8 April 2021 – The first session of the Executive Board in 2021 took place with more than 250 participants online.
The Executive Board aims to increase the oversight of UN-Habitat’s operations by Member States and to strengthen UN-Habitat’s accountability, transparency and effectiveness. It comprises 36 Member States elected by the UN-Habitat Assembly and convenes two to three times a year.
On Wednesday, the first day of the two day meeting, the participants were welcomed by the Chair of the Executive Board and Permanent Representative of Iran to UN-Habitat. Mr Jafar Barmaki, The Chair’s remarks were followed by a statement by Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), who outlined the challenges faced due to COVID-19 and the measures put in place by UNON to minimize its impact and ensure business continuity.
- Overview
- Rules of Procedure
- Membership of the Executive Board
- Bureau of the Executive Board
- Ad-Hoc working group on programmatic, budgetary and administrative matters
- Ad-Hoc working group on working methods
- Ad-Hoc working group on the development of a stakeholder engagement policy
- Briefings by the Executive Director of UN-Habitat
- Key Documents
- Previous sessions of the Executive Board
Overview
The Executive Board aims to increase the oversight of UN-Habitat operations by Member States and to strengthen UN-Habitat’s accountability, transparency and effectiveness. This body will ensure greater efficiency in decision-making, help to build trust and attract sufficient, sustainable and predictable funding. It comprises 36 member states elected by the UN-Habitat Assembly and convenes three times a year to undertake the following:
i) Oversee the implementation of the normative and operational activities of UN-Habitat;
ii) Ensure accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness;
iii) Approve and oversee the implementation of the annual programme of work and budget and of the resource mobilization strategy, in accordance with the strategic plans and the political guidelines provided by the UN-Habitat Assembly;
iv) Adopt decisions, under its mandate, on, among other things, programmatic, operational and budgetary issues for the adequate and effective implementation of the resolutions and other decisions adopted by the UN-Habitat Assembly;
v) Guide and support efforts to finance UN-Habitat;
vi) Oversee the compliance of UN-Habitat with evaluations and support auditing functions;
vii) Collaborate with the executive boards of other United Nations agencies, in accordance with the Secretary-General’s management reforms.
Membership of the Executive Board
A. Africa (10 seats)
Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya, Angola, Malawi
B. Asia-Pacific (8 seats)
Sri Lanka, Republic of Korea, China, Japan, India, Iran, Bahrain, Pakistan
C. Eastern Europe (4 seats)
Poland, Russian Federation, Serbia, Romania
D. Latin America and the Caribbean (6 seats)
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay
E. Western Europe and Others (8 seats)
Canada, France, Sweden, Turkey, United States of America, Germany, Spain, Portugal
2021 – 2022 Bureau of the Executive Board of UN-Habitat
Geographical distribution distribution of officers of the Bureau since 2019
2019
First session of the Executive Board
Chair: Western European and other States (United States of America)
Vice-Chairs: Latin American and Caribbean States (Argentina)
Asia-Pacific States (China)
Eastern European States (Russian Federation)
Rapporteur: African States (Malawi)
2020
Second session of the Executive Board
Chair: Asia-Pacific States (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
Vice-Chairs: Latin American and Caribbean States (Chile)
African States (Egypt)
Western European and other States (France)
Rapporteur: Eastern European States (Serbia)
2021
First session of the Executive Board
Chair: Eastern European States (Poland)
Vice-Chairs: African States (Egypt)
Asian States (Pakistan)
Western European and other States (France)
Rapporteur: Latin American and Caribbean States (Chile)