WHO Pledging Night in Geneva Underscores a Thin Core Budget

GENEVA - Member states met on Wednesday evening for a pledging event tied to WHO's fourteenth general programme of work. The official language was impact. The unofficial language was arrears, earmarks and whether assessed contributions will ever cover the core.

Swiss diplomats sat in a host's seat and a donor's seat at once. That double role is normal in this city. It is still awkward when the numbers are thin.

Hotels do not wait for pledges

The assembly runs until 27 May. Interpreters remain fully booked. That, in Geneva, is a complete economic indicator.