Washington, DC, June 30, 2017 (PAHO / WHO) - The Candidates' Forum for the post of Director of the Pan American Sanitary was held today with Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in which the candidate, Carissa Faustina Etienne, from Dominica, presented her proposed platform for the next five years.
PAHO Member States will elect the next Director of PASB at the 29th Pan American Sanitary Conference, to be held from September 25 to 29, 2017, at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The person elected will assume a five-year term on February 1, 2018. Dr. Etienne has been the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau since February 1, 2013. According to the PAHO Constitution, she can be reelected for a second five-year term. Her candidacy was the only one that was presented by Member States.
The President of the PAHO Executive Committee, Ruben A. Nieto of Argentina, moderated the forum in which Dr. Etienne presented her platform, her policy priorities and the financial and programmatic direction she proposed for the Organization. Dr. Etienne made a 30 minute oral presentation, which was followed by an hour question and answer session with Member States, in accordance with the Rules Governing the Election of the Director
Election of Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau to be held in 2017
The process of electing the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PASB) begins on March 1st with the President of the Executive Committee of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) calling on all Member States, Participating States, and Associate Members to submit nominations for this position.
The Member States of PAHO will elect the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PAHO's executive body) during the 29th Pan American Sanitary Conference, to be held 25-29 September 2017 at PAHO Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
As required by PAHO's Constitution, the Director will have a five-year term of office and cannot be re-elected more than once. The person elected will take office on 1 February 2018 and will complete their term on 31 January 2023.
The rules governing the election of the PASB Director call for the process to begin by 1 March 2017 with the President of the PAHO Executive Committee notifying PAHO's Member States, Participating States, and Associate Members and inviting nominations for the Director's post to be submitted to the Executive Committee President.
Each PAHO Member State, Participating State, and Associate Member may nominate only one candidate, who must be a citizen of a country of the Region of the Americas. The submission deadline for nominations is 1 May 2017. All documents supporting nominations will be translated and made available to all PAHO Member States, Participating States, and Associate Members in the Organization's four official languages by 1 June 2017.
More information on the process of electing the PASB Director can be found in Article 21, paragraph A of the PAHO Constitution; in Part IX, Rule 56 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference; and in the Rules Governing the Election Process for the Position of Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, as approved by Resolution CD47.R4: process for the election of the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, which is available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
