ORGANISATION MONDIALE ORGANIZATION. Thirty-fourth Session ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Provisional agenda item 3.7

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1 WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION MONDIALE ORGANIZATION 々DE LA SANTE EXECUTIVE BOARD <EB34/21 к Л ^22 May 1964 Thirty-fourth Session ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Provisional agenda item 3.7 PARTICIPATION OP WHO IN A WORLD RESEARCH AGENCY FOR CANCER Report by the Director-General At the Seventeenth World Health Assembly a document"^" was submitted by the delegations of the Federal Republic of Germany, France^ Italy, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America on the establishment of a World Research Agency for Cancer. This document, which is annexed for the convenience of members of the Board, called the attention of the World Health Assembly to the proposal made originally by the Government of France for the establishment of a World Research Agency for Cancer, and to the meetings that were subsequently held at the level of the Directors of Public Health of the five governments concerned, accompanied by cancer research experts^ and to which ths Director-General of WHO and the International Union against Cancer had been invited in an advisory capacity. The Assembly was informed that, in considering the possible participation of the Organization in the projected scheme, they might authorize the Director-General to enter into discussions on this matter with the governments concerned. 2 Pursuant to resolution WHA17. 斗 9, the Director-Gneeral communicated its contents to the five interested governments, drawing their attention particularly to operative paragraph 1 which authorizes him to enter into discussions. Following this communication, the Director-General was notified informally by the Government of France of the intention to convene in the near future a conference at the diplomatic level, to which the Director-General would be invited. The date of this conference has not yet been fixed. After it has taken place, the Director-General will presumably be in a position to submit to the Board at its thirty-fifth session, more precise information on the matter л.1 Annex I (document ).

2 ÊI53 如丄 ANNEX I WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SEVENÏEENIH WORID HEALTH ASSEMBLY Supplementary agenda item ORGANISATION DE LA SANTÉ 1б March 196 斗 ORIGINAL: MONDIALE ENGLISH AND FRENCH ESTABLISHMENT OP A WORLD RESEARCH AGENCY FOR CANCER (Document submitted by the Delegations of the Federal Republic of Germany, Prance, Italy, the IMited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern 工 reland, and the United States of America) Last autumn, some eminent Pr enchinen from widely different spheres cf life made an appeal to the States with the largest national defence budgets, asking them to appropriate 0.5 per cent, of those budgets for a World Research Agency for Cancer. They pointed out that if this were done the balance of forces between the countries concerned would not be changed and thát^ at no. extra cost to taxpayers, large sums could be devoted to cancer research, which would make it possible to achieve notable advances in our knowledge of the nature, causes and therapy of this terrible disease. The President of the French Republic at once agreed to this proposal. In order that the other governments concerñed might-be. àble-to take'' a* 一 décision on this proposal with full information before them., the French government thought it might.be useful to convene a meeting of their Directors of Public Health, accompanied by cancer research experts> with a view - to examining the technical aspects of the problem. An invitation was extended to the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany^ Italy, the Union of Soviet Socialist. Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States: of America. On 17 and 18 December 1963, and again on 27 and 28 February 1964^ the delegates of those countries met in Paris, with the exception of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which was unable to send delegates for the time being. The Director- General of WHO also took part in the discussions^ contributing his advice and the experience of cancer research already acqiolred by that organization; the President of the International Uni^n against.сад^.ех alsq partiqipated. Observers from UNESCO attended the second meeting.

3 page 2 The purpose of these meetings was to determine, in the event of the governments concerned deciding to set up the proposed institution<, what would be its statutes, its powers, its means of action, its relationship with international organizations already working in the same field and, possibly, its budget. Those taking part in the meetings agreed on the following points: 1. Statutes The institution to be set up, which could be called the World Research Agency for Cancer, would provide the machinery by v^iich States Members of the World Health Organization s in collaboration with the International Union against Cancer and the other international organizations concerned, would co-operate with a view to stimulating and supporting all branches of cancer research. Without being an entirely new and autonomous organization, the World Research Agency for Cancer should have its own Board of Governors^ Scientific Council and budget. On the other hand, if the Worli Health Organization agreed, it could be administered by the Director-General of WHO, on a basis to be agreed later, WHO being reimbursed for the administrative expenses incurred. (a) The Board of Governors would consist of one representative of each of the founding States and the Director-General of WHO, each of whom would have a vote. Other Members of WHO which wished to join the founding States and were admitted to membership by the Board of Governors would also have a representative on the Board, who would have the same powers as the representatives of the founding States. The Board of Governors would lay down the general policy of the Agency, approve its programme of work and budget, control expenses and take important decisions; in shorty it would be the supreme authority of the Agency. Technical decisions would be taken on the proposal of the Scientific Council. The Board of Governors could call upon anyone whose advice it considered useful to attend its meetings in an advisory capacity, in particular, representatives of the International Union against Cancer and of the specialized agencies of the United Nations interested in this problem (FAO, UNESCO, etc.).

4 page 3 (b) Ïhe Scientific Council would consist of 12 scientists eminent in the various branches of cancer research. They would be appointed for three years by the Board of Governors^ which would choose them from a list of persons drawn up by the Dire с tor-general of WHO, who could consult the International Union against Cancer and any national or any international scientific bodies able to advise him on this matter. The members 9f the Scientific Council could be reappointed after a certain period^ probably one year. The Scientific Council would be responsible for permanent supervision of the wdrk of the Agency and the projects it supported^ and would propose to the Board of Governors the programme of work to be carried out and, in general, all technical decisions. (c) Secretariat. ïhe secretariat of the Agency would consist of a Director appointed by the Board of Governors on the proposal of the Director-General of WHO and of the necessary technical and administrative staff. It would work in very close contact with the Secretariat of WHO. The Director of the Agency would be responsible for carrying out decisions taken by the Board of Governors, making use of the services of WHO as far as possible Particulars of the lines on which the Director-General and the WHO Secretariat would participate in the administration of the Agency were not defined and would have to be considered later. 2. Functions Ihe participants agreed that the World Research Agency for Cancer ought not to establish and operate a central international research laboratory. They considered that laboratory research and, a fortiori, clinical research should be carried out in national establishments, the role of the Agency being to assist those establishments. However they conceded that in certain cases, particularly in areas where special cancer problems arise or where research equipment is inadequate, the Agency could establish and operate "peripheral" research laboratories, subject to the consent of the country concerned.

5 А17/Р&В/^0 page 4 Subject to the foregoing considerations, the general fmctions of the World Research Agency for Cancer were defined as follows: The collection, processing and dissemination of information on the incidence of cancer, cancer research and cancer prevention throughout the world. The drawing up of an international tumour nomenclature in consultation with the WHO Reference Centres and the International Union against Cancer. Studies of cancer epidemiology, the geographical pathology of cancer, comparative oncology д etc. Assistance in the education and further training of the staff necessary for cancer research at the national level: laboratory research workers 5 etc. epidemiologists, pathologists, oncologists, îhe supply to national laboratories of research material, which could be prepared by a few establishments of a particularly high standard: laboratory animals of pure line, specimens of pathological material, strains of virus, etc, Œhe drawing up of a world programme of cancer research in which the various tasks would be allocated to national laboratories in such a way as to make the best possible use of the scientific and financial resources that can be provided by certain countries^, without prejudice to the facilities and financial aid which may be given to the national laboratories, in case of need, by the World Research Agency for Cancer. To give general enco-uragement and assistance to national research. J. Financing and budget Ihe participants in the Paris meetings left it to their governments to decide the method by which the World Research Agency for Cancer should be financed. They did not discuss in detail the budget of such an Agency. They merely agreed to draw the attention of their governments to the estimated expenditure - and it would be large - to be envisaged for the establishment and operation of such a body.

6 page 5 Procedure for establishing the Agency The experts considered several possibilities in regard to the establishment of the Agency, but they did not take up a definite position regarding the legal procedure for its establishment or the terms of the agreement which would have to be concluded with WHO. They recognized that the selection of the procedure was a matter for the governments and that determination of the terms of an agreement with WHO was a matter for the governments and the World Health Assembly. In brief, the everts who met in Paris carried out what was essentially preparatory work on the technical and administrative aspects of a World Research Agency for Cancer. Their conclusions, which have been summarized above, are designed to enable their governments to take, in full knowledge of the facts, a decision as to whether to participate or not in the establishment and operation of the World Research Agency for Cancer which was the subject of a proposal by the French Government. These conclusions may also be of use to the mbers of the World Health Assembly in considering the possible participation of the Organization in the projected scheme and may allow thera to decide whether they can authorize the Director-General of WHO to enter into discussions on this matter with the governments concerned.

7 EB54/21 ANNEX II SEVENTEENTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY WHA17 斗 9 一 一 19 March 1964 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH AND FRENCH PARTICIPATION OP WHO IN A WORLD RESEARCH AGENCY POR CANCER Ihe Seventeenth World Health Assembly, Considering the initiative taken by several governments concerning the campaign against cancer; and Convinced of the advantages that might be derived from a special effort of international co-operation in this sphere, 1. AUTHORIZES the Dire с tor- General to enter into discussions with the countries concerned with a view to the establishment and operation of a World Research Agency for Cancer, and 2. REQUESTS the Director-General to report on the progress of these discussions at the forthcoming sessions of the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly. Twelfth plenary meeting, 19 March 1964 А17/ЛЖД2