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UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES
W О R I D H E A L T H О R G A N I Z A T I O N
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ
FIRST WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY A/HQ/3
5 July 1948 ORIGINAL: FRENCH
12.4.5-2 Sanitary Bureau at Alexandria (Off»Reс.WHO «j 10, page 94)
COMMITTEE ON HEADQUARTERS AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATION DRAFT RESOLUTION SUBMITTED BY THE EGYPTIAN DELEGATION
Considering:
That article 54 of the Constitution of the World Health
Organization provides that all inter-governmental regional health organizations in existence prior to the date of signature of this Constitution shall in due course be integrated with the organization and that this integration shall be effected through common action based on mutual consent of the competent authorities expressed through the organizations concerned.
Considering:
That in accordance with the decision of the League of Arab States of April 6 1946, the Regional Bureau of Alexandria was held to be the regional sanitary bureau of the States associated in that League and these States, in January 1948, agreed to integrate this Bureau with the World Health Organization :by transforming it into a genuine regional organization with the character and duties laid down in articles 44 - 53 of the Constitution of the World Health Organization and taking into account the possibility of including States which are at present members of the Regional Bureau at Alexandria together with' other States included in the geographical area and possessing common health interests.
Considering:
That paragraph (a) of article 44 of the Constitution stipulâtes that the Health Assembly shall from time to time define the
geographical areas in which it is desirable to establish a regional
A/HQ/3 page 2
organization and that paragraph (b) of the same article confers on the Assembly the power, with the consent of a majority of the Members situated within each area so defined, to establish a regional organization to meet the special needs of such area.
Considering:
That the delimitation of geographical areas should be conditioned both by similarity of social and sanitary conditions and by the
possibility of ensuring co-operation between the parties concerned with a view to creating a useful organization.
Considering:
That these two conditions exist to a very remarkable degree in the area which at present includes the members of the Arab League, the members of the regional Bureau at Alexandria and the other
States of the Near and -Middle East and that their intention of taking part in a common Organization 'has been formally declared by the
members of the Arab League and by a number of other States situated in this area,
Considering:
That Egypt occupies a central position in the Middle East and possesses a well developed health service together with all the equipment which is indispensable to the achievement of the aims of a regional organization.
Considering:
That by its geographical position in the neighbourhood of the Suez Canal, a region through which pass all sea routes from America and Europe to the countries of the Middle and Near East as well as all over-land routes from Africa to Asia and vice versa, and in proximity to Cairo, the centre of a world-wide aviation net-work, Alexandria is the most suitable town to be chosen as the Headquarters of the regional organization, especially in view of its past as the centre of international sanitary activities similar to those
mentioned in the Constitution of the WHO and in view of the facilities it can offer as regards specialised personnel, equipment, scientific work and mèans of communication together with the fact that the Egyptian Government has offered to place at the disposal of the
organization a large and suitable building, formerly occupied by the Sanitary Maritime and Quarantine Board and at present occupied by the Regional Sanitary Bureau of Alexandria.
A/HQ/3 page 3 Considering:
That the report submitted to the Interim Commission on May 19' 1948 (lc/201) on the Sanitary Bureau at Alexandria concludes by stating that "the conditions which predestine Alexandria to be the centre of the future regional health organization for.the Near and Middle East are literally unique" the World Health Assembly decides:
That the regional bureau at Alexandria shall be integrated
»
with the World Health Organization as a regional
organization under articles 44 - 53 of the Constitution of the World Health Organization.
