Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS: Annual Session 2023 Agenda Item 12: Statement by the UNFPA Executive Director and Annual Report

Mr President,

I deliver this statement on behalf of the following Member States: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, the Republic of Moldova, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, and my own country New Zealand.

At the outset we wish to note our appreciation for the thoughtful and comprehensive review of UNFPA’s management and administration undertaken by the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU). We recognise that, while such examination and critique can be uncomfortable, these reviews are crucial to support a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. We take this opportunity to acknowledge UNFPA’s strong history of implementing past recommendations.

The review’s focus on governance and management settings is particularly useful for consideration by the Executive Board in advance of the cross-agency review by the JIU scheduled for later this year, to promote greater coherence across the Funds and Programmes, consistent with the objectives of UN development system reform. We recognise that a number of the recommendations are addressed to the Executive Board and encourage Board members and observers to reflect on these. We would welcome a dialogue with UNFPA on how the Executive Board can most productively consider these.

We note with appreciation the UNFPA management response, and concur with many of its comments and observations, including with regards to the recommended introduction of limitations to the Executive Director’s terms of office, in keeping with the practice of counterpart entities.

We agree with UNFPA management’s opinion that a separate Board for UNFPA might prove inefficient and duplicative, and agree that the current structure creates synergies, both for the Fund and for broader system alignment. We also acknowledge that recent years have seen substantial and prolonged Board focus on UNDP and UNOPS, and that the Board must ensure it allows sufficient time and focus to provide substantive guidance to UNFPA.

We recognize the crucial role of the Executive Board in ensuring that oversight and accountability functions are fully independent and have direct access to the Board, and we take JIU’s recommendations on these matters seriously. However, we acknowledge UNFPA management’s strong concerns about recommendation 6, and appreciate its explanation of the rules binding the Oversight Advisory Committee. We note that the Committee’s function is consistent with those of the oversight advisory committees of similar entities, and agree that the establishment of a further independent body would be cumbersome and unnecessary. We look forward to further guidance from the JIU later this year on how the various Executive Boards can better support independent, robust, accessible, trusted and consistent accountability functions.

We fully concur with the recommendations and management response on recommendation 3, and welcome the launch of the new human resources management strategy and recent improvements with respect to timely recruitment and deployment. It is important that UNFPA continue to further accelerate and enhance recruitment lead time, given the direct implications for performance, and also address concerns raised with respect to transparency.

We note the JIU’s observation that alignment of UNFPA’s regional office locations and responsibilities with those of other central UNDS partners would assist the implementation of UNDS reform objectives, and encourage UNFPA to consider how its internal structure might further strengthen coherence, cooperation, co-design and co-delivery with close partners, including the WHO, UNICEF and UN Women.

Given the pace and complexity of change relating to information technology, and the challenges and risks this presents to both governance and management, we support formal recommendation 4, that the Executive Director report to the Board risks, costs and functionality issues associated with the ICT transformation project at the second regular session this year, and annually thereafter.

Where UNFPA differs with the reviewer’s formal and informal recommendations, we encourage the Fund to consider whether the issues identified may be amenable to alternative solutions. You understand the levers within your own organisation, and may yet be able to benefit from the reviewer’s diagnoses even while disputing their most appropriate cure.

Thank you.