Western Pacific Member State Guide to Regional Committee Processes and Protocol

Transcription

1 Western Pacific Member State Guide to Regional Committee Processes and Protocol 1

2 2 Table of Contents Abbreviations Mandate Functions Composition... 5 Rules of Procedure Dates and locations of meetings Regional Committee Secretariat WHO headquarters participation in the Regional Committee Attendance of WHO representatives Attendance of technical officers Attendance of general service staff members Other participants Credentials Agenda and timetable Regional Committee office bearers Languages Opening ceremony Opening of the session Speeches Plenary discussion Panel discussion Side events Bilateral meetings Closing of the session Voting General Information booklet Spouses programme Conference Services Seating arrangement Conference and language staff Travel and accommodations Documents reproduction and distribution Green initiatives Webcast of sessions of the Regional Committee... 19

3 3 Abbreviations Please note that most of these abbreviations are used in the Regional Office only. ADGs ASO CLO COM DAF DGO DPM EDT EXO ERP GIB HQ IGO IPS LEG NGO PUB RC RD RO RDO TAT TRA WHO WR Assistant Directors General Administrative Services Office Country Liaison Officer Communications Director, Administration and Finance Director General's Office (WHO headquarters) Director, Programme Management Editorial Services Executive Officer, Office of the Regional Director, and Coordinator, External Relations and Partnerships External Relations and Partnerships General Information Booklet WHO headquarters intergovernmental organization Information Products and Services WHO headquarters Legal Office nongovernmental organization Publications Regional Committee Regional Director Responsible officer Regional Director's Office Travel unit Translation World Health Organization WHO Representative

4 4 1. Overview of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific The Regional Committee is one of the most important decision making bodies in health governance in the Western Pacific Region. WHO should provide the most conducive environment possible for their decision making. 1.1 Mandate The governing bodies of WHO are the Executive Board, the World Health Assembly and the regional committees. The Regional Committee for the Western Pacific is one of the most important decisionmaking bodies in the Region, as stipulated in the Constitution of the World Health Organization. The Regional Committee: makes collective decisions (resolutions) on issues related to WHO programmes, health issues relevant to the Region and matters pertaining to WHO's governance and management; and monitors WHO's performance through the Report of the Regional Director, which covers the Region's activities from 1 July to 31 June each year. The Secretariat works to provide the Regional Committee with the most conducive environment possible for deliberation, reflection and decision making to carry out its duties comfortably. The Secretariat support begins from the moment participants confirm their attendance, through the sessions of the Regional Committee, until representatives return to their countries at the close of the session. This requires careful planning and coordination in communication, documentation, protocol and logistical support from everyone involved in the Regional Committee preparations. The WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific considers and consolidates issues raised by Member States during the previous session of the Regional Committee, the cycle of regional action frameworks and global resolutions relevant to the Region. Based on these, s/he forms a draft provisional agenda then consults initially with the Region's Executive Board members in January, before sharing the draft with all Member States in the Region for their input. The provisional agenda is then submitted to the Chair of the Regional Committee for approval. Member States participate in sessions of the Regional Committee by sending a representative with credentials (as the official delegation of their country). Many Member States representatives make interventions that are cleared by relevant national authorities. Through briefings and working documents, the session of the Regional Committee may serve as an opportunity for technical staff at the Regional Office and country offices, as well as their counterparts in governments to inform high level decision makers in Member States on issues deemed important by the Regional Committee. The Regional Committee session is also an opportunity to reflect on the needs of Member States and WHO priorities, and to ensure WHO's relevance to Member States and effective organizational operations. In recent years, the Regional Committee has fostered greater understanding of technical agenda items through panel discussions and side events held during the week of the Regional Committee session.

5 5 1.2 Functions The functions of the Regional Committee include: policy formation for matters of an exclusively regional character; supervision of Regional Office activities; suggestion of technical conferences or additional health work for WHO; cooperation with regional committees of other organizations sharing common interests; provision of advice, through the Director General, to WHO on health matters with extraregional significance; deliberations and decisions regarding funding levels for the Region; and other functions prescribed by the World Health Assembly, the Executive Board or the Director General. The Regional Committee also provides a forum for informal discussions to select officers for the World Health Assembly (who are chosen on a regional basis), and to designate members of the Executive Board (currently five seats for the Western Pacific Region). 1.3 Composition The Regional Committee is composed of representatives of Member States and Associate Members in the Region. Members of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific are listed in Table 1. The Regional Director (RD) is the Secretary of the Regional Committee, and is supported by the Regional Committee Secretariat composed of selected staff of the Regional Office for the Western Pacific and headquarters (Figure 2). Table 1. Members of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Australia Nauru France Brunei Darussalam New Zealand (for French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna) Cambodia Niue China Palau New Caledonia* Hong Kong SAR (China)* Papua New Guinea United Kingdom of Great Britain and Macao SAR (China)* Philippines Northern Ireland (for Pitcairn Islands) Cook Islands Republic of Korea United States of America Fiji Samoa (for American Samoa, Guam, Japan Singapore Commonwealth of the Northern Kiribati Solomon Islands Mariana Islands) Lao People's Democratic Republic Tokelau^ Malaysia Tonga Marshall Islands Tuvalu Micronesia, Federated States of Vanuatu Mongolia Viet Nam *Non voting member ^Associate Member

6 6 Rules of Procedure The Rules of Procedure provide guidance on the conduct of the Regional Committee including: membership and attendance, credentials, sessions (regular and special), agenda, protocol, officers of the Regional Committee and subcommittees, the Secretariat, languages, the conduct of business and voting. Figure 1. Key reading for representatives attending sessions of the Regional Committee Representatives attending the sessions of the Regional Committee are encouraged to be familiar with the Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific and the latest edition of Basic Documents. Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (revised in 2012) is available at: Basic Documents Forty eighth edition (2014) is available at:

7 7 2. Regular/Special sessions 2.1 Dates and locations of meetings Regional Committee session dates are decided in coordination with WHO headquarters so that there is no overlap between the regions. Each year a session takes place for one week in October. Dates and locations of previous sessions are listed on the Regional Office for the Western Pacific website. 1 Sessions are held at the Regional Office, unless a Member State issues an invitation to host. 2 Sessions can be held outside the Regional Office every second year. 3 A resolution on the time and place of the next Regional Committee is adopted prior to closing the current session. Sessions must be held at the Regional Office when the agenda includes the nomination of the Regional Director. 2.2 Regional Committee Secretariat The Regional Director, as Secretary of the Regional Committee, is supported by the Regional Committee Secretariat, which is responsible for coordination, technical, legal and administrative areas. The functions and composition of the Secretariat are described in Figure 2. Figure 2. Regional Committee Secretariat Secretary of the Regional Committee Regional Director (RD) Protocol and External Relations Executive Officer (EXO), Office of the Regional Director, and Coordinator, External Relations and Partnerships Assistant to the Secretary, Regional Committee Coordinator Director, Programme Management (DPM) Assistant to the Secretary Director, Administration and Finance (DAF) Communications COM Translation/ Interpretation Publications IPS Assistant to the Chair (as per RD) Responsible officers for agenda items Editorial Services EDT Administrative Services ASO Legal Counsel LEG/HQ The Regional Director may invite others, such as support staff, to join the Secretariat. 1 Previous sessions: 2 Resolution WPR/RC3.R9 3 Resolution WPR/RC24.R10

8 WHO headquarters participation in the Regional Committee Table 2. WHO headquarters participants at Regional Committee sessions and their functions Attendee Coordinator Remarks Director General RDO/DGO(HQ) The Regional Director is the Director General's representative in the Region. If the Director General sends someone to speak on his/her behalf, the host government should be informed that the speaker does not officially represent the Director General. LEG/HQ DAF LEG/HQ participates to provide guidance on rules of procedure and legal implications of resolutions. Senior staff (ADGs or directors) Responsible technical director Senior staff may be invited to speak on their areas of responsibility. DPM requests proposals for headquarters participation in June for submission to the Regional Director and headquarters (Executive Director of the Director General's Office). Participants from headquarters are globally coordinated among the six regional committees Attendance of WHO representatives DPM designates the WHO representatives (WRs) invited to attend a session of the Regional Committee. Normally, the WR South Pacific is invited to support South Pacific representatives. The WR in the host country and newly appointed WRs may also be invited as an orientation to the functions of the Region's governing body Attendance of technical officers Technical directors may recommend officers to attend a session of the Regional Committee in relation to main agenda items. This recommendation is made by or memorandum, through DPM, to RD. When the Regional Committee meets outside Manila, to minimize travel costs, participation is usually limited to the technical coordinator in support of the Director. For progress reports, technical officers should ensure directors are briefed to respond to any queries from Member States. For side events, a technical officer may support the organizers (Director and/or Member State) in organization and facilitation Attendance of general service staff members General service staff members support a variety of functions, specifically: English pool (selected by EDT) French pool (selected by IPS) Enquiry desk (selected by EXO in coordination with ASO) Publications (selected by IPS) COM (selected by EXO) Other participants Attendance of temporary advisers: occasionally teams identify the need for experts to participate in sessions of the Regional Committee. Invitations, logistics and funding for technical advisers are managed by the responsible technical unit.

9 9 3. Credentials Formal credentials of representatives should reach the Regional Director at least one day before the opening session of the Regional Committee. 4 Credentials may be issued by the head of state, the ministers of health or foreign affairs, or by any appropriate authority. Credentials must include the names of representatives and indicate the chief representative, representatives, alternates and advisers. Officers of the Regional Committee should meet no later than the morning coffee break on day 3 of the session to examine credentials and submit a report thereon to the Regional Committee Agenda 4.1 Agenda and timetable The agenda provides a plan for the session of the Regional Committee and a report on progress since the preceding one. The agenda covers topics to be discussed and voted on by the Regional Committee. Required agenda items are detailed in Rule 8 of the Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific. The standard structure and types of agenda are shown in Table 6. The Regional Director, as Secretary to the Regional Committee, draws from many sources in drafting the provisional agenda. S/he considers issues raised by Member States during previous sessions and the cycle of regional action frameworks (provided by divisional directors) and global resolutions relevant to the Region. The cycle of developing the agenda of the Regional Committee is shown in Figure 3. The timetable outlines the order of session proceedings. A sample timetable from the sixty fifth session of the Regional Committee in 2014 is provided in Figure 4. Table 6. Standard structure and types of agenda Agenda type Report of the Regional Director Programme Budget Number of agenda items Nature of the agenda Proposer Resolution 1 Mandated by the Constitution of the World Health Organization and the Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific 1 or 2 Mandated by the Constitution of the World Health Organization Technical items 4 to 5 Requested by Member States or proposed by the Secretariat. The agenda is usually synchronized with the cycle of the regional frameworks and World Health Assembly resolutions Technical panel 0 or 1 A technical item that is particularly important for the Region raised by Secretariat Secretariat Member States and Secretariat Member States and No Yes Yes Yes 4 Rule 3, Rules of Procedure 5 Rule 3 bis, Rules of Procedure

10 10 Progress report 6 to 8 grouped into two Coordination with the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board and supported by Member States may include a technical panel Mandated by resolution but timing of reporting can be proposed by Member States and the Secretariat 2 to 3 Suggested by the governing bodies (World Health Assembly and the Executive Board) Others Fixed items Fixed elements of the meeting: Election of office bearers, address by Chair/outgoing Chair/Director General, decision for the dates and venue of the next session of the Regional Committee Secretariat Member States and Secretariat Member States and Secretariat Secretariat No Yes Some yes

11 Figure 3. Regional Committee agenda and timetable development cycle 11

12 Figure 4. Timetable from the sixty fifth session of the Regional Committee in

13 13 5. Officers of the Committee 5.1 Regional Committee office bearers On the first day of the session, the Regional Committee elects office bearers, including: Chair, Vice Chair, English rapporteur and French rapporteur. Their term of office is one year Chair and Vice Chair If the Regional Committee session is held in the Regional Office, the Chair and Vice Chair are elected based on equitable rotation of office bearers among Member States. If the Regional Committee is hosted by a Member State, the chief representative of the host country is usually nominated as incoming Chair Rapporteurs For each session of the Regional Committee, two rapporteurs (one French speaking, one English speaking) are nominated by the members of the Regional Committee on the first day of the session. The English and French rapporteurs are determined based on the individual s proficiency in the working language for which s/he is to be nominated. The rapporteurs terms of reference are: to draft appropriate resolutions during the rapporteurs meeting as directed by the Chair of the Regional Committee; and to read the draft resolutions to the members of the Regional Committee during the plenary. This includes explaining any amendments requested by members and the agreed outcome. Rapporteurs' meeting: Chair: DPM Attendees: Rapporteurs, relevant technical director, relevant responsible officer, EDT, TRA, HQ/LEG Purpose: to review conference papers drafted by the Regional Committee Secretariat; and to ensure the Regional Committee s desired actions are accurately reflected in draft resolutions. Dates: immediately after each day's session of the Regional Committee Duration: 1 to 2 hours depending on the number of resolutions to be drafted 6 Rule 10, Rules of Procedure

14 14 6. Languages The three official languages of the Western Pacific Region are Chinese, English and French. Regional Committee documentation is prepared and approved in English, and then translated into Chinese and French. This process applies to all Regional Committee documentation except resolutions, the final report and journals, which are prepared in English and then translated into French only. 7. Conduct of Business 7.1 Opening ceremony The host government may hold an opening ceremony with high ranking officials and WHO staff in attendance. The opening ceremony is usually held in the morning of the first day, followed by the opening session of the Regional Committee. The opening ceremony is organized by the host government in collaboration with the respective WHO country office, if applicable. WHO liaises closely with the host government on protocol matters, with ASO on logistics and with COM on media (Table 4). There is usually no opening ceremony when the Regional Committee session is hosted by the Secretariat at the Regional Office for the Western Pacific. Table 4. Opening ceremony coordination Component Key actions Coordinators All arrangements Liaison between WHO Regional Office and Host Government (if hosted outside the Regional Office) Programme Order of speeches Cultural events Programme distribution to attendees Logistics Venue Logistical arrangements Media coverage Group photo Press release WHO Representative or Country Liaison Officer, if applicable Host government (if applicable)/exo Host government (if applicable)/aso Host government (if applicable)/com The host government protocol determines the programme and seating arrangements for the opening ceremony. WHO should inform the government, however, that the Regional Director is accorded a higher status than most regional directors for United Nations agencies because s/he is elected by Member States and officially represents the Director General when s/he is unable to attend. This distinction should be reflected in seating and photo arrangements. WHO and government counterparts should coordinate activities together. Essential information includes the list of government invitees, and entry and exit points at the venue. An on site briefing for members of the Secretariat involved in the opening session (RDO, ASO, COM and Enquiry Desk) should be held at least one day before the opening ceremony.

15 Opening of the session There is no distinct formal opening on the first day of the session. Instead, the opening of the session typically includes addresses (speeches) by the outgoing Chair and the WHO Director General. The outgoing Chair (elected the previous year) declares the session of the Regional Committee "open" to signal the start of the formal proceedings. This is followed by the election of office bearers, beginning with the nominations for the incoming Chair. When the outgoing Chair announces the newly elected Chair, s/he takes the seat at the head of the conference table and presides over the election of the Vice Chair and the rapporteurs. S/he then pronounces the elected officers and invites them to move to the head of the conference table and take their proper places. Member State representatives then adopt the agenda. 7.3 Speeches Regional Director s speeches: 1. Opening ceremony (if applicable); and 2. Introduction of the Regional Director s Report highlighting the Region s achievements from 1 July to 30 June (usually minutes). Director General s speech: The Director General's speech is usually about 10 minutes. Speeches of the outgoing and incoming chairs: Speeches of the outgoing and incoming chairs, as well as speeches of the Regional Director and the Director General, are distributed to representatives as annexes to the final report of the Regional Committee. 7.4 Plenary discussion Up to two hours are allotted for plenary discussion of each agenda item, as follows: Box 1. Time management tips The order and number of interventions may change the timing of subsequent agenda items depending on the length of interventions. Concise interventions from representatives are encouraged. If time runs short, representatives may submit interventions in writing. 1. Five minute introduction of the agenda item by RD or DPM 2. Member State representatives make interventions 3. Directors respond to interventions 4. DPM and RD may add to directors' responses 5. Chair instructs rapporteurs to draft an appropriate resolution (when applicable). 7.5 Panel discussion A panel discussion may precede a plenary discussion to examine an agenda item in detail. The format of panel discussions is as follows: 1. Moderator facilitates the discussion by providing an overview and introducing presenters. 2. Assigned panellists provide in depth knowledge based on expertise and experience. 3. Moderator summarizes the discussion.

16 16 Panel discussions may reduce the need for lengthy discussions in plenary sessions and often result in Member States committing to take concrete actions. 7.6 Side events Side events allow participants to effectively use the time between official proceedings to learn about activities that contribute to WHO s public health efforts and advocacy. Up to five side events are convened each year. Side events have the following one hour format: 1. Introduction by RD of the event, facilitator (master of ceremonies) and speakers 2. Formal presentations 3. Discussion. Side events may be proposed by Member States or institutions with official relations with WHO. Proponents are responsible for the organization of and documentation for side events, in consultation with the Secretariat and government organizing committees. Speakers are usually identified among delegates but may also be invited. Interpretation is not provided for side events. 7.7 Bilateral meetings Member States may request meetings with other governments and/or the Regional Director. Such requests might also be made to the Enquiry Desk staff, with information forwarded to RDO (especially if RD is to be included) and ASO. Ideally, a room specifically allotted for bilateral meetings is organized in advance. 7.8 Closing of the session There is no formal programme to mark the closure of the session on the last day. The date and place for the next session of the Regional Committee is discussed on the last day of current session. If a Member State s offer to host the next session has been confirmed by the Secretariat, the representative is given the opportunity to extend a formal invitation to the Regional Committee before an appropriate resolution is adopted. A copy of the draft resolution is provided to the representative. Prior to closing the session, the Regional Director presents individual gifts to the office bearers. The Chair of the Regional Committee usually receives a gavel bearing his/her name and title. The gift giving ceremony is photographed. 8. Voting Decisions of the Regional Committee are made by a majority of the representatives present and voting. 7 However, in the Western Pacific Region, decisions have traditionally been based on consensus among Members. Nonetheless, ASO ensures ballot boxes are available in the event that voting becomes imminent. 7 Rule 42, Rules of Procedure

17 17 9. Logistics 9.1 General Information Booklet The General Information Booklet (GIB) provides information on the date and venue of the session of the Regional Committee, including designated hotels with negotiated rates and amenities, currency and exchange rate, transportation, climate, electrical power sources and access guidance at the meeting venue. A link to the GIB is indicated in all invitation letters sent to Member State representatives and other invitees. It is also available on the Regional Committee website. 9.2 Spouses programme The host government often prepares a sightseeing or field trip programme for spouses accompanying representatives, observers and other attendees. This programme is typically announced during the session of the Regional Committee. Information on the programme (schedule, logistics, transport, etc.) and registration details are made available at the Enquiry Desk. 9.3 Conference services The Secretariat ensures that physical arrangements and conference services are available for Regional Committee social functions, side events and other related activities. When the session is held outside of Manila, the Secretariat coordinates closely with the local organizing committee. 9.4 Seating arrangement In preparing the seating plan, the Secretariat draws the name of a Member State from a box containing the names of 30 Member States with voting rights. This person will occupy the first seat after the rapporteur in the opening ceremony (when applicable), plenary sessions and the group photo. Member States are seated in alphabetical order starting from the Member drawn by the Secretariat. Figure 10. Sample seating arrangement for Regional Committee sessions

18 Conference and language staff Conference staff proficient in English and Chinese or French assist in report preparation and translation, specifically: two report writers and note takers; two French translators to translate the daily journal and other documents; and three English/French interpreters three English/Chinese interpreters (contracted through the WHO Representative Office in China). 9.6 Travel and accommodations WHO is responsible for all travel and accommodation related matters of attendees. Before the session of the Regional Committee: a registration form (flight details, date and time of arrival, and hotel preference) is uploaded to the Regional Committee website by the deadline specified in the invitation letters; the Secretariat maintains the list of responses; WHO secures lodging for all Member State representatives and the Secretariat (in either four or five star accommodations); WHO assists in securing accommodations for other attendees; and WHO maintains a log of document dispatches to keep track of their expected receipt. During the session of the Regional Committee: WHO/Secretariat provides an updated hotel booking list to RDO and DPM once all participants arrive; WHO/Secretariat arranges the meeting and send off of invitees; and WHO/Secretariat arranges transport for all social functions and Regional Committee related activities. Travel desks with WHO staff are set up: at designated hotels to distribute conference bags, invitations and badges; collect credentials; and assist with Regional Committee related transport; and near the plenary for hotel concerns and flight information. Transportation is confirmed with pick up fliers that are made available for the representatives at the travel desk near the plenary hall. The travel expenses of one representative per least developed country may be financed by WHO upon request. 8 Eligible Member States may submit requests to the Regional Director indicating their preference for WHO to arrange an air ticket or reimburse an economy air ticket from the capital city of the Member State to the Regional Committee session venue. 8 Resolution WHA52.9. For the Western Pacific Region, least developed countries are Cambodia, Kiribati, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

19 Documents reproduction and distribution Since 2016, Regional Committee documents have been made available online only for Member States. Documents reproduction and distribution are limited but may still occur for invitations, the GIB and some other materials. 9.8 Green initiatives Climate neutral and resource efficient systems contribute to increased awareness of the need for sustainable consumption patterns and demonstrate that WHO is leading by example. Member States have also encouraged WHO in this direction. Recent initiatives include limiting the publications displayed and limiting paper based dissemination of documents (see 9.7 above). Air conditioning (AC) units, lights and electronics (e.g. computers and printers) should be switched off when not in use. AC units, if needed, should be set to 26 C (78 F). Staff members are encouraged to actively participate in green initiatives and make efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle on a daily basis. 9.9 Webcast of sessions of the Regional Committee Sessions of the Regional Committee are live streamed in English through the Regional Committee website. A link to a WebEx event on the Regional Committee website is published.

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