The Latest on UN Governance & Reform Discussions

The WFP Management Plan notes operational requirements for 2027 are projected at US$12.2 billion, but revenue is forecast at $6.3 billion, leaving a $5.9 billion shortfall that requires continued prioritization of those most in need. In addition, to improve WFP's financial future, it is proposing investments in: UN80-related investments in integrated services, systems and data, to enhance efficiency, accountability and coordination across the humanitarian system; a corporate initiative to scale innovative financing; and the upskilling of country office teams for resource mobilization. The expansion of WFP's twinning initiative to middle income countries is also being proposed to expand the donor pool and reduce those countries expenses related to programme support costs.

The session is also preceded by the Roundtable on Evaluation Reports that will be considered during the session, as well as the Annual Partnerships Consultation, both on 5 November 2026. These are two stakeholder management tools that are generally unique to WFP.

The workshop, roundtable and partnership consultation are two examples of some of the unique informal interactions that WFP regularly engages in with its member states. The aim of the workshop is to obtain member states' preliminary views on the theory of change, risk tolerance and the principles of risk sharing prior to the drafting of the policy update. The Roundtable is focused on the strategic evaluation of WFP’s adaptation to the evolving partnership landscape between 2022 and 2026 in light of funding reductions and a growth in organizations involved in food security. The evaluation found "a widening gap between WFP’s strategic vision for its partnerships and its readiness to make that vision a reality", which is also likely to be a topic of discussion at the partnership consultation.

The 7 October straw poll showed no clear front runner. Meanwhile Politico published a story on 9 October indicating that the Trump administration is opposed to all the current candidates, and reportedly Gianni Infantino is still considered as a 'good' choice by some in the administration.

The proposed 2027 regular budget and related programme amounts to $3,302.0 million, representing a decrease of $147.2 million, or 4.3 per cent, compared with the appropriation for 2026. The reduction is driven primarily by a reduction in Special Political Missions (SPMs) and the discontinuation of non-recurrent provisions of multi-year construction projects.

The session is fully devoted to reform issues, primarily the proposed merger of UNWomen with UNFPA. The Board will review and presumably take a decision on the additional information provided by UNWomen and UNFPA on the merger option, Ernst & Young's review of alternatives and the civil society consultation. In addition the session will review the Structured Financing Dialogue and the Annual joint report of UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNWomen on the implementation of the joint cost- recoverypolicy, including differentiated cost-recovery rates and approved waivers, as well as progress on considering which of the JIU's recommendations to implement arising from its review of the governance and oversight functions of the NY-based Boards.