Introduction:
Following a recommendation from the Programme Subcommittee of the Regional Committee, approved by the officers of the 67th session of the Regional Committee, WHO Member States in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have agreed to conduct the 68th session of the Regional Committee using a virtual modality.
Date and venue
The 68th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean is scheduled to take place from Monday 11 to Thursday 14 October 2021, exact timings to be confirmed. The meeting will be conducted virtually using the Zoom video conferencing platform, facilitated from WHO’s Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt. Details for accessing the virtual platform will be provided following completion of the registration process. Registration for participation All participants are kindly requested to register for the 68th session of the Regional Committee through the secure online registration service at https://indico.un.org/event/35845 no later than 15 September 2021.
It is recommended to use the latest version of Google Chrome browser to access the registration page. The WHO Secretariat will confirm your registration via email. Registration is a prerequisite for accessing the Zoom platform during the Regional Committee sessions, which will be restricted to registered and approved participants. Membership and attendance The Regional Committee consists of one representative from each country or territory of WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. For the virtual modality of the Regional Committee, access to the Zoom platform will be granted to representatives and their alternates. Advisers and representatives of other entities invited under Rule 2 of the Regional Committee’s Rules of Procedure will be able to follow the sessions and deliberations through webcast.
Credentials
Member States should communicate the names and designations of their representatives and all alternates and advisers to the WHO Regional Director no later than 15 September 2021. Such credentials will be issued by the Head of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Health, or any other appropriate authority (Rule 3 of the Rules of Procedure). A copy of the letter of credentials should be uploaded to the registration system so that registration can be approved.
Working languages
The working languages of the Regional Committee are Arabic, English and French. Statements made in any of these languages will be interpreted simultaneously into the other two languages. Delegates will be able to follow in their chosen language by selecting it when connecting to the Zoom platform. The meeting will also be webcast in multiple languages.
Agenda and other documents
Official documentation for the session will be available in Arabic, English and French, and will be made available on the Regional Committee website in the month of September 2021. Documents will not be dispatched by post. Participants are kindly requested to consult the documents online.
Written statements
Written statements of no more than 600 words may be submitted for posting on the WHO regional website under the related agenda item. Written statements should be sent in advance of the opening of the 68th session of the Regional Committee. They may be submitted in lieu of a live intervention or to complement a live intervention from a Member State. Please send written statements for posting to the WHO website to emrgogovbod@who.int, indicating the name of the country delegation/entity in the subject line of the email.
Video statements
Delegations are encouraged to prepare prerecorded statements to be broadcast during the Regional Committee sessions and are requested to share them with the WHO Secretariat at least five days before the start of the virtual Committee session, to allow time for testing. Exact video specifications and means of sharing them will be communicated at a later stage.
