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Latest News in UN Governance & Reform

View our Accountability Mechanisms of the United Nations infographic

​Week of
February 10, 2025

UNWomen's Executive Board

is the last of the New York based Boards to hold its first formal session of the year, scheduled for 10-11 Feb.

Key reform initiatives under discussion

All New York based Boards have agreed to create a Joint Working Group to determine how to implement the recommendations of the JIU's review of their governance and oversight functions. The Boards will also get regular updates, including at the current sessions, which have included presentation of the views from the Management of each organization and their internal oversight functions. A key question being raised is what governance standards should be used in the UN context, a point which is crucially important as we explained in our previous spotlight here: https://bit.ly/3vZQJR7.

​Week of
February 3, 2025

UNICEF's Executive Board

holds its first formal session of the year from 4-7 February. The session saw the United States calling for a vote on the Country Programme Documents (CPDs), which are normally approved on a no objection basis. The US voted No on the CPDs because they "contain terms and concepts that conflict with US policies". Not one of the CPDs used the terms transgender, sexual orientation, or LGBTQI. This may be an indicator that typical UN decision-making processes are about to undergo some changes.

Key reform initiatives under discussion

A key issue for those interested in UN management reforms is the update on the strategic financing mechanism that UNICEF is piloting with the World Bank, which allows UNICEF to borrow money for private sector fundraising. This latest update indicates that the instrument has allowed UNICEF to obtain pledges over $400 million while also meeting its repayment obligations. For more info on the mechanism and the initial assessment from KPMG and to find out how it can be replicated, go to: https://bit.ly/3EpEx0i

​Week of
February 3, 2025

WFP's Executive Board

has a detailed, informal engagement with WFP on the evidence base for the new Strategic Plan.

Key reform initiatives under discussion

Those leading the strategic planning process are sharing their foresight and context analyses as well as their stakeholder mapping and comparative advantage analysis. Given the growing mis- and disinformation on international aid and international organizations, this discussion is an interesting opportunity for feedback and to build consensus with its member states about what WFP can and should achieve. While such discussions can be complex to manage, they may prove useful in reducing contestation of the work of WFP, and are therefore worth watching.

​Week of
January 27, 2025

The Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS

holds its first regular session of 2025 from 27-31 January to approve country programmes and review various organizational matters.

Key reform initiatives under discussion

Several broader reform issues are being discussed at this session, including an update on efforts to strengthen organizational culture and the response of the management and other oversight mechanisms on the JIU's recent assessment of the Board's governance and oversight functions. See our related research spotlights on how to change organizational culture in the UN (https://bit.ly/4eStPwz) , and the JIU assessment (https://bit.ly/3vZQJR7).

​Week of
January 13, 2025

UNWomen's Executive Board

holds informal briefings on audit matters and risk management as well as its efforts to improve organizational culture on 14 January. On 16 January, holds an orientation session for new Board members focused on governing bodies, the Strategic Plan and the funding situation.

Key reform initiatives under discussion

UNWomen's organizational culture initiative is focused on creating a work environment where everyone feels valued by addressing racism and discrimination, prioritizing the well-being of personnel, and fostering accountability and leadership. While many UN organizations are pursuing similar initiatives, UNWomen's is particularly driven by the rapid expansion of its workforce, which has more than doubled between 2015 and 2024.

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