Thirty-First World Health Assembly Geneva, 8-24 May 1978 II. [antikvár]

VERBATIM RECORDS OF JHE PLENARY MEETINGS FIRST PLENARY MEETING Monday, 8 May 1978, at 15h00 President: Dr S. TAPA (Tonga) 1. OPENING OF THE SESSION The PRESIDENT: Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, as President of the Thirtieth World Health Assembly I have the honour to declare open the Thirty-first World Health Assembly. It is also a pleasure for me to welcome, on behalf of the Assembly and the World Health Organization, Mr H. Htirlimann, Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of the Interior, representing the Swiss Government, Mr W. Donze, President of the Conseil d'Etat of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, Mr M. Aubert, President of the Grand Conseil, Mr R. Emmenegger, Administrative Councillor, representing the Mayor of the City of Geneva, Mr A. Knechtli, President of the Municipal Council of Geneva, Professor J. Thorens, Rector of the University of Geneva, Mr L. Cottafavi, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, the Directors-General of the specialized agencies, their representatives and the representatives of the various United Nations bodies, the delegates of Member States, and the representatives of Associate Members. I extend a special welcome to Djibouti, which has become a Member of WHO since the last Health Assembly, bringing the present number of Member States to 151. I also welcome the invited observers for non-Member States, the observers of the national liberation movements invited in conformity with resolution WHA27.37, and the representatives of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations in official relations with WHO. And here I would like to acknowledge the presence in particular of Mr Alexandre Hay, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Mr J. A. Adefarasin, President of the League of Red Cross Societies. Today is a great day for the Red Cross, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, and I wish to extend to the International Committee and to the League, in the name of the Assembly, our warmest congratulations on this auspicious occasion. I also welcome among us the four representatives of the Executive Board. I now give the floor to Mr Cottafavi, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. 2. ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA Mr COTTAFAVI (Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva): Mr Chairman, excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure for me to welcome you for the first time at the Palais des Nations as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, on the occasion of the Thirty-first World Health Assembly, and particularly since this Assembly takes place at a time when the World Health Organization celebrates its thirtieth anniversary. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr Kurt Waldheim, has asked me to convey to you his warmest congratulations on this memorable occasion, as well as his best wishes for the success of this Assembly. The World -43-