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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONO.ALE , DE LA SANTE
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC BUREAU RtGIONAl DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
REGIONAL COMMITTEE Twenty-ninth session Manila 21 to 25 August 1978 Provisional agenda item 19
WPR/RC29/l6 22 June 1978 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
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INTERPRETATION OF THE HOST AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 1. At the twenty-eighth session the Regional Committee considered document WPR/RC28/13. The document drew attention to the unilateral reinterpretation by the Government of the Philippines of one section of the Host Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the World Health Organization. The point at issue is that an international treaty which had been interpreted in one way for twenty-five years was, without notice or discussion, reinterpreted in a different way. 2. The Committee, after considering document WPR/RC28/l3, adopted resolution WPR/RC28.R5 which expressed the hope that the Government of the Philippines would reexamine the interpretation of arid, if necessary. renegotiate the section concerned, Section 22(g). The Regional Director was also requested to transmit the text of the resolution and the summary record of the discussion during the session to the Director-General for the information of the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly. 3. At the sixty-first session of the Executive Board in January 1978 'the Board's attention was drawn to document EB6l/l3 Add. 1 presented by the Director-General which contained the resolution adopted by the Regional Committee, together with extracts of the summary record of the Committee's discussions on the subject. At that time, the Regional Director was able to report to the Board that a communication had just been received from the Government of the Philippines to the effect that it would be agreeable to renegotiation of the Host Agreement as soon as possible and the Regional Director would be advised of the date when negotiations could be commenced. 4. The Executive Board, after considering the information and the report presented by the Director-General, adopted resolution EB61.R9 (see Annex 1) which noted with satisfaction that the relevant section of the Host Agreement would soon be renegotiated by the Government of the Philippines and the World Health Organization.
WPR!RC29!16 page 2 5. In February 1978 a meeting was held in Manila between representatives of the Departments of Foreign Affairs and of Finance of the Government of the Philippines and the Regional Director to discuss the problems related to the interpretation of the Host Agreement, following which a Position Paper was submitted by the Regional Director to the Department of Foreign Affairs, a copy of which is attached as Annex 2. That this meeting had been held in February was reported by the Regional Director to the Thirty-first World Health Assembly in May 1978. Unfortunately, the Regional Director had further to report that negotiations had not been pursued beyond that initial meeting, although it was hoped they would be resumed at an early date. At the date of preparing the present document further negotiations with the Government of the Philippines are still awaited.
WPR/RC29/16 page 3/4
ANNEX 1
RESOLUTION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE WHO Sixty-first Session EB61.R9 18 January INTERPRETATION OF THE HOST AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION The Executive Board. Having considered the information and the report presented by the Regional Director on the interpretation of the Host Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the World Health Organization. signed on 22 July 1951. NOTES with satisfaction that the relevant Section of the Host Agreement will soon be re-negotiated by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the World Health Organization. 197:~
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Twelfth meeting. 18 January 1978 EB6l/SR/12
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WPR/RC29/16 page 5 ANNEX 2
POSITION PAPER OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 1. As background, it might be relevant to mention that in 1950-51, when the site of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific ~vas to be decided, the Government of the Philippines, through its delegates to the World Health Assembly, headed by the late Undersecretary of Health, Dr Regino Padua, went out of its way to encourage WHO to establish the Regional Office in Manila. Liberal and generous treatment of WHO staff members was promised, including the provision of housing at nominal rent at the Joint United States Military Advisory Group Compound in Quezon City. The Organization did not avail itself of this promise because of difficulties it was anticipated the Government would have in moving out the existing tenants, etc.
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2. The World Health Organization has been enjoying the hospitality of the Government of the Philippines as host of the Regional Office for the Western Pacific since 1951. There has been a cordial and friendly relationship for which the Organization is most appreciative and which it definitely desires to maintain. 3. For over twenty-five years, the interpretation of Section 22(g) of the Host Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and WHO, which was signed on 22 July 1951, was that after motor-cars imported by the Organization or by WHO staff with the duty free privilege have been in use in the Philippines for at least three years, such motor-cars may be sold to another party with neither the seller nor the buyer paying any duty or tax, regardless of whether the buyer is tax-exempt or not. 4. In 1976, when the Department of Finance decided to impose the payment of duty and tax when motor-cars are sold to non-tax-exempt persons, even after the expiration of three years, citing a provision of the new Tax Code of 1972, the Organization could have expected that it would be formally advised by the Government of the Philippines of its intention, because a section of the Host Agreement may not be reinterpreted by one party to the Agreement without the concurrence of the other. 5. In the spirit of friendly cooperation, the basis on which the Host Agreement was signed, the Organization will interpose no objection t6 the new interpretation of Section 22(g) of the Host Agreement by the Government of the Philippines, inasmuch as it appears that only WHO and its tax-exempt staff have the privilege of selling a motor-car without duty or tax after three years; it does not wish to embarrass the Government vis-a-vis the other United Nations agencies and diplOmatic missions. WHO is willing to amend Section 22(g) of the Host Agreement to read: "(g) once every three years have the right to import free of duties and taxes a motor-car; it being understood that, in the event of sale or disposal at any time of such motor-car to a person not entitled tn this exemption, such person shall become liable to pay duties and taxes based on the value of the car at the time of the sale."
WP'R/RC29/l6 Annex 2 page 6 6. The establishment of a mutually agreeable date after which, if motor-cars were sold, duties and taxes would be imposed was suggested by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs to the WHO Regional Director in August 1976. This was accepted by the latter because, obviously, both parties to the Agreement will have to determine a date on which the change will take effect. 7. The Organization believes that the new section quoted above should apply to all motor-cars imported duty- and tax-free into the Philippines by WHO and its professional staff after 31 December 1976, it being understood that the motor-cars imported duty- and tax-free before that date may be sold after three years without payment of duty and tax even if sold to a non-tax-exempt person, in accordance with the interpretation of the Agreement and the practice carried out during the past twenty-five years. It is hoped that the Government of the Philippines will see its way clear to accepting this cut-off date. 8. Up to December 1976 the Organization had informed its prospective staff members before they accepted assignment in the Philippines of the liberal interpretation of the original Section 22(g) of the Host Agreement and therefore the Organization has a moral obligation to its staff to honour the privilege. 9. Furthermore, it is believed that the new Tax Code of 1972 or any relatively recent legislation or decree does not automatically nullify the provisions of the Host Agreement which was signed in 1951. 10. The question of reinterpretation of the provision of the Host Agreement was discussed at the twenty-eighth session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in Tokyo in September 1977 and a resolution was adopted expressing "the hope that the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the World Health Organization will re-examine the interpretation of and, if necessary, renegotiate Article VIII, Section 22(g) of the Host Agreement" and requesting "the Regional Director to transmit the text of this resolution together with the summary record of the discussion in the Regional Committee to the Director-General for the information of the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly'. At its sixty-first session in Geneva in January 1978, the WHO Executive Board discussed the subject and adopted a resolution, noting "with satisfaction that the relevant Section of the Host Agreement will soon be re-negotiated by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the World Health Organization'.' • The subject will be taken up at the World Health Assembly in May 1978, and it is hoped that at that time the Regional Director will be able to report to the Health Assembly that the matter has been amicably settled. 11. When the amendment of Section 22(g) has been mutually agreed to and a cut.eff date decided, the exchange of letter resulting therefrom will be submited to the World Health Assembly, hopefully in May 1978, because the Assembly reviewed and approved the Host Agreement in 1952. Manila 17 February 1978
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