{"id":7874,"date":"2017-03-31T14:08:07","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T13:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Council-Guide-April2017.pdf"},"modified":"2017-03-31T14:08:07","modified_gmt":"2017-03-31T13:08:07","slug":"council-guide-april2017-2","status":"inherit","type":"attachment","link":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/es\/seccion-de-miembros\/guias-y-formularios\/council-guide-april2017-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Guide-April2017"},"author":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"acf":[],"description":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
\nNEW COUNCIL MEMBER
\nORIENTATION GUIDE
\nA ROADMAP THROUGH THE POLICIES,
\nPROCEDURES AND PURPOSE OF THE
\nWMA COUNCIL
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 1
\nINTRODUCTION
\nThis booklet was developed to assist new Council members of the World Medical
\nAssociation to understand the processes of WMA and to guide their participation as leaders
\nwithin the organization.
\nOVERVIEW OF THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION COUNCIL
\nCouncil Members
\nWMA Council is a unique international body that includes physicians from every
\nregion of the world, representing a variety of languages, cultures, and health systems.
\nServing on WMA Council provides the opportunity to share ideas and experiences,
\nlearn about the challenges facing your colleagues in other countries, form lasting
\nfriendships and, most importantly, assume a leadership role in the work of the WMA.
\nMembers of the Council are individuals chosen by the National Medical Association
\n(NMA) elected to occupy a particular seat. The NMA may choose to change or
\nsubstitute its individual representative at its own discretion, informing the Secretary
\nGeneral as soon as it wishes to make a change. It is generally expected that the
\nCouncil member will represent the views of his or her NMA or the region they have
\nbeen elected from rather than his or her personal views, however this is a matter to be
\ndecided between the NMA and its chosen representative.
\nRole of the Council
\nWMA Council is the governing body of the association, responsible for developing
\npolicy proposals for General Assembly consideration, setting organizational priorities
\nand goals, and overseeing financial and administrative functions. For a full
\ndescription of specific responsibilities of the Council, please see Chapter 3 of the
\nProcedures and Operating Policies of the WMA.
\nReporting Relationships
\n\u27a2\u27a2\uf020 WMA Council reports to WMA General Assembly, which meets annually. The
\nGeneral Assembly consists of all WMA constituent members. All major policy
\nand financial decisions, as well as changes to the WMA Articles and Bylaws,
\nmust be approved by the General Assembly.
\n\u27a2\u27a2\uf020 The Standing Committees of the Council report to the Council as a whole.
\n\u27a2\u27a2\uf020 The Secretary General reports to the Council.
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 2
\nOfficers
\nOnly Council members are eligible to stand for election to the following positions:
\n\u25cf\uf020 Chair
\n\u25cf\uf020 Vice-Chair
\n\u25cf\uf020 Treasurer
\n\u25cf\uf020 Finance and Planning Committee Chair
\n\u25cf\uf020 Medical Ethics Committee Chair
\n\u25cf\uf020 Socio-Medical Affairs Committee Chair
\nElections to these positions are held at the first meeting of each two-year Council
\nterm. The Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer are elected as soon as the Council
\nconvenes. Until the Chair of Council is elected, the Secretary General presides
\nover the meeting. Committee Chairs are elected as soon as each Committee
\nconvenes. For all officer positions, nominations are made on the floor of the
\nmeeting and a vote is taken. Officers are elected by a simple majority.
\n\u25cf\uf020 The Chair and Vice-Chair have full voting rights in the Council. They are also
\nex-officio members of all three Standing Committees with full voting rights.
\nDuring their tenure the Chair and Vice-Chair are not eligible to be elected as
\nChair of any Committee.
\n\u25cf\uf020 Committee Chairs serve on two of the three Committees, like all other Council
\nmembers. They have no special privileges on any Committee besides the one
\nfor which they serve as Chair.
\n\u25cf\uf020 The President, President-Elect and Immediate Past President are ex-officio
\nmembers of the Council (and its Committees) with full right of discussion but
\nwithout the right to vote. The WMA President is elected annually by the
\nGeneral Assembly and serves one year as President-Elect, one year as
\nPresident and one year as Immediate Past President.
\nStanding Committees
\nProposed policies and actions are considered first by the Standing Committees. The
\nCommittees then make recommendations to the Council.
\nThe Council has three Standing Committees:
\n\u25cf\uf020 Finance and Planning
\n\u25cf\uf020 Medical Ethics
\n\u25cf\uf020 Socio-Medical Affairs
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 3
\nComposition
\nThe Procedures and Operating Policies of the WMA require that all Council members
\nserve on at least one but no more than two Standing Committees. In practice, it is
\nextremely rare for a Council member to serve on only one Committee. Before the
\nbeginning of the Council term, the Secretary General will request Council members to
\nindicate the Committees on which they would like to serve.
\nCouncil members may attend the meetings of a Committee even if they are not
\nmembers of that Committee. The Chair will normally allow non-members to speak, if
\nrequested. However, Council members are encouraged to reserve their active
\nparticipation for Committees on which they are members.
\nAdvisors
\nOfficial Advisors (non Council-members) to the Standing Committees are appointed
\nby the Council for a two-year term. New advisors can be appointed at any meeting of
\nthe Council. In most cases, nominations are made by the candidate\u2019s NMA, although
\nthe Committee or Council (or their members) may nominate individuals as well.
\nRESPONSIBILITIES OF COUNCIL MEMBERS
\nServing as a WMA Council member entails certain important responsibilities. The Council is
\nelected by the WMA membership to lead the organization and serve as the voice of the
\nworld\u2019s physicians when the General Assembly is not in session. Council members not only
\nrepresent their respective NMAs on the Council, but also represent WMA and its constituents
\nto the public and the media. Although attending meetings and voting on WMA matters is a
\nkey responsibility, Council members should remain engaged in the work of WMA between
\nmeetings as well.
\nPromoting the WMA
\nCouncil members should take advantage of opportunities to promote the work of
\nWMA within their own organizations and beyond. The WMA does not have a large
\npublic relations budget or staff and depends heavily on its members \u2013 and especially
\nits leaders \u2013 to raise the public profile of the association.
\nCurrently, despite 70 years of work, the WMA is sometimes overlooked by the
\nmainstream international health community and is often confused with the World
\nHealth Organization \u2013 even among physicians. Nonetheless, the WMA represents the
\nglobal medical profession and the potential power of the unified voice of millions of
\nphysicians should not be underestimated. Serving as an ambassador for WMA and
\nworking to amplify WMA\u2019s voice globally should be among the top priorities for
\nWMA Council members. To that end, Council members can:
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 4
\n\u25cf\uf020 Actively support and distribute WMA positions and policies within their
\nNMAs;
\n\u25cf\uf020 Increase the visibility of WMA through:
\n– finding opportunities to discuss the work and role of the WMA when
\nspeaking publicly, especially to the media
\n– writing articles for medical journals
\n– encouraging colleagues to view WMA as a resource;
\n\u25cf\uf020 Bring to WMA\u2019s attention relevant national or international issues or events so
\nthat WMA can respond either by publicizing its existing positions or
\ndeveloping a new policy.
\nFinancial and Administrative Issues
\nThe Secretariat and the financial officers work hard throughout the year to manage
\nmost administrative and fiscal matters. The main responsibility for Council and
\nFinance and Planning Committee members is to review and approve proposals and
\nreports prepared by the Secretariat and the financial officers. Members should arrive
\nat meetings familiar with the documents and prepared to comment, make
\nrecommendations, vote, etc., however most of the difficult background work in these
\nareas is done between meetings by the Secretariat, Treasurer and Finance and
\nPlanning Committee Chair.
\nMedical Ethics and Socio-Medical Affairs Policy Process
\nThe responsibility for development of WMA policy falls largely to the Council and its
\nCommittees. By the time a proposed policy is presented to the General Assembly for
\nadoption, it will have been circulated to NMAs for input (sometimes several times),
\nundergone multiple reviews and revisions by the relevant Committee, and received
\nthe approval of the Council.
\nThe workflow for a policy document normally entails the following steps:
\n1. A document is submitted to the Secretariat by a constituent member in one of the
\nthree official languages of WMA (French, Spanish or English).
\n2. The Secretariat:
\na) evaluates the document to ensure that it does not repeat or contradict existing
\npolicy;
\nb) edits the document to ensure proper format, style and readability;
\nc) translates the document into the other two official languages; and
\nd) assigns the document to the proper Committee.
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 5
\nIf a proposal clearly reiterates an existing position or policy, without adding new
\ncontent, the Secretariat will consult with the Council Chair and\/or Committee
\nChair, and, with their approval, request that the author withdraw the document.
\nIf a proposal contradicts or expands upon an existing WMA policy, the Secretariat
\nwill explain this to the author and offer suggestions regarding how the proposal
\nmight be reorganized as a proposal to amend the existing policy.
\n3. The document receives initial consideration by the appropriate Committee. In
\nmost cases, the Committee will recommend that the document be circulated to
\nNMAs for comments. Council members should encourage their NMA to submit
\nwritten comments to the Committee, rather than providing verbal input during
\nCommittee meetings. Meeting time generally should be reserved for discussing
\nand debating the comments properly submitted by NMAs.
\n4. The comments are reviewed and compiled by the Secretariat and a revised
\ndocument is prepared, either by the Secretariat or an appointed rapporteur or work
\ngroup. Council members receive the original document, the proposed revision and
\nthe compilation of comments to review before the forthcoming meeting.
\n5. The Committee considers the revised proposal. At this point, the Committee has
\nseveral options:
\na) If the document is acceptable to the Committee as written, the Committee can
\napprove the document.
\nb) If it is determined that the document requires some additional work, and the
\nCommittee believes that this work could be accomplished in a short amount of
\ntime, the Committee can use Committee time to further amend the document
\n(which is not encouraged) or, preferably, assign the document to a small
\nworking group or a rapporteur to revise. In this situation, the objective is for
\nthe working group or rapporteur to begin work immediately and submit an
\namended document back to the Committee or directly to the Council during
\nthat session.
\nc) If the Committee agrees that substantial revisions are still needed, which
\ncannot be accomplished within the time period of the Council session, the
\nCommittee may assign a working group or rapporteur to review the comments
\nand revise the document for consideration at its next meeting.
\nd) If it is decided that special expertise is required to ensure the best possible
\npolicy, the Committee can request the assistance of a particular NMA or
\nWMA advisor. Outside experts can also be consulted.
\ne) If it is clear that consensus will not be reached, or the Committee decides that
\nthe topic is not appropriate for a WMA policy, the Committee can recommend
\nto the Council that the document be rejected and the subject be dropped. The
\nCouncil can either accept this recommendation or instruct the Committee to
\ncontinue working on the subject.
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 6
\n6. Once the Committee agrees that the document is ready, it will submit the proposed
\npolicy to the Council with the recommendation that it be approved and forwarded
\nto the General Assembly for adoption. Often, some or all of steps 3-5 outlined
\nabove are repeated several times before the Committee is satisfied that the
\ndocument is ready for consideration by the Council.
\n7. The Council considers the recommendation of the Committee to approve the
\ndocument. The Council may:
\n\u25cf\uf020 amend the document
\n\u25cf\uf020 send the document back to the Committee for additional work
\n\u25cf\uf020 approve the document and forward it to the General Assembly with the
\nrecommendation that it be adopted.
\nThe above description of the WMA policy process is not exhaustive. Most policy
\nproposals are handled in this way, but sometimes the Committee or the Council will
\ndecide to take a different approach.
\nConsent Calendar
\nWMA Standing Committees use a \u201cconsent calendar\u201d for their reports to the Council.
\nA consent calendar is a mechanism designed to eliminate time-consuming procedural
\nsteps for approving recommendations on items in the report. Instead of addressing
\nthese items one by one – which requires introducing the item, stating the
\nrecommendation, inviting discussion and taking a vote – the Chair asks the committee
\nmembers if they disagree with, or would like to discuss for any reason, any
\nrecommendation(s) listed in the report. Items identified for discussion or
\ndisagreement are \u201cextracted\u201d from the report. All requests for extractions will be
\nhonoured. Such requests do not require a vote. Items do not need to be identified in
\nany order.
\nThe Chair then asks for approval of all of the remaining recommendations in the
\nreport (the ones that have not been extracted.) The committee votes once to approve
\nall of these items, without discussion.
\nThe Chair then addresses the items that have been extracted. These subjects are dealt
\nwith individually, in the traditional manner.
\nThe following illustrates the operation of a consent calendar:
\nA report lists 10 items with recommendations. One committee member asks that
\nitems numbered 3 and 7 be extracted. Another committee member asks that items
\nnumbered 2 and 9 be extracted. Following these extractions, the committee votes on
\naccepting the remaining recommendations (on items 1, 4,5,6,8 and 10) as a whole.
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 7
\nFollowing that vote, the Chair then allows discussion and vote on item 2, then item 3,
\nthen item 7 and then item 9.
\nMAKING THE MOST OF COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL MEETINGS
\nDue to the limited number of hours that Council members sit together to work on policy
\ndevelopment, it is important for members to be familiar with both the content and history of
\nthe documents on their agenda. Perhaps the most important attribute of a good Council
\nmember is that he or she comes to the meeting prepared. The Secretariat works hard to
\nensure documents are processed and translated as quickly as possible so that they can be
\ncirculated to Council members several weeks before a Council session. Please do not leave
\nyour preparation to be done on the airplane or at breakfast on the day of the meeting!
\nDiscussions
\nTo ensure that discussions run smoothly, and to help the Chair expedite the work of the
\ngroup, Council members should:
\nBe diplomatic but also precise. In sensitive (especially political) discussions, speakers
\nsometimes try to use images or metaphors to convey messages, expecting other to read
\nunderstand their subtle meaning. In an international meeting, this hardly ever works.
\nYour message will often be lost or distorted through the simultaneous interpretation
\nprocess or through the cultural perceptions of your colleagues from other countries. Of
\ncourse it is important to be thoughtful and avoid making harsh statements. However, if
\nyou want your intervention or motion to be understood, you must be very explicit about
\nwhat you mean.
\nMake concrete suggestions and amendments. When proposing a wording change to a
\ndocument, express exactly how you want the new text to read. The Secretariat will
\nproject your amendment in English on a large screen visible to all participants. If
\npossible, please give your proposal to a WMA staff member before the meeting. This is
\nespecially important when you are proposing a large text change. In some cases, the
\nSecretariat will even give the new text to the interpreters beforehand. This helps ensure
\nthat all languages have the advantage of a precise interpretation.
\nSpeak clearly and slowly. Remember that to understand you, participants who speak a
\nlanguage other than your own must depend either on simultaneous interpretation or on
\ntheir own ability to translate what you are saying. The WMA employs the best
\ninterpreters available, however no interpreter can perform well if the speaker speaks too
\nquickly or does not enunciate. If you read from a text, provide this text to the interpreters
\nbefore the session or read extra slowly. Otherwise, what you say may not be translated
\ncompletely.
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 8
\nAvoid idioms, jokes and abbreviations. Idioms are difficult, sometimes impossible, to
\ntranslate. The same is true with jokes. There is always a risk that you may not be
\nunderstood or, even worse, that the jokes you offer with good intentions may actually be
\nmisunderstood in a way that offends or embarrasses somebody. It is also uncomfortable
\nwhen some people are able to enjoy a joke while others are left in the dark. Nobody
\nwants WMA meetings to be gloomy or without any humour, we just want to make sure
\neveryone can understand and enjoy the discussions. Another problem is caused by
\nabbreviations and acronyms. We all use them constantly within our own healthcare
\nsystems and organizations, but in an international meeting they are nearly always cryptic
\nand meaningless codes – even to colleagues that share the same language with you.
\nSome of them are very familiar (WMA, UN, WHO, etc.) but most of them should be
\navoided.
\nBe sensitive to cultural and linguistic differences. For many Council members, WMA is
\nthe only forum in which they have the opportunity to interact with colleagues from so
\nmany other places. Remember that in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual meeting, things
\ntend to take a little longer than in your own system. People have different styles of
\ncommunicating their views and there is always a delay in discussion due to the use of
\ninterpreters.
\nIn addition, some participants tend to be less formal and rule-oriented, while others are
\naccustomed to following a very specific process during group discussions. This is also
\ntrue of the Chairs. Therefore it is important to be patient and to enjoy the opportunity to
\nexperience the styles and approaches of your international colleagues. As mentioned
\nabove, the best way to ensure that your views are heard is to come prepared and provide
\nvery specific comments and suggestions.
\nProposing and Voting
\nThe WMA uses a fairly universal system of parliamentary procedure. Any Council
\nmember can make a motion. That motion must be seconded by another member. Once
\na motion has been seconded, the Chair will invite discussion. After the discussion is
\nfinished, or if there is no discussion, the Chair will ask for members to vote by raising the
\ncards provided by the Secretariat. The Chair will begin by asking for a count of those
\n\u201cFor\u201d the motion, then those \u201cAgainst\u201d the motion and then those who \u201cAbstain\u201d from
\nvoting. The votes will be counted and the Chair will announce whether the motion is
\npassed or defeated.
\nFor detailed information on the parliamentary procedures of the WMA, please see the
\nRules of Procedure for all Deliberative Bodies of the World Medical Association, which
\ncan be obtained from the Secretariat.
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 9
\nWMA POLICY FORMATS
\nThe WMA has several policy products:
\nDeclarations and Statements
\nA Declaration or Statement is a document that \u201creflects WMA policy on an issue
\nconsidered to be of significance, to be universally applicable and embodying principles
\nthat endure over time.\u201d Declarations are broader in scope than Statements, which address
\nmore specific or specialized topics.
\nExamples of WMA Declarations include:
\n\u25cf\uf020 Declaration of Lisbon on the Rights of the Patient
\n\u25cf\uf020 Declaration of Helsinki \u2013 Ethical Principles for Medical Research involving Human
\nSubjects
\n\u25cf\uf020 Declaration of Seoul on Professional Autonomy and Clinical Independence
\n\u25cf\uf020 Declaration on Euthanasia
\nExamples of WMA Statements include:
\n\u25cf\uf020 Statement on Ethical Issues Concerning Patients with Mental Illness
\n\u25cf\uf020 Statement on Health Emergencies Communication and Coordination
\n\u25cf\uf020 Statement on Resistance to Antimicrobial Drugs
\n\u25cf\uf020 Statement on Body Searches of Prisoners
\nSpecific criteria distinguishing a Declaration from a Statement was not developed until the
\nlate 1990s. Therefore, over the years, some documents were designated as Declarations
\neven though they should be classified as Statements. A comprehensive review of the
\nentire body of WMA policy is currently underway and some reclassification is expected
\nduring the updating of certain documents.
\nResolutions
\nResolutions express WMA reaction to a specific, usually urgent, situation. Resolutions
\nare subject to the same basic policy process as Declarations and Statements, however, due
\nto the urgent nature of the topic, the process is usually accelerated and often does not
\ninclude circulation to all NMAs for comments. If NMAs have concerns or suggestions
\nabout a Resolution that has not been circulated, they have ample opportunity to comment
\nwhen the document is presented for adoption to the General Assembly.
\nWMA Council Orientation Guide page 10
\nCouncil Resolutions
\nThe Council may adopt a \u201cCouncil Resolution\u201d on a matter of substantial importance that
\nrequires immediate action which cannot be taken by the General Assembly within the
\nappropriate time. Council Resolutions may not articulate entirely new policy positions.
\nThey may only:
\n\u25cf\uf020 Reaffirm a previous Declaration\/Statement\/Resolution
\n\u25cf\uf020 Express a position based on the intent of an existing related policy or WMA action
\nCouncil Resolutions are not included in the main body of WMA policy (compiled in the
\nHandbook of WMA Policy), however they may be widely distributed publicly. If
\nappropriate, the Council may ultimately refer the document to the General Assembly for
\nadoption as a \u201cWMA Resolution\u201d.
\nBackground Papers
\nBackground papers are occasionally developed to explore new topics or to examine in
\ndetail conflicting views on an important topic. The purpose of these papers is to analyse
\nissues and provide information to guide WMA in addressing particular subjects.
\nCONCLUSION
\nServing on the WMA Council should be an enjoyable and productive experience. The
\nSecretary General and WMA staff are available to provide you with information and will do
\ntheir best to assist you with any concerns or questions you might have regarding your
\nresponsibilities as a Council member.
\nTelephone: +33 4 50 40 75 75
\nFax: +33 4 50 40 59 37
\nE-mail: secretariat@wma.net
\nAdditional information on topics related to the work of the Council can be found in the
\nProcedures and Operating Policies of the World Medical Association, which is available in
\nthe members\u2019 area of the WMA website.
\nApril 2017<\/p>\n"},"caption":{"rendered":"

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