[A2k] WHO: Dr Margaret Chan nominated to be WHO Director-General

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr65/en/index.html

Dr Margaret Chan nominated to be WHO Director-General


8 NOVEMBER 2006 | GENEVA -- Dr Margaret Chan of China was nominated
today by the Executive Board of the World Health Organization for the
post of Director-General. The Director-General is WHO's chief technical
and administrative officer.

The nomination will be submitted to the World Health Assembly, which
will meet for a one-day special session on Thursday, 9 November to
appoint the next Director-General.

The procedures for the current nomination and election process were
decided following the sudden death of Dr LEE Jong-wook, WHO
Director-General, on 22 May 2006. At its meeting on 23 May, the WHO
Executive Board agreed on an "accelerated process" for electing a
Director-General.

On Monday the Executive Board, chaired by Dr Fernando Antezana Aran=EDbar
of Bolivia, selected a short list of five candidates. Yesterday the
Board interviewed the five candidates and today selected Dr Margaret
Chan as its nominee.

The WHO Executive Board is composed of 34 Members who are technically
qualified in the field of health. The main functions of the Board are
to give effect to the decisions and policies of the World Health
Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.

The countries represented on the current Executive Board are:
Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil,
China, Denmark, Djibouti, El Salvador, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya,
Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda,
Singapore, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Thailand, Turkey and the United
States of America.

Dr Anders Nordstr=F6m, appointed by the Executive Board as Acting
Director-General of WHO in May, will continue in this role until a new
Director-General takes office.

For more information contact:

Christine McNab
Acting-Director, WHO Communications Department
Telephone: +41 22 791 4688
Mobile phone: +41 79 254 6815
E-mail: mcnabc@who.int

Iain Simpson
Team leader, News and Advocacy
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 3215
Mobile phone: +41 79 254 3215
E-mail: simpsoni@who.int

Fad=E9la Chaib
Communications Officer
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 3228
Mobile phone: +41 79 475 5556
E-mail: chaibf@who.int

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Thiru Balasubramaniam
Geneva Representative
CPTech
voice +41.22.791.6727
fax +41.22.723.2988
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thiru@cptech.org