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Thanks to all of you who have expressed your
feelings about the importance of this meeting. Our network has been
used extensively, developed and improved. It has brought out more
clearly the key qualities of all our staff, wherever they are. The
quality of the discussions, and of the contribution of participants,
is much more evident now than it was two years ago when we last met.
Our ability to share, to understand each other’s roles and
contributions, has helped us move forward.
When I spoke at the beginning of this meeting, I
described how the new developments have created a very different
climate for our work. It is perceived as more important than ever
before. This higher standing brings increased responsibilities and new
challenges. The demands on all of us in WHO, and on other parts of the
UN family, have grown substantially over the past years. We are
expected to respond - working together with governments and other UN
partners.
We are asked to serve, more and more, as advocates
and negotiators for better health. This means working with a broad
range of partners at country level.
I repeat what I said at the start about WHO's
country operations being a vital aspect of our work; that they are
critical to the success of all efforts to bring about equitable
improvements in people's health. I said that I wanted to be
confident that national governments, civil society, private entities
and other development partners recognize that WHO's advice and
endorsement is essential for all their health work.
That is why I am pleased that you have taken the
opportunity to start analysing how WHO's country operations can be
made more effective.
You have spoken about organizational credibility.
I prefer to speak in terms of our strength, based on our continuing to
reflect the principles which underlie all our work: respect for
evidence, helping to scale up what works, reaching out, focusing on
those who are poor and disadvantaged, and working as one organization
with other UN partners. We also need to re-examine the emphases of our
work at country level, ensuring that it enables us to do all this to
best effect.
You have stressed some of the new emphases -
country teams as convenors, advisers and brokers, with stronger
mechanisms for collaboration with ministries of health, other sectors,
bi-lateral and multi-lateral development agencies, NGOs, and civil
society.
You have spelt out the importance of strong
country teams to reflect the new profile and meet demands at the
country level: the need for an appropriate skills mix, exploring
different strategies including national and international recruitment,
secondment and a programme of staff training and development.
You have pointed out the need to ensure that management
systems accommodate new working practices such as the re-oriented
programme budget process, Country Co-operation Strategies,
developments in information technology and collaboration with other
development partners. You have spoken of the need for appropriate
authority - particularly authority in managing finances and personnel.
You have also spoken of the need for a sustainable
and structured programme for developing the technical competence of
country teams.
Let me reflect, quickly, on what I have heard.
You are all committed - to humanitarian
outcomes, equity and the development of our organization so that
we can all fulfil what is expected of us. I sense extraordinary
solidarity among us all. We must build on it. Certainly, I expect that
the Global Meetings will continue, but linked to Regional Meetings,
which feed into the process, and to the Global Programme Management
Group (the DPM's group). In between the meetings we will focus on the
key topics with in depth analysis, and this will help us to move
forward.
I want to ensure that we all work to make ourselves
a stronger and more effective organization. This requires
technical excellence, focus on science, increased sensitivity to the
political atmosphere, and increased objectivity. We work with all
countries (big or small) and not just a select few. We need common
visions and strategies, but to respect the diversity of nations and
peoples, their different needs, the particular humanitarian issues
they face and their expressed priorities.
So, as we evolve, our organization-wide policy
and strategy will incorporate a continuing analysis of the options for
stronger country presence, the country co-operation approach and
better equipped country teams. The analysis will consider the
issues involved, the resource implications and the institutional
realities. WRs will be invited to participate in the analysis, both
individually and through task forces.
The analysis will consider the investment required
in country teams and options for accessing these resources - for
example through bilateral development agencies, foundations and so on.
Once the analysis is complete we will consider a pilot approach in
some country offices, exploring the options.
Meanwhile I can assure you that work on developing country
co-operation strategies will continue within a broader framework
of the enhanced Unit for Country Analysis and Support which will work
closely with Regional Offices.
We will explore the options for increasing the
authority of WRs seeing how it can be linked to a process of skill
development as they take on new responsibility. We will also explore
options for inter-regional transfer of WRs.
I have heard you speak on issues of conditions of
service and grade. As you will understand, there are no simple
solutions. We have to move forward on the basis of careful analysis of
responsibilities, authority, controls and options as we develop new
management and IT systems.
I shall ask the Global Programme Management Group
to start thinking about how all this can be taken forward when they
meet on Monday.
I note your comments on the potential of, and
problems with, working with sister UN agencies and other development
partners. I shall have your comments and concerns in mind as I travel
to Nairobi on Sunday morning for the Agencies Co-ordinating Committee
and UNDG meetings. However, joint programming is not foreseen in the
very near future.
We are now close to the World Health Assembly. This
will be an important meeting, with a focus on the budget, on technical
areas like infant and young child feeding and access to essential
medicines, on tobacco and other global issues, and on the options for
scaling up our collective action to address HIV.
WRs and Liaison Officers have a key role to play in
all this work. The country teams are our strength and are central to
all the big issues that affect the whole Organization. They are a key
element of the one WHO team. I believe that it would be helpful if you
are able to find opportunities to provide background briefing to
delegations on the issues coming up in the Assembly, as some of you
have identified.
I said, at the beginning of this meeting, that as I
visit countries I am seeing the reliance and trust the Governments
have in you, the ambassadors of WHO. All of you are the public face of
WHO and the alter ego of the Regional Directors and myself. We value
this greatly.
I appreciate the hardship experienced by many of
you in your work. Recent experiences in Somalia have again brought
this out.
Unfortunately some of you, for me too large a
number, will be retiring during the next two years and leaving WHO. To
you, representing several hundred years of experience, and dedication
to our Organization, I say a very warm thank you on behalf of us all.
You have served the Organization, your colleagues and the peoples of
our world well. I would like to acknowledge you individually.
To all of you, thank you, good health and good luck
for the future. |
