Journal No. 2   10 November 2020

The Journal is intended to give delegates, representatives and other participants advance indications of the Health Assembly’s tentative programme of work. The Journal does not constitute an official record of the Health Assembly’s proceedings. The Journal is published in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish on every working day during the Health Assembly.

N° 2 Programme of meetings for Tuesday, 10 November 2020

Time	Commission A Virtual Room 1	Commission B Virtual Room 2
10:00	Second meeting	Second meeting
14:00	Third meeting	Third  meeting

Table of contents

1. Programme of work of the Health Assembly

2. Report of meetings

3. Arrangement for the conduct of discussion in Plenary

4. Announcements

Interpretation

Interpretation will be provided in the official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) to help delegates to follow the discussions. Delegates are requested to speak clearly and at a normal speaking pace to enable clear and accurate interpretation through the virtual platform. To facilitate this further, delegates are requested to submit copies of all statements at least one hour in advance by email to interpret@who.int.  Clearly indicate the name of the country delegation/group and agenda item in the subject line of the email.        

 

Note: a statement of three minutes at normal speaking pace is equivalent to approximately 330 words.

 

Delegates participating remotely are also particularly requested to:

·        Use a high-quality headset and ensure a soundproof and echo-free room

·        Adjust speech to account for the remote environment (speak clearly, avoid excessive use of acronyms, speak into the microphone)

·        Speak at a moderate pace (110 words/minute)

1.  Programme of work of the Health Assembly

Tuesday, 10 November 2020

Second and third meetings of Committee A

10:00 and 14:00

Review and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·       Item 13.1 continued

Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme

–  Document A73/10

·       Item 13.2 continued

WHO’s work in health emergencies

–  Documents A73/11, A73/INF./4 and EB146/2020/REC/1, resolution EB146.R10

International Health Regulations (2005)

–  Document A73/14

Review and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·       Item 13.3

Influenza preparedness

–  Documents A73/4 and A73/4 Add.1

·       Item 13.4

Cholera prevention and control

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 13.5

Poliomyelitis

o   Polio eradication

– Document A73/12

o   Polio transition planning and polio post-certification

– Document A73/13

Second and third meetings of Committee B

10:00 and 14:00

Audit and oversight matters

·       Item 21.1

Report of the External Auditor

–  Documents A73/27 and A73/39

·       Item 21.2

Report of the Internal Auditor

–  Documents A73/28 and A73/39

·       Item 21.3

External and internal audit recommendations: progress on implementation

–  Documents A73/29 and A73/39

Review and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·       Item 18.1 continued

Programme budget 2020–2021

–  Documents A73/4, A73/16 Rev.1 and A73/36

·       Item 18.2 continued

Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2020–2021

–  Documents A73/17 and A73/37

·       Item 18.3 continued

Geneva buildings renovation strategy

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 18.4 continued

WHO reform

–  Documents A73/4, A73/18 and A73/19

·       Item 18.5 continued

Evaluation of the election of the Director-General of the World Health Organization

–  Documents A73/20, A73/20 Add.1, A73/20 Add.2 and A73/41

·       Item 18.6 continued

Data and innovation: draft global strategy on digital health

–  Documents A73/4 and EB146/2020/REC/1, decision EB146(15)

·       Item 18.7 continued

Human resources: annual report

–  Documents A73/21 and A73/40

·       Item 18.8 continued

Report of the International Civil Service Commission

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 18.9 continued

Amendments to the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules

–  Documents A73/22 and EB146/2020/REC/1, resolution EB146.R5

Appointment of representatives to the WHO Staff Pension Committee

–  Document A73/23 Rev.1

If time permits:

Collaboration within the United Nations system and with other intergovernmental organizations

–  Document A73/30

Wednesday, 11 November 2020

Fourth and fifth meetings of Committee A

10:00 and 14:00

Review and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·       Item 11.1

Primary health care

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 11.2

Follow-up to the high-level meetings of the United Nations General Assembly on health-related issues

o   Universal health coverage: moving together to build a healthier world

– Document A73/4

o   Political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

– Document A73/5

·       Item 11.3

Global vaccine action plan

–  Documents A73/4, A73/6, A73/7 and A73/A/CONF./1

·       Item 11.4

Accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer as a global public health problem

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 11.5

Ending tuberculosis

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 11.6

Epilepsy

–  Documents A73/5 and A73/A/CONF./2

·       Item 11.7

Integrated, people-centred eye care, including preventable blindness and impaired vision

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 11.8

Neglected tropical diseases

–  Documents A73/8 and A73/A/CONF./3

·       Item 11.9

Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property

–  Document A73/4

Fourth and fifth meetings of Committee B

10:00 and 14:00

Financial matters

·       Item 20.1

WHO programmatic and financial report for 2018–2019, including audited financial statements for 2019

–  Documents A73/24, A73/24 Corr.1, A73/25, A73/37 and A73/INF./3

·       Item 20.2

Status of collection of assessed contributions, including Member States in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent that would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution

–  Documents A73/26 and A73/38

Thursday, 12 November 2020

Sixth and seventh meetings of Committee A

10:00 and 14:00

Review and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·       Item 11.1 continued

Primary health care

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 11.2 continued

Follow-up to the high-level meetings of the United Nations General Assembly on health-related issues

o   Universal health coverage: moving together to build a healthier world

– Document A73/4

o   Political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

– Document A73/5

·       Item 11.3 continued

Global vaccine action plan

–  Documents A73/4, A73/6, A73/7 and A73/A/CONF./1

·       Item 11.4 continued

Accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer as a global public health problem

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 11.5 continued

Ending tuberculosis

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 11.6 continued

Epilepsy

–  Documents A73/5 and A73/A/CONF./2

·       Item 11.7 continued

Integrated, people-centred eye care, including preventable blindness and impaired vision

–  Document A73/4

·       Item 11.8 continued

Neglected tropical diseases

–  Documents A73/8 and A73/A/CONF./3

·       Item 11.9 continued

Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property

–  Document A73/4

WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel

–  Documents A73/9 and A73/A/CONF./4

Sixth and seventh meetings of Committee B

10:00 and 14:00

Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan

–  Document A73/15

Friday, 13 November 2020

Third Plenary meeting

10:00

Awards

–  Document A73/INF./1

Reports of the main committees

Eighth and ninth meetings of Committee A

Immediately after conclusion of Item 8 in plenary and 14:00

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·       Item 15.1

Decade of Healthy Ageing

–  Documents A73/5 and A73/INF./2

·       Item 15.2

Maternal, infant and young child nutrition

–  Documents A73/4, A73/4 Add.2 and EB146/2020/REC/1, decision EB146(20)

·       Item 15.3

Accelerating efforts on food safety

–  Document A73/4

Finalization of resolutions/decisions and reports

Eighth and ninth meetings of Committee B

Immediately after conclusion of Item 8 in plenary and 14:00

Progress reports

–  Documents A73/32 and A73/32 Add.1

A.    Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017–2025 (decision WHA70(17) (2017))

B.    Towards universal eye health: a global action plan 2014–2019 (resolution WHA66.4 (2013))

C.   Eradication of dracunculiasis (resolution WHA64.16 (2011))

D.   Improving the prevention, diagnosis and clinical management of sepsis (resolution WHA70.7 (2017))

E.    Smallpox eradication: destruction of variola virus stocks (resolution WHA60.1(2007))

F.    Addressing the burden of snakebite envenoming (resolution WHA71.5 (2018))

G.   Strengthening integrated, people-centred health services (resolution WHA69.24 (2016))

H.   Reproductive health: strategy to accelerate progress towards the attainment of international development goals and targets (resolution WHA57.12 (2004))

I.     Health and the environment: road map for an enhanced global response to the adverse health effects of air pollution (decision WHA69(11) (2016))

J.    Female genital mutilation (resolution WHA61.16 (2008))

K.    Public health dimension of the world drug problem (decision WHA70(18) (2017))

L.    The WHO strategy on research for health (resolution WHA63.21 (2010))

 

Finalization of resolutions/decisions and reports

Saturday, 14 November 2020

Fourth Plenary meeting

10:00

Reports of the main committees

Closure of the Health Assembly

2.  Report of meetings

First Plenary meeting

In the Chair:
H.E Ambassador Keva Bain (Bahamas)
President of the Seventy-third World Health Assembly

Opening of the Health Assembly

H.E Ambassador Keva Bain opened the resumed session of the Seventy-third World Health Assembly and welcomed the participants to the virtual platform.

Election of the five Vice-Presidents, the Chairs of the main committees, and establishment of the General Committee

The President invited the Health Assembly to consider the proposal received for the nomination for the office of Vice-President.  H.E. Dr Osama Ahmed Abdelrahim (Sudan) was elected Vice-President of the Health Assembly by acclamation.

The Assembly was invited to recall the order in which the Vice-Presidents shall be requested to serve:

– Mrs Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo (Congo)

– Mr Robert Ciavatta (San Marino)

– Dr Viroj Tangcharoensathien (Thailand)

– Mr LI Song (China)

– H.E. Dr Osama Ahmed Abdelrahim (Sudan)

The Assembly was invited to consider the special procedures to regulate the conduct of virtual de minimis meetings of the World Health Assembly, as contained in Annex 1 of document A73/42. The report was adopted by the Assembly.

The Secretariat then invited H.E. Dr Amelia Afuha’amango Tu’ipulotu, the Minister of Health of Tonga, HRH Princess Muna of Jordan, and Ms Kim Sledge to address the Health Assembly.

The Director-General gave his opening remarks to the Health Assembly.

Appointment of the Committee on Credentials

On proposal of the President, and in accordance with Rule 24 of the Rules of Procedure of the Health Assembly, the Assembly appointed the Committee on Credentials constituted by the delegates of the following 12 Member States:

-       Bulgaria

-       El Salvador

-       Japan

-       Liberia

-       Mozambique

-       North Macedonia

-       Republic of Moldova

-       Rwanda

-       Somalia

-       Timor-Leste

-       Trinidad and Tobago

-       Viet Nam

Election of the five Vice-Presidents, the Chairs of the main committees, and establishment of the General Committee

Committee A: Dr Bjørn-Inge Larsen (Norway) was elected chairman by acclamation.
Committee B: H.E. Mr Mamadou Henri Konate (Mali) was elected chairman by acclamation.

In accordance with Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure, the delegates of the following 17 countries were elected members of the General Committee, along with the President and the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, and the Chairmen of the main committees:

-       Argentina

-       Croatia

-       Cuba

-       Djibouti

-       Eritrea

-       Ethiopia

-       Fiji

-       France

-       Mongolia

-       Nepal

-       Nicaragua

-       Oman

-       Russian Federation

-       Sierra Leone

-       United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

-       United Republic of Tanzania

-       United States of America

 

Second Plenary meeting

In the Chair:
H.E Ambassador Keva Bain (Bahamas)
President of the Seventy-third World Health Assembly

The President of the Seventy-second World Health Assembly opened the second plenary and addressed the Health Assembly.

In view of the special procedures adopted by the Assembly, credentials presented by Member States listed in WHA decision 73(3) had to be re-submitted for the current resumed session. Two of the Member States not listed in WHA decision 73(3), Guinea-Bissau and Samoa, had since submitted credentials for the resumed session. In accordance with previous practice, the President had examined these credentials and found them to be in conformity with the Rules of Procedure of the Health Assembly. The President recommended that Guinea-Bissau and Samoa be accepted as having formal credentials. The Health Assembly approved the President's recommendation.

The President informed the Assembly that the following Member States are not represented at the resumed session of the Seventy-third Health Assembly: Antigua and Barbuda, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cook Islands, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Guinea, Kiribati, Liberia, Niue, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Suriname, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste and Uzbekistan.

The report was approved by the Health Assembly.

Opening of the Health Assembly

Adoption of the agenda and allocation of items to the main committees

The President informed the Assembly that document A73/31 had been removed as it is no longer needed for the discussion on Agenda Item 22 Collaboration within the United Nations system and with other intergovernmental organizations.

The President reported that the General Committee recommended to not include a supplementary agenda item entitled “Inviting Taiwan to participate in the World Health Assembly as an observer”.  

The President noted that when previous Health Assemblies had considered a similar proposal, the Assembly had agreed to follow a predictable, respectful and orderly process for handling the matter. To facilitate this work, the President proposed that the Assembly follow the same process. The Assembly agreed with this proposal.

Two delegations in support of the recommendation of the General Committee and two delegations in opposition to the recommendation of the General Committee were invited to take the floor. The delegates of China, Marshall Islands, Pakistan and Honduras took the floor.

The Assembly accepted the recommendation of the General Committee not to include a supplementary agenda item entitled “Inviting Taiwan to participate in the World Health Assembly as an observer” on the agenda.

 

Report of the Executive Board on its 145^th and 146^th sessions

The former Chair of the Executive Board, Dr Hiroki Nakatani (Japan), gave the report.

The meeting was adjourned.

First meeting of Committee A

In the Chair:
Dr Bjørn-Inge Larsen (Norway)

The Chair opened the meeting and addressed the Committee. In accordance with Rule 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the World Health Assembly, the Committee elected Ms Tamara Mawhinney (Canada) and Dr Susie Perera De Silva (Sri Lanka) Vice-Chairmen, and Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero (Uganda) Rapporteur.

Review and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·        Item 13.1: Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme

·        Item 13.2:  WHO’s work in health emergencies

International Health Regulations (2005)

At the invitation of the Chair, the Secretariat provided an update on the current epidemiological situation related to the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by an update on the ACT-accelerator. The Chair of the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Felicity Harvey, presented the work of the Advisory Committee, and Dr Lothar Wieler, Chair of the Review Committee on the Functioning of the International Health Regulations (2005), made some introductory remarks.

The Chair opened agenda items 13.1, 13.2 and 14 and drew the Committee’s attention to the relevant documents A73/10, A73/11 and A73/14. The Committee was informed that draft resolution EB146.R10 as contained in document EB146/2020/REC/1 under subitem 13.2 would be to be considered at the end of the discussion. The Chair then invited comments from the floor on the group of agenda items. Due to time constraints, the Chair announced that consideration of these items would resume at the next meeting of Committee A. The meeting was adjourned.

First meeting of Committee B

In the Chair:
H.E. Mr Mamadou Henri Konate (Mali)
Later: H.E Mrs Elizabeth Wilde (Australia), Vice-Chair

Opening of the Committee

Review and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·       Item 18.1: Programme budget 2020–2021

·       Item 18.2: Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2020–2021

·       Item 18.3: Geneva buildings renovation strategy

·       Item 18.4: WHO reform

·       Item 18.5: Evaluation of the election of the Director-General of the World Health Organization

·       Item 18.6: Data and innovation: draft global strategy on digital health

·       Item 18.7: Human resources: annual report

·       Item 18.8: Report of the International Civil Service Commission

·       Item 18.9: Amendments to the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules

 

The Chair opened the item and invited comments from the floor. The item was suspended and the Chair announced that the second meeting of Committee B would commence with agenda item 21. The meeting was adjourned.

3. Arrangement for the conduct of discussion in meetings

Individual statements by Member States and Associate Members must be limited to three minutes. Statements by Observers, invited representatives of United Nations and other participating intergovernmental organizations will be limited to two minutes. Statements by non-State actors in official relations with the Organization will be limited to one minute and regional and group statements will be limited to four minutes. To ensure accurate and clear interpretation through the virtual platform, copies of all statements should be submitted in advance by email to interpret@who.int. Clearly indicate the name of the delegation/group in the subject line of the email. All remote speakers should use headphones and microphones to ensure optimal sound quality for interpreters and listeners.

Written statements

Member States, Associate Members, Observers, invited representatives of the United Nations and of other participating intergovernmental organizations and non-State actors are invited to post written statements on the website in the language of submission. In line with the guidelines for written statements outlined in decision EB146(17), statements by Member States may be provided in any of the six WHO official languages and should be limited to 500 words for individual statements and 800 words for group statements. Member States are advised to submit their statements to statements@who.int, clearly indicating the relevant agenda item or sub-item in the subject line.

Member States and Associate Members may submit a pre-recorded video statement in place of live interventions. Video statements should be received by Saturday 7 November (COB) and may be uploaded at the following link: https://bit.ly/3nPXAUG. The following time limits will apply: Member States and Associate Members - 3 minutes and Group statements - 4 minutes. When uploading each video, please indicate clearly the relevant agenda item or sub-item in the description field. Videos received after the deadline, exceeding the time limits or labelled in such a way that the relevant agenda item or sub-item cannot be identified, may not be played. Video statements may be included in the live streaming and therefore will be included in the official records.

4.  Announcements

The Zoom platform will be used for virtual sessions of WHA73. In order to ensure good sound quality on the virtual platform, please ensure that when taking the floor to deliver a statement, you select the language on the interpretation channel in which you are planning to speak and use high-quality headsets with echo cancelling microphones and webcam. We recommend that you use a personal computer, rather than a smartphone or tablet, and download the latest version of the Zoom software. Please deliver your statement at a moderate speed that allows for its interpretation and ensures your message is conveyed clearly and accurately.

For support related to the virtual platform, please send an email to GBS-support@who.int           

The Plenary sessions will be webcast in the six UN languages. The webcasts can be viewed on Mac and PCs, as well as all mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows-enabled phones.

Arabic:            https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=ar  

Chinese:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=zh  

English:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=en

French:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=fr  

Russian:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=ru

Spanish:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=es

The World Health Assembly application allows you to receive updates on the WHA73 programme of work and access documentation directly on your mobile device. Scan the QR code below and download the application in your device.

 

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