Dr Vesna Petrič, and the incoming Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari,
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
First of all, I would like to offer my gratitude to Dr Kerstin Vesna Petrič for her excellent and dedicated leadership over the last year. I think she has mentioned some of the breakthroughs, one is the programme budget, with the assessed contribution. I will add to that one more, the investment round, which will influence the organization in a significant way. That is what we have been asking for and I think this happening during her tenure is an excellent legacy for you. So thank you, thank you so much indeed.
My speechwriter, Simeon Bennett, was sending me the first Director-General's intervention during the first assembly in 1948, and he was asking the same thing about flexibility of funding and so on. Some things never change. But I think there is a time that they can change if we commit. I think that’s what happened during this assembly. Of course, I thought this could be a problem of the last few decades. I didn’t know that this was a problem from the first assembly. That’s why I can even say now, as I have been saying the last few days, this is a very historic decision and something that has really addressed a systemic problem that has affected the organization for many years, since its inception. So, well done.
Then of course, the other is the new standing committee, which is very important. As Vesna said, it will help us, the Secretariat and governments to work closely, especially on emergencies to immediately trigger and do the best organization we can do together. I think it is when we both work together, the Secretariat and the governments, that we can have a better impact. So thank you so much.
I think there are many stories to tell about your leadership, but I know all colleagues who have been working with the old members know and all our Member States as well.
My congratulations to Dr Al Kuwari on your election as Chair. I look forward to working with you over the next year to make the work of the Executive Board even more effective and efficient and build on what we have started.
I would also like to welcome the new members of the board: Australia, Barbados, Cameroon, Comoros, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Lesotho, Qatar, Switzerland, Togo, and Ukraine.
I thank all members of the Executive Board for your work in preparing for and executing a very successful World Health Assembly.
As you know, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of WHO, and it is appropriate that it also marks the historic steps by the Health Assembly towards sustainable financing for the organization.
The establishment of the new investment round and the approval of an initial 20% increase in assessed contributions, are both landmark decisions.
With the increased resources also comes the expectation to bolster our governance, accountability, transparency and efficiency.
The Secretariat will continue to move forward on implementing the recommendations of the Agile Member States Task Group, alongside the Secretariat Implementation Plan on reform and the 100-day plan of the Action Results Group, led by our country representatives, the WRs.
Moving forward, you will be considering reforms to improve the functioning, effectiveness and efficiency of the Executive Board itself, both in its role of advising the Health Assembly and in providing guidance in the implementation of the Assembly’s decisions and policies.
As I said in my opening remarks at the Health Assembly, the COVID-19 pandemic has blown us off course in our goals to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the triple billion targets.
But just as the world came together to take on the pandemic, we must pursue them with the same urgency and determination.
We will address this challenge by working with you to identify ways to speed up the achievement of the SDGs and triple billion targets, especially as we move forward in developing the Fourteenth General Programme of Work, GPW14.
Once again, I thank all Members of the board for your commitment to making this Organization more effective, efficient and accountable – and working to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable.
I look forward to our discussion, and your guidance.
But before that, Vesna, if you’ll allow us, there is a token of our appreciation.
[He presents her with a ceremonial gavel. Applause.].