Both country offices and the Regional Office should have workable strategies to ensure strengthening of our own infrastructure. • This may be done in the process of implementing the programmes supported with EB funds. • The strengthening should also include staffing to support such programme implementation. • This is in addition to strengthening the capacity of the countries’ health systems. • Additionally, we should earnestly negotiate with the funding agencies for funds to finance the staff posts under the collaborative areas. 9 • Whatever the situation, the Regional Office will have to be responsible for the staff and other support to countries. • Therefore, close and cordial working relationship between the two levels is very important indeed. • Communication between Country Offices and the Regional Office must always be kept open for constant dialogue. • Regional Office must be the first source of support, to which country offices will have to resort. • Country Offices should not seek help from outside the Region without consulting the Regional Office. Ladies and Gentlemen, • We have a heavy programme for our meeting. • I request all staff members to attend every session of the meeting throughout. • Just to emphasize that all Directors and staff members are also expected to attend every presentation and discussion on the work of individual departments and units. • Before concluding, I would like to inform all that next year, the Health Ministers’ Meeting and the Regional Committee session will be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. • The Joint inauguration of the two meetings will take place on Sunday 20 August, (August, not September). • This will be followed by the two meetings until 26 August. • According to the Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee, all working documents must be despatched to country representatives six weeks before the commencement of the session. 10 • With this in view, therefore, HSM and the meeting of CCPDM will have to be convened between 12 and 16 June. • As I have already mentioned, these two meetings, the Health Secretaries’ and CCPDM meetings, will take place at the Regional Office; and all WRs are expected to attend. • Please block the dates in your next year’s programme accordingly. • Colleagues, finally, I look forward to our productive deliberations during the course of this meeting. • And, I wish all of you, all success in your interactions and discussions. • Thank you.