Adopted by the Thirty-ninth World Health Assembly by resolution WHA 39.6 of 12 May 1986

The Thirty-Ninth World Health Assembly,

Recalling resolution WHA38.14 concerning the number of members of the Executive Board;

Considering that the membership of the Executive Board should be increased from 31 to 32, so that the number of Members of the Western Pacific Region entitled to designate a person to serve on the Executive Board be increased to four;

1. Adopts the following amendments to Articles 24 and 25 of the Constitution, the texts in the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages being equally authentic:

Amendments To Articles 24 And 25 Of The Constitution

Article 24

The Board shall consist of thirty-two persons designated by as many Members. The Health Assembly, taking into account an equitable geographical distribution, shall elect the Members entitled to designate a person to serve on the Board, provided that, of such Members, not less than three shall be elected from each of the regional organizations established pursuant to Article 44. Each of these Members should appoint to the Board a person technically qualified in the field of health, who may be accompanied by alternates and advisers.

Article 25

These Members shall be elected for three years and may be re-elected, provided that of the Members elected at the first session of the Health Assembly held after the coming into force of the amendment to this Constitution increasing the membership of the Board from thirty-one to thirty-two the term of office of the additional Member elected shall, insofar as may be necessary, be of such lesser duration as shall facilitate the election of at least one Member from each regional organization in each year.

2. Decides that two copies of this resolution shall be authenticated by the signatures of the President of the Thirty-ninth World Health Assembly and the Director-General of the World Health Organization, of which one copy shall be transmitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, depositary of the Constitution, and one copy retained in the archives of the World Health Organization;

3. Decides that the notification of acceptance of these amendments by Members in accordance with the provisions of Article 73 of the Constitution shall be effected by the deposit of a formal instrument with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as required for acceptance of the Constitution by Article 79(b) of the Constitution.

Adopted at Geneva by resolution WHA39.6 of the thirty-ninth World Health Assembly at its eleventh plenary meeting on 12 May 1986.