Introduction  

Following a recommendation from the Programme Subcommittee of the Regional Committee, approved by the officers of the 66th session of the Regional Committee, WHO Member States in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have agreed to conduct the 67th session of the Regional Committee using a virtual modality. 

Date and venue  

The 67th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean is scheduled to take place on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 October 2020, 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 67th session of the Regional Committee through the following link: https://indico.un.org/event/34466/, no later than 31 August 2020. It is recommended to use the 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 RC67, 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 and Procedures 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 1 September 2020. 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 (link) 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 the chosen language by selecting the preferred language when connecting to the Zoom platform. The meeting will also be webcast in multiple languages. 

Agenda and other documents  

Official documentation of the session will be available in Arabic, English and French, and will be made available on the Regional Committee website during September 2020. 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 67th 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 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.

Walk the Talk

Over the past few years, we have been celebrating WHO’s ‘Walk the Talk’ campaign to coincide with the Regional Committee Meeting, to uphold our commitment to adhering to our values and principles of health. This year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be walking the talk virtually on Sunday 11 October, 11:00 Cairo time, as we dedicate this year’s event to our fearless health workers at the frontlines of the fight against the pandemic.