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RC71 Programme Documentation Information bulletin Speeches

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This is my first Regional Committee as Regional Director, and I would like to start by thanking our outgoing Chair, His Excellency Dr Ali Haji Adam Abubakar, Minister of Health and Human Services of Somalia. Dr Ali.
I thank our gracious hosts, the Government of Qatar. They have engaged very energetically at every stage of preparations for this meeting, led by Her Excellency the Minister of Public Health, Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari.

Opening address by the Regional Director to the Seventy-first session of the WHO Regional Committee

I thank Qatar for hosting this year’s Regional Committee Meeting, which comes at a very difficult time for the region, with conflict in the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, Yemen, and now in Lebanon.
A month ago I was in Sudan with Dr Balkhy, where we saw for ourselves the effects of the conflict that has caused such destruction, death, disease and the displacement of more than 13 million people – one quarter of Sudan’s population.

Director-General’s address 71st session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean

RC71 Programme Documentation Information bulletin Speeches

Statements Technical meetings News e-Bulletin Daily Journal

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Introduction

The State of Qatar occupies a peninsula approximately 100 km wide and 200 km long, and includes several islands, the largest of which are Halul, Shraouh and Al-Asshat. Qatar shares its southern border with Saudi Arabia and a maritime border Bahrain, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Population

The population of Qatar is 3 million.

Major cities

Doha (capital), Al-Wakrah, Al-Khor, Dukhan, Al-Shamal, Msaieed, Ras Lafan and others.

Language

Arabic is the official language of the country, although English is widely spoken.

Climate

Qatar has a desert climate with year-round sunshine, hot summers and mild winters. Monthly temperature ranges from 17°C in January to 36°C in July, sometimes reaching highs of over 40°C during the summer. Rain is infrequent, falling in brief showers in winter.

Working days

The working week is Sunday to Thursday.
Fridays and Saturdays are official days off.

Currency

The monetary unit in Qatar is the riyal (QR or QAR). The exchange rate is fixed at US$ 1 = QAR 3.64.

ATMs can be found in many locations and most shops and restaurants accept major credit cards.

Culture and dress code

Qatar is a conservative country. Guests are expected to dress in a style that is sensitive to the Islamic culture. Men generally wear long trousers and a shirt in public. Women's attire in public ought to cover the shoulders, upper arms and knees.

Seek permission before taking photographs of people and be cautious about taking photographs in public.

Touristic hotspots

Qatar has many tourist attractions including nature reserves, historic forts, five-star hotels, museums and galleries, desert safaris, restaurants, markets and malls. Tourist hotspots include the Corniche, Souq Waqif and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, and Al Zubarah Fort and Khor Al Adaid (the Inland Sea).

Qatar is considered one of the safest tourist destinations in the world. Further information is available on the Qatar Tourism Authority website.

Date and venue

The 71st session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean is scheduled to take place from Monday 14 to Thursday 17 October 2024.

The session will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, Doha.

The hotel is around 17.5 km from the airport (24-minute drive).

Member State delegates, advisers and representatives of other entities that are unable to attend in person will be able to follow the sessions and deliberations online on the WHO public website. Details for accessing the live streaming of the sessions will be shared in due course.

Registration

Registration is a prerequisite for attending the sessions in person. All participants are kindly requested to register for the 71st session of the Regional Committee through the RC71 online registration system, no later than 15 August 2024.

Registrations will be confirmed via email.

Membership and attendance

The Regional Committee consists of one representative from each country or territory of WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The representatives may be accompanied by alternates and advisers (Rule 1 of the Rules of Procedure).

The WHO Regional Director, in consultation with the Regional Committee, may invite States that are not members of the Committee to participate without vote in the sessions of the Regional Committee. The Regional Director, in consultation with the Regional Committee, may also invite nongovernmental organizations to participate in the deliberations of the Committee (Rule 2 of the Rules of Procedure).

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 August 2024. 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 Procedures). To guarantee an approved registration, participants are kindly requested to upload a copy of the signed letter of credentials onto the registration system.

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 in the other two languages.

Written statements

Written statements of no more than 600 words may be submitted for posting on the Regional Committee website under the related agenda item. Written statements should be sent in advance of the opening of the 71st 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 email 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.

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 2024 Documents will not be dispatched by post. Participants are kindly requested to consult the documents online.

Submissions by delegations 

Delegations wishing to propose draft resolutions for circulation to the Regional Committee are requested to share them with the Secretariat at least two days before the proposal is discussed, to allow time for translation, reproduction in the working languages and circulation to delegations.

Eco-friendly meeting 

Organizers are committed to ensuring that the session of the Regional Committee will be environmentally friendly through its paperless initiative. It will seek to encourage people’s participation in physical activities, and to ensure healthy food options are available to participants.

Travel arrangements 

Delegates/participants are kindly requested to make their own travel arrangements for both outward and return journeys.

Visa arrangements

Participants should obtain a visa/entry permit to Qatar prior to their departure from their home country. Participants are kindly requested to fill in the relevant section on the RC71 registration form for visa requests. Issued visas will be shared with participants via email.

Insurance

WHO cannot accept liability for personal accidents or loss of or damage to the private property of participants and accompanying persons, either during or indirectly arising from participation in the Regional Commit tee. Participants should make their own arrangements with respect to health and travel insurance.

Accommodation

The Regional Committee will take place at the Ritz-Carlton Doha, Qatar.

The hosting country shall bear the expenses of the head of delegation plus one other delegate/adviser, from each of the participating Member States, at the Ritz-Carlton, Doha, for the period of 13 to 18 October 2024.

Remaining delegation members and other esteemed Regional Committee participants may book their accommodation through the hotel websites listed in Annex 1, no later than 31 August 2024, and settle their own hotel bill directly with the hotel.

Transportation 

Transportation will be provided upon arrival and departure, and for any official event held outside the hotel venue, noting that transportation will only be made available to and from the official venue of the Regional Committee, namely the Ritz-Carlton, Doha.

Weather

In October, the weather is expected to be quite warm during the day and mild in the evening. Temperatures during this time of the year range between a maximum of 35°C and a minimum of 24°C.