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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 000916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON TBIO WHO
SUBJECT: WHO: IMPACT OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS ON ACHIEVEMENT 
OF THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS 
 
¶1. Summary.  WHO convened a meeting of G-20 countries on 
October 31 to discuss the impact of the financial crisis on 
health and the social sector.  Director-General Chan asked 
for advice, called for stable Official Development Assistance 
(ODA), committed to working with vulnerable countries, 
promised better UN coherence, and said she would establish a 
task force to provide periodic assessments to Member States. 
She hoped the discussion at the meeting would feed into the 
Washington summit on Nov. 15. Countries applauded her 
initiative, agreed on the importance of protecting the social 
sector, committed to continue assistance to WHO and social 
programs, and looked to WHO for assistance to vulnerable 
countries.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  WHO Director-General Margaret Chan convened a meeting on 
October 31 of Ambassadors of G-20 countries to discuss the 
impact of the financial crisis on achievement of the 
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  Every G-20 country was 
represented with the exception of Argentina and the United 
Kingdom.  Charge d,affaires Mark Storella represented the 
United States. 
 
¶3.  Chan opened the meeting by recalling her participation 
the week before in a meeting of the Chief Executives Board in 
New York where the Secretary-General (SYG) had pledged that 
the UN system would work together to support Member States 
during this difficult period, stressing the need for UN 
coherence.  Chan expressed pleasure that the SYG had been 
invited to participate in President Bush,s November 15 
summit on the economic crisis and said he would speak for the 
UN with one voice. 
 
¶4.  Recalling a retreat she had hosted for her senior staff 
from Headquarters and regional offices earlier in the week, 
Chan said she had heard concerns from countries about the 
unprecedented global challenge that would affect not only the 
poor but the middle-class as well.  She said she would 
establish a WHO task force to look at which countries are 
most vulnerable, to provide periodic assessments to share 
with Member States, and to advise on how WHO can help 
countries protect public health and the social sector. 
 
¶5.  In responding, a number of G-20 Ambassadors made similar 
points: they welcomed Chan,s initiative to focus on the 
impact of the crisis on health; long-term solutions were 
necessary; the impact on developing countries had to be 
recognized and addressed; it was essential to maintain 
development assistance levels, and most committed to doing 
that; achieving the MDGs remained a priority; partnerships 
with the private sector are essential; and UN coherence will 
contribute to a collective, coordinated response in a 
multilateral framework.  Ambassadors also welcomed the 
Washington summit as a significant contribution to addressing 
these issues. 
 
¶6.  France, speaking for the EU, reaffirmed the importance of 
ODA, since the most serious repercussions of the crisis would 
be on the poor.  Brazil stressed that solutions had to be 
inclusive because developing countries would be most affected 
and suggested creation of a monitoring system to track ODA 
levels.  Australia, saying it would mobilize business to 
support the MDGs, expressed concern about the impact of the 
crisis on the WHO budget, seventy-nine percent of which is 
voluntarily funded.  Echoing this point, India said WHO 
should advise Member States on how to protect the health 
sector.  Japan, recalling the priority the G8 gives to 
health, reaffirmed its commitment to development assistance. 
South Africa appealed for continued ODA and a refocus on 
primary health care to meet basic human needs.  Russia 
referred to the UNGA debate the day before and saw the  Doha 
review conference on financing for development as another 
vehicle to address these concerns.  Mexico stressed better UN 
coordination for an effective response and suggested WHO 
would have to make economies in its own budget in light of 
the current crisis.  The World Bank offered to assist the WHO 
task force in forecasting countries, vulnerabilities, 
analyzing public and private expenditures for health, which 
are likely to fall, and pointed to the importance of 
remittances as a contribution to the social sector. 
 
¶7.  U.S. Charge welcomed the Director-General,s initiative 
and the contribution the discussion could make to the 
 
GENEVA 00000916  002 OF 002 
 
 
Washington summit.  He recalled the President's Summit on 
International Development and his reaffirmation of America's 
commitment to international development, regardless of the 
ebb and flow of the markets.  Noting the recent 
reauthorization of PEPFAR, Charge also confirmed bipartisan 
support for development efforts as an enduring priority for 
the United States. 
 
¶8.  In concluding, Chan expressed appreciation for the 
group's support and encouraged Member States to speak with 
one voice in support of health and the social sector in the 
governing bodies of various UN organizations.  She committed 
to pushing for better UN coherence, noting each UN agency 
must focus on its core competencies, but declined to seek to 
represent all UN social-sector agencies to the G-20.  She 
said she would engage with the private sector - which she 
described as "not evil" - and foundations, which she said 
would not walk away from their health investments.  She 
promised to work with countries to address their 
vulnerabilities and to prioritize the WHO budget in line with 
those vulnerabilities.  She asked for more flexibility in 
using the WHO's voluntary contributions, said staff cuts were 
a reality, and committed to being accountable to Member 
States. 
 
STORELLA