Information in this document is accurate as of 21 May 2025 21:30

Journal  No. 4  22 May 2025

This 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 A78/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.

N° 4 Programme of meetings for Thursday, 22 May 2025

Time	Committee A Room XVII (Overflow Room XXII)	Committee B Room XX
09:00	Sixth meeting	Second meeting
14:30	Seventh meeting	Third meeting

Table of contents

1. Date and working hours

2. Programme of work of the Health Assembly

3. Report of meetings

4. Meetings and official side-events

5. Announcements

1. Date and working hours

The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly will open on Monday, 19 May 2025 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 Tuesday, 27 May 2025, as decided by the Executive Board at its 156th session.

2. Programme of work of the Health Assembly

Thursday, 22 May 2025

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

09:00 and 14:30

Health emergency preparedness and response

Item 16.1 continued

Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience

-  Document A78/9

Item 16.3 continued

Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)

-  Documents A78/11, A78/A/CONF./4, A78/A/CONF./4 Add.1, A78/INF./6 and A78/INF./7

Item 16.4 continued

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

-  Document A78/12

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

Item 17.1 continued

WHO’s work in health emergencies

-  Document A78/13 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(31)

Item 17.4 continued

Universal Health and Preparedness Review

-  Document A78/4

Item 17.2

Implementation of resolution WHA75.11 (2022)

-  Documents A78/14, A78/A/CONF./3, A78/A/CONF./3 Add.1 and A78/A/CONF./3 Add.2

Item 17.3

Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem

-  Document A78/15 and EB156/2025/REC/1, resolution EB156.R3

Item 17.5

Poliomyelitis

-  Document A78/4

The role of the global coordination mechanism on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in WHO’s work on multistakeholder engagement for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: report on independent evaluation

-  Document A78/INF./2

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

Item 13.1

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

o   Reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases through strengthening prevention and control of diabetes (resolution WHA74.4 (2021))

o   Oral health (resolution WHA74.5 (2021))

o   Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2030 (resolution WHA77.3 (2024) and decision WHA74(14) (2021))

o   Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem and its associated goals and targets for the period 2020–2030 (resolution WHA73.2 (2020))

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.3, EB156/2025/REC/1, decisions EB156(18), EB156(19), EB156(20), EB156(21) and EB156(22)

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

09:00 and 14:30

Draft first report of Committee B

Document (draft) A78/45, containing one decision entitled:

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

Budget and finance matters

Item 21.1

Results report 2024 (Programme budget 2024–2025: performance assessment) and financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

-  Documents A78/17, A78/17 Add.1, A78/17 Add.2, A78/18, A78/36 and A78/INF./3

Item 21.2

Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025

-  Documents A78/19, A78/20, A78/36 and A78/INF./4

Item 21.3

Sustainable financing: WHO investment round

-  Documents A78/21 and A78/37

Item 21.4

Scale of assessments 2026–2027

-  Documents A78/22 and A78/38

Item 21.5

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 A78/23 and A78/38

Item 21.6

Special arrangements for settlement of arrears

-  Documents A78/35 and A78/38

Audit and oversight matters

Item 22.1

Report of the External Auditor

-  Documents A78/25 and A78/40

Item 22.2

Report of the Internal Auditor

-  Documents A78/26 and A78/40

Item 22.3

External and internal audit recommendations: progress on implementation

-  Documents A78/27 and A78/40

Staffing matters

Item 23.1

Human resources: annual report

-  Documents A78/28 and A78/41

Item 23.2

Amendments to the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, resolutions EB156.R5 and EB156.R6

Item 23.3

Report of the International Civil Service Commission

-  Document A78/4

Item 23.4

Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board

-  Document A78/29

Item 23.5

Appointment of representatives to the WHO Staff Pension Committee

-  Document A78/30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board 
Management, legal and governance matters

Item 24.1

Prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

-  Document A78/4

If time permits:

Item 24.2

Global strategies and plans of action that are scheduled to expire within one year

o   Global strategic directions for nursing and midwifery 2021–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(34)

o   Global strategy on digital health 2020–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(35)

o   Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(36)

o   Comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition 2012–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(37)

Friday, 23 May 2025

Sixth Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

09:00

Awards

-  Document A78/INF./1

Executive Board: election

-  Document A78/46

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

Immediately following the closure of Plenary and 14:30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

Item 13.2

Mental health and social connection

-  Documents A78/4, A78/A/CONF./2 and A78/A/CONF./2 Add.1

Item 13.3

Universal health coverage

o   Primary healthcare

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decisions EB156(14), EB156(15), EB156(16) and EB156(17)

Item 13.4

Communicable diseases

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decisions EB156(23) and EB156(24)

o   Global road map on defeating meningitis by 2030

-  Document A78/4

Item 13.5

Substandard and falsified medical products

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(25)

Item 13.6

Standardization of medical devices nomenclature

-  Document A78/4

Item 13.7

Health and care workforce

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

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(26)

o   Global strategy on human resources for health: workforce 2030

-  Documents s A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(27)

Item 13.8

Draft global traditional medicine strategy 2025–2034

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.1 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(28)

Item 13.9

Global strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decisions EB156(29) and EB156(30)

Fourth and fifth meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board  
Management, legal and governance matters

Item 24.2 continued

Global strategies and plans of action that are scheduled to expire within one year

o   Global strategic directions for nursing and midwifery 2021–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(34)

o   Global strategy on digital health 2020–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(35)

o   Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(36)

o   Comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition 2012–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(37)

Item 24.3

International Health Regulations (2005): proposed procedure for the correction of errors in the text of the instrument

-  Documents A78/4, A78/INF./5 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(38)

Reassignment of Indonesia from the South-East Asia Region to the Western Pacific Region

-  Documents A78/31 and A78/31 Add.1

 

If time permits:

Matters for information

Item 28.1 progress reports

-  Document A78/34 Rev.1

Discussion of agenda item 28 will be grouped as follows (Pillar 1 A–G), (Pillar 2 H & I) & (Pillar 3 J–O)

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

A.    Strengthening diagnostic capacity (resolution WHA76.5 (2023))

B.    [the relevant subject matter should be considered under Pillar 3 as report O]

C.   Integrated emergency, critical and operative care for universal health coverage and protection from health emergencies (resolution WHA76.2 (2023))

D.   Global strategy on infection prevention and control (resolution WHA75.13 (2022))

E.    Strengthening local production of medicines and other health technologies to improve access (resolution WHA74.6 (2021))

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

G.   Global action on patient safety (resolution WHA72.6 (2019) and decision WHA74(13) (2021))

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

H.   Enhancement of laboratory biosafety (resolution WHA58.29 (2005))

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

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

J.     WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change: the transformation needed to improve lives and well-being sustainably through healthy environments (decision WHA74(24) (2021))

K.    Plan of action on climate change and health in small island developing States (decision WHA72(10) (2019))

L.    Behavioural sciences for better health (resolution WHA76.7 (2023))

M.   Accelerating action on global drowning prevention (resolution WHA76.18 (2023))

N.   WHO global plan of action to strengthen the role of the health system within a national multisectoral response to address interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls, and against children (resolution WHA69.5 (2016)) and Ending violence against children through health systems strengthening and multisectoral approaches (resolution WHA74.17 (2021))

O.   WHO global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants, 2019–2030 (resolution WHA76.14 (2023))

Saturday, 24 May 2025

Tenth and eleventh meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

-  Document A78/7 Rev.1

Antimicrobial resistance

-  Documents A78/8 and A78/8 Add.1

Sixth and seventh meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Matters for information

Item 28.1 progress reports continued

-  Document A78/34 Rev.1

Discussion of agenda item 28 will be grouped as follows (Pillar 1 A–G), (Pillar 2 H & I) & (Pillar 3 J–O)

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

A.    Strengthening diagnostic capacity (resolution WHA76.5 (2023))

B.    [the relevant subject matter should be considered under Pillar 3 as report O]

C.   Integrated emergency, critical and operative care for universal health coverage and protection from health emergencies (resolution WHA76.2 (2023))

D.   Global strategy on infection prevention and control (resolution WHA75.13 (2022))

E.    Strengthening local production of medicines and other health technologies to improve access (resolution WHA74.6 (2021))

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

G.   Global action on patient safety (resolution WHA72.6 (2019) and decision WHA74(13) (2021))

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

H.   Enhancement of laboratory biosafety (resolution WHA58.29 (2005))

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

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

J.     WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change: the transformation needed to improve lives and well-being sustainably through healthy environments (decision WHA74(24) (2021))

K.    Plan of action on climate change and health in small island developing States (decision WHA72(10) (2019))

L.    Behavioural sciences for better health (resolution WHA76.7 (2023))

M.   Accelerating action on global drowning prevention (resolution WHA76.18 (2023))

N.   WHO global plan of action to strengthen the role of the health system within a national multisectoral response to address interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls, and against children (resolution WHA69.5 (2016)) and Ending violence against children through health systems strengthening and multisectoral approaches (resolution WHA74.17 (2021))

O.   WHO global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants, 2019–2030 (resolution WHA76.14 (2023))

Monday, 26 May 2025

Twelfth and thirteenth 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 18.1

The impact of chemicals, waste and pollution on human health

-  Documents A78/4, A78/A/CONF./1, A78/A/CONF./1 Add.1 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(32)

Item 18.2

Updated road map for an enhanced global response to the adverse health effects of air pollution

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(33)

Item 18.3

Climate change and health

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.2, A78/4 Add.4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(40)

Eighth and ninth meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Agreements with intergovernmental organizations

-  Document A78/32

Collaboration within the United Nations system and with other intergovernmental organizations

-  Documents A78/33, A78/33 Add.1 and A78/B/CONF./2

Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Fourteenth meeting of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00

Finalization of resolutions/decisions and reports

Tenth 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

Draft second report of Committee A

Document (Draft) A78/44 containing one resolution entitled:

-  Programme budget 2026-2027

And one decision entitled:

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

Draft first report of Committee B

Document (draft) A78/45, containing one decision entitled:

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

Closure of the Health Assembly

3. Report of meetings

Fifth Plenary meeting

In the Chair:
Professor Dr Md. Sayedur Rahman (Bangladesh)
First Vice-President of the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly

Report of the Committee on Credentials

The President presented the report of the Committee on Credentials (document A78/43) which was approved by the Health Assembly.

-  General discussion

The President resumed consideration of item 3 and invited the delegate of Palau and Paraguay to address the Assembly.

These speakers were followed by the delegates of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, India, Seychelles, Mauritania, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Cuba, Pakistan, Mozambique, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Côte d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Kyrgyzstan, Jamaica, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Nauru, Gambia, Vanuatu, Bangladesh, Belarus, Djibouti, Togo, Bhutan, Cameroon, Lebanon, Congo, Namibia, Guatemala, Zambia, Saint Lucia, Dominican Republic, Tonga, Belize, Barbados, Tuvalu, Central African Republic, Fiji, Maldives, Greece, Eritrea, Eswatini, Solomon Islands, Sao Tome and Principe, Cabo Verde, Tajikistan, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Burundi, Timor-Leste, Chad, Kuwait, Rwanda, Yemen, Costa Rica, Antigua and Barbuda, Guinea, Cook Islands, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Oman, Dominica, Benin, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, United Republic of Tanzania, representatives of The Holy See, Order of Malta, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and African Union.

In response to a request for the floor, China, India, Pakistan, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Rwanda, Japan, exercised the right of reply.

In response to a point or order, Azerbaijan took the floor.

The agenda item was closed and meeting adjourned.

Fourth meeting of Committee A

In the Chair:
Honorable Raynold B. Oilouch (Palau)

Draft second report of Committee A

The Chair opened the meeting and called upon the Rapporteur, Ms Christy Butler (Bahamas), to read out the draft second report of Committee A, document (draft) A78/44 containing one resolution entitled:

-  Programme budget 2026–2027

and one decision entitled:

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

The draft second report of Committee A was adopted.

Health emergency preparedness and response

Item 16.1

Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience

Item 16.3

Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)

Item 16.4

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

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

Item 17.1

WHO’s work in health emergencies

Item 17.4

Universal Health and Preparedness Review

The Chair opened this grouping of agenda subitems and drew the Committee’s attention to relevant documents.

The Chair of the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Professor Walid Ammar, was invited to make some introductory remarks.

The floor was opened for discussion.

The Chair announced that, due to time constraints, delegations who had requested to speak on these subitems will be given the floor when the discussion on this group of subitem resumes.

Discussion of the agenda subitems was suspended and the meeting adjourned.

Fifth meeting of Committee A

In the Chair:
Dr Esperance Luvindao (Namibia)

The role of the global coordination mechanism on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in WHO’s work on multistakeholder engagement for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: report on independent evaluation

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

Item 13.1

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

o   Reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases through strengthening prevention and control of diabetes (resolution WHA74.4 (2021))

o   Oral health (resolution WHA74.5 (2021))

o   Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2030 (resolution WHA77.3 (2024) and decision WHA74(14) (2021))

o   Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem and its associated goals and targets for the period 2020–2030 (resolution WHA73.2 (2020))

The Chair opened the grouped agenda items and drew the Committee’s attention to the relevant documents. Delegates were invited to provide comments and consider the draft decision and resolutions EB156(18), EB156(19), EB156(20), EB156(21) and EB156 (22) respectively, as contained in EB156/2025/REC/1. 

Comments were invited from the floor.

Discussion of this group of agenda items was suspended and the meeting adjourned.

First meeting of Committee B

In the Chair:
Mrs Katarzyna Drążek-Laskowska (Poland)

Opening of the Committee

Mrs Katarzyna Drążek-Laskowska (Poland) expressed her gratitude for her election as chairperson of the Committee and welcomed delegates and observers. In accordance with Rule 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the World Health Assembly, the Committee elected by acclamation, Dra Reina Roa (Panama) and Mr Narciso Fernandes (Timor-Leste) as Vice-Chairs and Dr Abdulrahman Alqashaan (Kuwait) as Rapporteur. 

One delegation took the floor to request that the European Union be invited to attend and participate without vote in deliberations of the meetings, sub-committees, drafting groups or other subdivisions thereof, and addressing matters falling within the European Union competence in the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly.

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

The Chair opened the item for discussion and invited the Committee to consider the draft decision contained in document A78/B/CONF./1 Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan. The Chair invited comments from the floor and the secretariat responded to questions raised. The Committee noted the report contained in document A78/16.

In accordance with Rule 73 of the Rules of Procedure, a recorded vote was taken. The vote resulted in 104 votes in favour to 4 votes against, with 19 abstentions and 54 Member States absent.

In accordance with Rule 75 of the Rules of Procedure, a record of the vote is available here: 

https://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_outcomes_of_recorded_votes.html

The draft decision contained in document A78/B/CONF./1 was adopted and the item was closed.

Several delegates gave an explanation of vote under Rule 77 of the Rules of Procedure.

In accordance with Rule 57 of the Rules of Procedure, one delegate exercised the right of reply and the meeting was adjourned.

4.  Meetings and official side-events

A number of group meetings and official side-events will be held at the Palais des Nations during the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly. Official side-events and group meetings are listed on the governing bodies website:

https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA78-other-meetings/A78_other_meetings.pdf

5.  Announcements

Details concerning the outcomes of recorded votes can be found at: https://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_outcomes_of_recorded_votes.html

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/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=ar

Chinese:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=zh

English:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=en

French:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=fr

Russian:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=ru

Spanish:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=es

Documents for the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly can be accessed on the Internet through the WHO website (https://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha78.html).

The World Health Assembly application allows you to receive updates on the WHA78 programme of work and access documentation directly on your mobile device. Scan the QR code or search for “WHO Events” in the Apple or Google Stores on your phone.

Information concerning badge distribution, arrangements for conduct of discussion in meetings, interpretation, and written and verbal statements, can be found in the Guide for delegates to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly.

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