RC71 Provisional Programme English 240731
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PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME FOR THE WHO REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN
Seventy-first session, Doha, Qatar, 14–17 October 2024
Theme: Health beyond borders: solidarity for access and equity in the Eastern Mediterranean
Region
Sunday, 13 October 2024 – WALK THE TALK
18.00–20.00 Walk the Talk event – Oxygen Park
Monday, 14 October 2024 – MINISTERIAL PLENARY SESSIONS
09:45–10:00 Opening remarks and setting ground rules
1-Session 1
10:00–10:30
Overview of the Flagship Initiatives
1-Session 2
10:30–11:30
Regional Flagship Initiative 1: Improving access to affordable medical
commodities/securing equitable supply chains
1-Session 3
11:30–12:30
Regional Flagship Initiative 2: Investing in and empowering human resources for
health
12:30–13:30 Lunch break
1-Session 4
13:30–14:30
Regional Flagship Initiative 3: Accelerating control of substance use
1-Session 5
14:30–15:30
Eastern Mediterranean Region strategic operational plan, 2025–2028
15:30–16:00 Break
1-Session 6: OPENING CEREMONY – 16:00–17:30
• Recital from the Holy Quran
• Opening address by the Chair of the 70th session of the Regional Committee
• Address by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
(followed by a video)
• Address by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
• High-level segment
• Awards
• Group photo
20:00–22:00 Regional Director’s special event on the Investment Round followed by dinner
2
Tuesday, 15 October 2024 – REGULAR SESSIONS OF RC71
2-Session 1
09:00–09:30
(a) Election of officers
• Chair
• 2 Vice-Chairs
(b) Adoption of the provisional agenda and provisional daily timetable
(c) Decision on the establishment of the Drafting Committee
2-Session 2
09:30–11:00
• Annual Report of the Regional Director 2023 and the Vision
of the Regional Director (Regional strategic operational plan
and Flagship Initiatives)
• Discussion
11:00–11:30 Break
2-Session 3
11:30–13.00
Update on emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
• Emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
• Special update on the health and humanitarian situation in Palestine
• Latest on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB)
• Discussion
13:00–14:00 Lunch break
Hosted ministerial lunch by H.E. The Minister of Public Health of Qatar and
Chair of RC71 under the theme “Health and Sports”
2-Session 4
14.00–15.00
Special updates
• Polio eradication in the Eastern Mediterranean Region including
the reports of the tenth and eleventh meetings of the Regional
Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks
• Discussion
2-Session 5
15.00–16.30
Governance matters
• Reports of the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first meetings of the
Programme Subcommittee of the Regional Committee
• Membership of WHO bodies and committees
• Procedure for accreditation of regional non-State actors not in
official relations with WHO to attend meetings of the WHO
Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean
• Place and date of future sessions of the Regional Committee
• Application from the Russian Federation to attend the WHO
Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in an
observer capacity
2-Session 6
16.30–17:30
Side event: Dengue and vector control in the Eastern Mediterranean
Region
2-Session 7
17:30–18:30
Side event: Launch of the regional framework for Immunization
Agenda 2030
3
Wednesday, 16 October 2024 – REGULAR SESSIONS OF RC71
3-Session 1
09:00–10:00
Technical paper
• Promoting collaborative action to accelerate the regional
response to antimicrobial resistance in the Eastern
Mediterranean Region
• Discussion
3-Session 2
10:00–11:00
Technical paper
• Enhancement and digitalization of health information systems in
the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a regional
strategy, 2024–2028
• Discussion
11:00–11:30 Break
3-Session 3
11:30–12:30
Technical paper
• Addressing the increasing burden of trauma in humanitarian
settings in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
• Discussion
3-Session 4
12:30–13:30
Technical paper
• Regional action plan for mental health and psychosocial
support in emergencies, including substance use (2024–2030)
• Discussion
13:30–14:30 Lunch break
3-Session 5
14:30–15:30
Panel discussion
Artificial intelligence for achieving universal health coverage and
health security: nurturing the opportunities and mitigating the risks
3-Session 6
15:30–16:30
Closed meeting (side event): The impact of economic sanctions
on health and health services in the Eastern Mediterranean Region:
What are the real consequences?
16:30–17:00 Break
17:00–18:00 Closed meeting: Foundation for the State of Kuwait Prize for the
Control of Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes in the
Eastern Mediterranean Region
17:00–20:00 Meeting of the Drafting Committee
4
Thursday, 17 October 2024 – REGULAR SESSIONS OF RC71
4-Session 1
09:00–10:30
World Health Assembly and Executive Board follow-up – Governance and
administrative matters
• Review of the draft provisional agenda of the 156th session of the WHO
Executive Board
• Update on implementation of the WHO Transformation Agenda in the Eastern
Mediterranean Region
• Discussion
Closed meeting
• Process for the nomination and appointment of Regional Directors
• Process of handling and investigating potential allegations against WHO
Directors-General
• Discussion
4-Session 2
10:30–11:00
Coordination of work of the Health Assembly, Executive Board and the
Regional Committees
• Resolutions and decisions of regional interest adopted by the Seventy-seventh
World Health Assembly and the Executive Board at its 154th and 155th sessions
• Discussion
11:00–11:30 Break
4-Session 3
11:30–12:30
World Health Assembly and Executive Board – Programme and budget matters
• WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14) 2025–2028: regional
analysis
• WHO Investment Case 2025–2028 and latest on the WHO Investment Round
• Discussion
12:30–13:30 Lunch break
13:30–13:40 Statement from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region Staff
Association (EMRSA)
13:40–13:50 Statement by the Association of Retired and Former WHO Staff in
the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR/RFS)
4-Session 4
13:50–15.00
Adoption of resolutions and decisions
4-Session 5
15.00–15.30
Closing session