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The bulk of the session is dedicated to the review and adoption of Country Strategic Plans and related evaluations and management comments. The Board will also receive an update on the implementation of the recommendations of its own governance review undertaken in 2023. The review, which was unique in that it acknowledged the dual role of Board members in taking decisions in the interest of WFP as well as their own national interest, also proposed a cooling off period for Board members before they could be employed by WFP. More information and a link to the review is available in our spotlight: https://www.reformworks.org/post/making-un-boards-more-strategic-the-wfp-governance-review.

Unlike the New York-based Boards, WFP's Executive Board has not included an agenda item on UN80.

UNWomen's Board will also hold a session on 'engagement with UN80' but without any documentation, indicating there will be no detailed discussion or decision on the proposed merger with UNFPA. Like the other Boards, it will also receive an update on implementation of the JIU's governance review recommendations (https://www.reformworks.org/post/why-corporate-governance-reforms-dont-translate-to-un-boards). It will also consider UNWomen's implementation of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board recommendations. UN80 had included a proposal to sunset UNAIDS by the end of 2026. This is not referenced in the documentation, although the discussion will focus on the significant reduction in funds to UNAIDS in 2025 and its revised one year transitional workplan and budget for 2026 agreed at a special session of the UNAIDS Board in Oct. 2025.

In addition to country programme documents, the session will consider various reform initiatives, including an update on UN80 and implementation by UNICEF, follow up to the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board recommendations, and progress in implementing the recommendations of the JIU review of NY-based Boards governance and oversight functions. The challenge with the JIU review is that it proposed adopting corporate governance standards that fail to recognize that UN Board members represent national interests while taking decisions that are also in the interest of UNICEF (https://www.reformworks.org/post/why-corporate-governance-reforms-dont-translate-to-un-boards) .

Reform-minded readers may also want to follow the session on Private Fundraising and Partnerships, which includes an update on the IBRD-UNICEF debt instrument, which allowed UNICEF to borrow money for private fundraising. As our spotlight highlighted, the instrument has had very positive results, but needs concerted political action at the General Assembly if such financing instruments are to be scaled (https://www.reformworks.org/post/strategic-finance-innovation-yields-results-but-can-it-be-replicated).

'Engagement with UN80' and an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the JIU review of NY-based boards' governance function are both covered during the first day in a joint session for all three UN entities. While UN80 has recommended merging UNFPA and UNWomen, there is no document prepared for this session, meaning the ongoing assessment of the potential merger and subsequent SG review will not be completed in time for this session.

Entity-specific reforms that were initiated prior to UN80 are also on the agenda, including implementation of the UNOPS' transformation initiatives in support of the Comprehensive Response Plan.

The consultation is in preparation for the agenda item on the Board's first formal session at the beginning of February. While the specific issues are not outlined in the agenda, UN80 has proposed that UNOPS be merged back into UNDP. It has also proposed merging UNFPA with UNWomen, and UNWomen's Executive Board receives a briefing on the related assessment in the morning of 27 January.

The provisional agenda provides a vague reference to a "Presentation of the assessment" without defining the assessment. UN80 has proposed merging UNWomen and UNFPA, which is likely the assessment in question, as it is currently underway. The same topic is on the provisional agenda for the first formal session of the Board, but there is no documentation anticipated, meaning the UNFPA UNWomen merger assessment is unlikely to be completed in the coming weeks. The UN80 Action Plan has also indicated that these merger assessments will be considered by the SG first, who will determine whether and when they should be presented to member states.

The draft sets out a series of principles for mandate lifecycles followed by specific commitments and agreements on mandate creation, implementation and review. The draft resolution also proposes that the Working Group continue to exist after its planned termination on 1 April 2026, as the Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review to monitor implementation of the final resolution. The zero draft is currently under discussion by member states.