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<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT">Statement to the 64th session of the World Health Assembly
of WHO, on agenda item 11 The future of Financing for WHO </span></b></p>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height: 120%;"><u><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: Arial;" lang="IT">Read by Chiara Bodini - PHM Italy and WHO-Watch - 18 May 2011<br></span></u></p>
<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: Arial;" lang="IT"></span></p><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT"></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT"></span>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT">Thank you, Chair, for the opportunity to address the World
Health Assembly on behalf of the CMC<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> 
</span>Churches Action for Health and the People's Health Movement, a global
network of organizations and individuals working in more than 80 countries for
'health for all'.</span></p>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT">We are committed to a strong World Health Organisation,
adequately funded, fully utilising the powers of the Constitution and playing
the leading role in global health governance. However, the current crisis could
compromise WHO's capacity to play this role.</span></p>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT"></span></p>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT">The report is short on detail. The detailed reform program
was only available<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span>on the website late
last week, and this also lacks specifics on the reforms. We are concerned<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span>that the scope of operations of the
Secretariat could be reduced with 'mainstreaming' of some important functions
and that<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span>private foundations and
corporates will have new opportunities to influence the WHO agenda through the
proposed World Health Forum.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span>While we
support innovative mechanisms and consultations and public hearing sessions
with public interest groups, we believe that the task of setting WHO's agenda and<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span>the decision making process<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span>should always remain with the member states.</span></p>


<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT"></span></p>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT">The role of WHO should not be restricted to a technocratic
one distanced from policy issues that have profound implications on the
realization of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span>economic development,
equity, justice and peace. These are critical determinants of health and are
wholly encompassed in the WHO Constitution. </span></p>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT"></span></p>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT">To fulfil its mandate the WHO needs a budget that is
adequate, predictable and untied. The growing imbalance between assessed and
voluntary contributions undermines the organisation's independence. We propose
that member states collectively commit to increasing assessed funding so that
it reaches 50% of the overall budget over the next five years. This would help
WHO to be more independent of private philanthropies and the corporate sector
and thus better serve its member states and people and implement the priorities
decided by the assembly.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span></span></p>

<p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT"> </span></p><p class="Testopreformattato" style="line-height:120%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:
"DejaVu Sans Mono"" lang="IT">Please visit the <a href="http://www.ghwatch.org/who-watch">WHO Watch</a> for more information<br></span></p>

<br><br clear="all">--<br>Global Secretariat<br>People's Health Movement (PHM)<br>Email: <a href="mailto:globalsecretariat@phmovement.org" target="_blank">globalsecretariat@phmovement.org</a><br>Web: <a href="http://www.phmovement.org" target="_blank">www.phmovement.org</a><input type="hidden"><input type="hidden"><div>
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