Preliminary Journal  13 May 2024

This preliminary journal is intended to give delegates, representatives and other participants advance indications of the Health Assembly’s tentative programme of work. Additional information can be found in the Guide for delegates to the World Health Assembly (document A77/DIV./2)

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.

Table of contents

1. Date and working hours

2. Tentative programme of work of the Health Assembly

3. Strategic Roundtables

4. Arrangements for conduct of discussion in meetings

5. Announcements

6. Provisional list of speakers for the general discussion in Plenary

1.  Date and working hours

The Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly will open on Monday, 27 May 2024 at 09:00. The working hours of the Health Assembly are from 09:00 to 12:00 and 14:30 to 17:30 (CEST).

The Health Assembly will close no later than Saturday, 1 June 2024, as decided by the Executive Board at its 154th session.

Delegates and other participants will be able to collect their badges from the Distribution Desk in the main lobby of WHO headquarters. The Distribution Desk will be open at the following times:

-  Wednesday, 22 May 2024 from 14:00 to 17:00

-  Thursday, 23 to Friday, 31 May 2024 from 08:00 to 17:00

-  Saturday, 1 June 2024 from 08:00 until the closure of WHA77.

 

 

2. Tentative programme of work of the Health Assembly

Monday, 27 May 2024

First Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

09:00

Opening of the Health Assembly

Election of the President

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

High-level welcome

General Committee[1] — Building E Room XXIII

Immediately after conclusion of Item 1.3 in Plenary

Examination and submission to the Health Assembly of recommendations on such questions as:

-  Adoption of the provisional agenda as proposed by the Executive Board

-  Addition of supplementary items, if any, to the provisional agenda

-  Initial allocation to the main committees of items of the agenda

-  Deferment of any item to a future Health Assembly

-  Programme of work of the Health Assembly

Second Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

14:30

-  Presidential address

Opening of the Health Assembly

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

-  Document A77/1

 

 

Report of the Executive Board on its 153rd and 154th sessions, and on its Seventh special session

-  Document A77/2

Address by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General

-  General discussion

-  Document A77/3

First meeting of Committee A — Building E Room XX

Upon commencement of the General discussion

Opening of the Committee[2]

Draft fourteenth general programme of work, 2025-2028

-  Document A77/16

Agenda items 16 & 18 will be taken together:

Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024-2025

-  Documents A77/14 and A77/15

Sustainable financing: WHO investment round

-  Documents A77/17, and EB154/2024/REC/1, decision EB154(1)

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Third and fourth Plenary meetings — Building E Room XIX

09:00 and 14:30

-  General discussion

Second and third meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Draft fourteenth general programme of work, 2025-2028

-  Document A77/16

Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024-2025

-  Documents A77/14 and A77/15

Sustainable financing: WHO investment round

-  Documents A77/17 and EB154/2024/REC/1, decision EB154(1)

Committee on Credentials — Building E Room XXIII

14:00

 

14:30

Public health emergencies: preparedness and response

·  Item 13.4

Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response

-  Document A77/10

·  Item 13.3

Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)

-  Document A77/9

Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Fifth Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

09:00

-  Report of the Committee on Credentials

Admission of new Members and Associate Members [if any]

Fourth and fifth meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 11.1

Universal health coverage

-  Documents A77/4 and EB154/2024/REC/1, decision EB154(6)

·  Item 11.2

Follow-up to the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

-  Documents A77/4 and EB154/2024/REC/1, decision EB154(7)

o   Strengthening synergies between the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

-  Document A77/INF./3

·  Item 11.3

Draft global action plan for infection prevention and control

-  Documents A77/4 and EB154/2024/REC/1, decision EB154(8)

·  Item 11.4

Immunization Agenda 2030

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 11.5

End TB Strategy

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 11.6

Road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 11.7

Acceleration towards the Sustainable Development Goal targets for maternal health and child mortality

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 11.8

Antimicrobial resistance: accelerating national and global responses

-  Document A77/5

Global technical strategy and targets for malaria 2016–2030

-  Document A77/6

First and second meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

Immediately after conclusion of Item 5 in Plenary and 14:30

Opening of the Committee4

Budget and financial matters

·  Item 21.1

Results Report 2023 (Programme budget 2022–2023: performance assessment) and Financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023

-  Documents A77/19, A77/20 and A77/INF./2

·  Item 21.2

Scale of assessments 2025–2026 (proposed for deletion)

·  Item 21.3

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

-  Document A77/21

·  Item 21.4

Special arrangements for settlement of arrears [if any]

·  Item 21.5

Assessment of new Members and Associate Members [if any]

·  Item 21.6

Amendments to the Financial Regulations and Financial Rules [if any]

Audit and oversight matters

·  Item 22.1

Report of the External Auditor

-  Document A77/22

·  Item 22.2

Report of the Internal Auditor

-  Document A77/23

·  Item 22.3

External and internal audit recommendations: progress on implementation

-  Document A77/24

14:00

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

-  Document A77/18

General Committee — Building E Room XXIII

17:30

Thursday, 30 May 2024

Sixth and seventh meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 15.1

Social determinants of health

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 15.2

Maternal, infant and young child nutrition

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 15.3

Well-being and health promotion

-  Documents A77/4 and EB154/2024/REC/1, decision EB154(13)

·  Item 15.4

Climate change, pollution and health

o   Impact of chemicals, waste and pollution on human health

-  Document A77/4

o   Climate change and health

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 15.5

Economics and health for all

-  Document A77/4

Public health emergencies: preparedness and response

·  Item 13.1

The Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme

-  Document A77/7

·  Item 13.2

Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)

-  Documents A77/8, A77/8 Add.1, A77/8 Add.2, A77/8 Add.3 and A77/8 Add.4

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 14.1

WHO’s work in health emergencies

-  Documents A77/4, A77/11, A77/12 and EB154/2024/REC/1, resolution EB154.R7, decisions EB154(9) and EB154(10)

·  Item 14.2

Implementation of resolution WHA75.11 (2022)

-  Document A77/13

·  Item 14.3

Global Health and Peace Initiative

-  Documents A77/4 and EB154/2024/REC/1, decision EB154(11)

·  Item 14.4

Poliomyelitis

o   Poliomyelitis eradication

-  Document A77/4

o   Polio transition planning and polio post-certification

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 14.5

Smallpox eradication: destruction of variola virus stocks

-  Document A77/4

Third and fourth meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Staffing matters

·  Item 23.1

Human resources: annual report

-  Document A77/25

·  Item 23.2

Amendments to the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules

-  Documents A77/4 and EB154/2024/REC/1, resolution EB154.R9

·  Item 23.3

Report of the International Civil Service Commission

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 23.4

Appointment of representatives to the WHO Staff Pension Committee

-  Document A77/26

Management, legal and governance matters

·  Item 24.1

Prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

-  Document A77/4

·  Item 24.2

Process of handling and investigating potential allegations against WHO Directors-General

-  Document A77/27

·  Item 24.3

Secretariat implementation plan on reform

-  Document A77/28

Agenda items 25 & 28 will be taken together:

Update on the Infrastructure Fund

o   Geneva buildings renovation strategy and regional building projects

-  Document A77/29

Updates and future reporting: strengthening integrated, people-centred health services

-  Document A77/32

Agenda items 26 & 27 will be taken together:

Agreements with intergovernmental organizations

-  Document A77/30

Collaboration within the United Nations system and with other intergovernmental organizations

-  Document A77/31

Friday, 31 May 2024

Sixth Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

09:00

Executive Board: election

Awards

-  Document A77/INF./1

Eighth and ninth meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board         

Fifth and sixth meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Matters for information: progress reports

-  Documents A77/33 and A77/33 Add.1

Pillar 1: One billion more people benefiting from universal health coverage

A.    The global health sector strategies on, respectively, HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (resolution WHA75.20 (2022))

B.    Preparation for the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on universal health coverage (resolution WHA72.4 (2019))

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

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

E.    Integrated people-centred eye care, including preventable vision impairment and blindness (resolution WHA73.4 (2020))

F.    Human organ and tissue transplantation (decision WHA75(18) (2022))

G.   Availability, safety and quality of blood products (decision WHA75(17) (2022))

H.   Public health dimension of the world drug problem (decision WHA75(20) (2022))

Pillar 2: One billion more people better protected from health emergencies

I.      Pandemic influenza preparedness: sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits (resolution WHA64.5 (2011))

J.     Strengthening health emergency preparedness and response in cities and urban settings (resolution WHA75.7 (2022))

Pillar 3: One billion more people enjoying better health and well-being

K.    WHO global strategy for food safety (decision WHA75(22) (2022))

L.    Reducing public health risks associated with the sale of live wild animals of mammalian species in traditional food markets – infection prevention and control (decision WHA75(23) (2022))

M.   Outcome of the SIDS Summit for Health: For a Healthy and Resilient Future in Small Island Developing States (resolution WHA75.18 (2022))

N.   Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property (resolution WHA75.14 (2022))

Pillar 4: More effective and efficient WHO providing better support to countries

O.   Strategy for integrating gender analysis and actions into the work of WHO (resolution WHA60.25 (2007))

Saturday, 1 June 2024

Tenth meeting of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00

Finalization of resolutions/decisions and reports

Seventh meeting of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00

Finalization of resolutions/decisions and reports

Seventh Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

Immediately after conclusion of Committees A and B

Reports of the main committees

Closure of the Health Assembly

3. Strategic Roundtables

The following strategic roundtables will take place during the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly:

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

13:00–14:15 Room XX

All for Health, Health for All: the WHO Investment Case, 2025-2028.

18:00–21:00 Chateau de Penthes

Celebrating 50 years of immunization progress: honouring achievements, embracing innovation, and envisioning the future.

Wednesday, 29 May 2024

13:00–14:15 Room XVIII

Economics and financing of health and well-being for all: a bold new vision for achieving universal health coverage.

Thursday, 30 May 2024

13:00–14:15 Room XVIII

Artificial intelligence for health: opportunities, risks, and governance.

Friday, 31 May 2024

13:00–14:15 Room XVIII

Charting a new path forward for global action against antimicrobial resistance.

Saturday, 1 June 2024

13:00–14:15 Room XVIII

Climate change and health: a global vision for joint action.

The strategic roundtable 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/20220524-0601_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=ar

Chinese:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20220524-0601_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=zh

English:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20240527-0601_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=en

French:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20220524-0601_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=fr

Russian:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20220524-0601_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=ru

Spanish:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20220524-0601_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=es

4. Arrangements for conduct of discussion in meetings

Plenary: theme of general discussion: “All for Health, Health for All”.

Member States, Associate Members, Observers, invited representatives of the United Nations and of other participating intergovernmental organizations will be provided with the opportunity to take the floor under agenda item 3 Address by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General.

Resolution WHA52.21 (1999) on reform of the Health Assembly requested the Director-General to make appropriate arrangements for a shortened plenary meeting and, to this end, encouraged group or regional statements in plenary debate.

Member States can inscribe on the list of speakers for the general debate through this link. Copies of statements to be made in the general discussion should be submitted to the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of the Health Assembly by email (interpret@who.int), or by handing them in to room E-3025C, or room XIX, where the plenary meetings are held, by the morning of Monday, 27 May 2024. When submitting by email, please specify in the “Subject” and at the top of the statement the name of the country and the meeting: “General Discussion”.

Member State delegations are asked to observe the time limit for verbal statements during the sessions: individual statements by Member States and Associate Members will be limited to three minutes (330 words), Regional and group statements will be limited to four minutes (440 words). Delegations providing group statements are discouraged from taking the floor subsequently to provide a national statement. In addition, delegations on whose behalf a group statement is provided, are discouraged from subsequently taking the floor except to provide any brief additional comments that were not covered by the group statement.

Statements by Observers, invited representatives of the United Nations and other participating intergovernmental organizations will be limited to two minutes (220 words). Statements by non-State actors in official relations with the Organization will be limited to one minute and three minutes for constituency statements.

To ensure that statements are interpreted as clearly as possible, delegates are requested to submit a copy of their statements at least 30 minutes in advance by email to interpret@who.int.

Member States and Associate Members are invited to submit written statements for posting on the website in the language of submission in accordance with the guidelines for written statements in decision WHA75(12).

Observers, invited representatives of the United Nations and of other participating and intergovernmental organizations are also invited to submit written statements in accordance with those guidelines. Non-State actors are invited to submit written statements as per the practical information for representatives of non-State actors in official relations with WHO.

In accordance with the guidelines, statements 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. They should be submitted to statements@who.int, (non-State actors are asked to copy nsastatements@who.int), clearly indicating the relevant agenda item or sub-item in the subject line.

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. Copies of all statements should be submitted at least one hour in advance by email to interpret@who.int. Clearly indicate the name of the country delegation/group in the subject line of the email.   

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

5.  Announcements

For IT support, please send an email to GBS-IT-Support@who.int.          

The public 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/20240527-0601_WHA77/player.html?lang=ar

Chinese:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20240527-0601_WHA77/player.html?lang=zh

English:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20240527-0601_WHA77/index.html?lang=en

French:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20240527-0601_WHA77/player.html?lang=fr

Russian:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20240527-0601_WHA77/player.html?lang=ru

Spanish:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20240527-0601_WHA77/player.html?lang=es

Documents for the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly can be accessed on the Internet through the WHO website (https://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha77.html).

The WHO bookshop is located at the Palais des Nations on level 2 of the E building, at door 40, during the World Health Assembly. The latest publications and information products issued by WHO and its regional offices are available at a 50% discount. WHO souvenirs are also on sale. The WHO bookshop is open from Monday to Friday and from 09:00 to 16:30 at the Palais des Nations (during the Assembly) and at WHO Headquarters.

6.  Provisional list of speakers for the general discussion in Plenary

Delegates can view the speaker’s list at any given time:

https://extranet.who.int/dataformv3/index.php/reporting/module/657892

 

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