Permanent Mission of India
Geneva
140th Session of the Executive Board of the WHO
Intervention by India on Agenda Item 8.5 Follow-up of the report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination at the 140th Session of Executive Board of the WHO delivered by Shri. Amal Pusp, Director, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 27 January 2017
Mr. Chairman,
India chaired the open-ended meeting on CEWG in May 2016 and also led the negotiations on the WHA resolution 69.23. We are happy to observe that the Executive board is discussing the Terms of Reference and a costed workplan of the Global Observatory on Health Research and Development, ToRs for a WHO Expert Committee on Health Research and Development and a proposal with goals and an operational plan for a voluntary pooled fund to support research and development. We welcome these proposals and are happy to support them. We request EB to take them forward.
Delegation of India would like to also offer some comments to constructively take this discussion forward.
After studying the documents EB140/21 and EB140/22, we note that in all the existing initiatives including the R&D demonstration projects, establishment of the Global Observatory and the voluntary pooled fund, there is a huge gap between the financial resources required and the financial contributions made or pledged. Delegation of India would have liked reports by the Secretariat to provide more details on how this critical impediment can be overcome.
The report by the Secretariat does not elaborate on how the Global Observatory, the WHO Expert Committee and the voluntary fund are going to adhere to the principles of affordability, effectiveness, efficiency, equity and the principle of delinkage, and also provide for sustainable funding.
While resolution WHA69.33 calls for expediting implementation of the strategic work plan under WHA69.22, and also addresses the establishment of the Global Observatory and the voluntary pooled fund, it specifically calls upon the DG to request WHA at its 70th session to consider convening another open-ended meeting of Member States to address the remaining issues in the CEWG report.
This specifically relates to the outstanding issue of commencing negotiations for a binding R&D Treaty as recommended by the CEWG.
We request the EB to ask WHO to update the reports by considering these suggestions as well.
Thank you.
