Special Programmes: UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases: Joint Coordinating Board (JCB) – Report on attendance at the JCB in 2018 and nomination of a member in place of Maldives whose term expires on 31 December 2018

Abstract

The Joint Coordinating Board (‎JCB)‎ of the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases Research (‎TDR)‎ acts as the Governing Body of the Special Programme and is responsible for its overall policy and strategy. This paper describes the background and composition of the JCB TDR. Currently, Maldives represents the WHO South-East Asia (‎SEA)‎ Region until 31 December 2018 under Paragraph 2.2.2 of the Memorandum of Understanding (‎MoU)‎. Among Member States of the WHO South-East Asia (‎SEA)‎ Region, Sri Lanka had shown interest in representing the Region for the mentioned period. However, during the Forty-first Session of the Joint Coordinating Board for TDR (‎JCB TDR)‎, which was held at WHO headquarters in Geneva on 18–20 June 2018, Sri Lanka was elected under Paragraph 2.2.3 of the MoU among Cooperating Parties. Therefore, the nomination of another Member State under Paragraph 2.2.2 is to be considered by the Seventy-first Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia for a four-year period from 1 January 2019 onwards to replace Maldives. The attached Working Paper was presented to the High-level Preparatory (‎HLP)‎ Meeting for its review and recommendations. The HLP reviewed the paper and made the following recommendation for consideration by the Seventy-first Session of the Regional Committee: Action by Member States  The membership of Myanmar under paragraph 2.2.2 of the Memorandum of Understanding was proposed at the HLP Meeting for a period of four years starting from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022. The proposal was seconded by Thailand and the HLP Meeting accepted the proposal for the consideration of the Seventy-first Session of the Regional Committee in September. The report on attendance at the JCB in 2018 and the HLP recommendation are submitted to the Seventy-first Session of the Regional Committee for its consideration.