UN-Habitat’s governance structure is a three-tier structure made up of the UN-Habitat Assembly, the Executive Board and the Committee of Permanent Representatives. The General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution A/RES/73/239 decided to dissolve the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and to replace it with a United Nations Habitat Assembly of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat Assembly). UN-Habitat Assembly is a universal body composed of the 193 member states of the United Nations and convenes every four years at the Headquarters of UN-Habitat in Nairobi. The Executive Board is composed of 36 member states elected by the UN-Habitat Assembly and meets three times a year to increase the oversight by Member States of UN-Habitat operations. The Committee of Permanent Representatives of UN-Habitat (CPR) meets twice every four years in an open-ended manner. The three governing bodies together are intended to strengthen the accountability and transparency of UN-Habitat, and provide an effective oversight mechanism for UN-Habitat to enhance its normative and operational activities.

The next session of the Executive Board will be held from 7 to 8 April 2021. Member States will be briefed on the status of the Work Programme and Budget for the year 2022 and will review the financial, budgetary and administrative matters of UN-Habitat including the implementation of the resource mobilization strategy. The Board will also review a proposal to improve geographical and gender balance at UN-Habitat. The Board will further consider the annual report on UN-Habitat actions to strengthen protection against sexual exploitation and abuse and against workplace sexual harassment, including any actions to improve related policies and procedures at UN-Habitat.  Finally, the Board will also be briefed on the implementation of the resolutions and decisions adopted by the UN-Habitat Assembly; progress made in the implementation of the United Nations development system reform; and normative and operational activities including reporting on programmatic activities, implementation of sub-programmes and Flagship Programmes, and technical cooperation activities.