8th meeting - Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS (Annual Session 2026)

Good afternoon, distinguished colleagues. I declare open the 8th meeting of the Annual Session 2026 of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS. We will now continue with the joint segment with Agenda Item 6, Update on the Assessment of How the Executive Board Executes Its Governance and Oversight Functions. Under this item, the Board will receive an update from the co-chairs of the Joint Working Group of the Executive Boards of UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS, UNICEF, and UN Women on the governance and oversight functions of the Executive Boards. I am pleased to welcome to the podium Ms. Zabib Gebre Kidane, Permanent Mission of Eritrea to the United Nations, and Miss Annette Kaiser from Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations. Welcome. Please note that this item is scheduled to proceed until 3:45. While every effort will be made to accommodate as many interventions as possible, delegations unable to take the floor may submit their statement to e-statements. Questions may also be shared with the Executive Board Secretariat which will transmit them to the relevant entities. I now give the floor to Ms. Gebrekidan and Ms. Kaiser for the presentation on behalf of the Joint Working Group. You have the floor. Annette, please.

Thank you so much, Mr. President. Excellencies, dear colleagues, it is our great pleasure to present today the interim report of the Joint Working Group established to consider the recommendations contained in the Joint Inspection Unit review of the governance and oversight of the executive boards of UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS, UNICEF, and UN Women of 2023. The GIU review identified 10 formal and 21 informal recommendations in 6 thematic areas: roles and responsibilities, board composition and structure, secretariat functions, meeting practices, oversight and advisory committees, and risk management. At the Annual Session 2024, the Executive Boards established the Joint Working Group we are presenting today and tasked it with reviewing all 31 recommendations and develop actionable implementation pathways. The Working Group's terms of reference were formally adopted at the first Regular Session of last It is important to emphasize that the Working Group advises and the Executive Board, of course, decides. On the work undertaken to date, since its establishment, the Working Group has conducted a detailed assessment of all recommendations, developed a roadmap and working methods, consulted with the 5 organizations who participate in this exercise, issued questionnaires to gather updated information, and engaged regularly with member states through briefings and updates at each formal session. The proposals contained in the report you have before you reflect the working group's assessment of all the recommendations, identifying those proposed for acceptance, partial acceptance, non-acceptance, or considered completed. Some words on the guiding principle. Throughout its work, the Joint Working Group has been guided by the overarching principle of strengthening and optimizing existing mechanisms of the Executive Boards wherever possible before proposing the creation of new structures. This approach is deliberately aligned with the objectives of the UN Haiti Initiative, which calls for lean, efficient, and effective governance across the UN system. On the key findings of our report, with your permission, Mr. Chair, I'm happy to pass on to my co-chair, Zebib.

Thank you, Annette. Thank you, Mr. Chair. On key findings, among the key proposals of the working group is the development of a comprehensive harmonized informal guidance document a delegate's handbook to be jointly drafted by the secretariats of all 5 organizations. The handbook would be consolidated— would consolidate the roles, responsibilities, and procedures of executive board members covering governance, oversight, risk management, and secretariat arrangements. It would address the substance of several related recommendations. And can be updated as needed. It avoids duplication. The draft would be submitted to the executive boards for consideration, allowing for structured discussions and further refinements as needed. A key gap identified by the JIU concerns the reporting line between internal audit and oversight committees and the executive boards. The working group proposes updating existing charters and terms of reference to establish a direct reporting line to the executive boards in addition to the executive heads, including simultaneous transmission of annual reports and post-meeting summaries, aimed to explicitly codify the principle of unrestricted access of oversight, oversight functions to the boards. The working group considers this will further strengthen the alignment and independence of Audits and Oversight Committees. On the recommendation related to the establishment of appropriate board committees, the working group acknowledges that current arrangements are generally adequate but recognizes that the volume and technical complexity of documentation combined with limited session time may constrain the depth of board deliberations, particularly on oversight and finance. The Working Group proposes to explore the possible establishment of a standing advisory committee covering audit, risk, budget, and finance, composed of a limited number of member state experts with equitable geographical representation. Further consideration, including its mandate, reporting arrangements, and interaction with boards, would take place in a context of the working method review. Ensuring complementarity with existing oversight bodies and preserving the primacy of the board and decision-making. On review of working methods, the working group proposes a dedicated review of the working methods of the executive boards of the participating organizations, followed, followed by periodic assessment at agreed intervals. The review would address the harmonization of work plans, the relationship between informal and formal meetings, the quality and clarity of board decisions, and the inclusiveness of member state participation. It would also provide the appropriate context for further consideration of possible advisory subcommittee, as mentioned above. The Working Group proposes a formal consultation mechanism requiring executive directors to notify boards in writing with rationale prior to the appointment, renewal, or termination of heads of independent oversight functions should be reflected in the updated Charter and Terms of Reference. The Working Group proposes that the Secretariats jointly develop harmonized Terms of Reference clarifying roles, reporting lines, impartiality, and accountability, complemented by annual informal consultations between Bureau and Secretariat heads to ensure resource adequacy is regularly reviewed. Moving on to the overview of proposed positions. Of the 31 recommendations, the working group proposed to accept 15 in full, partially accept 7, not accept 7, and consider 2 as completed. Recommendations proposed for non-acceptance generally relate to matters considered adequately addressed through existing arrangements. Or recommendations that have already been completed after the, the review or reports of the JIU, where the working group judges that intervention would add procedural complexity without commensurate benefits. The working group invites the executive boards to decide on one of three models for guiding implementation. Continuation of the Joint Working Group in its current revised form, establishment of new standing committee on institutional governance, or direct oversight of implementation by executive boards themselves. I will pass on to my colleague Annette on the next part of the statement. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Sibylle. So, on the next steps and the action requested, very important part now. Following the annual session 2026, the working group will revise its proposals in the light of member states' feedback and develop draft decision language for independent consideration at the second regular session of this year. However, careful consideration within the group— after this consideration within the group, we would rather not be presenting a basis for decision-making on each individual recommendation. But a recommendation to adopt the report in its entirety if possible, and if necessary, specific recommendations can be mentioned. It is thus very important that member states review the proposals in the report before you and provide feedback to the working group. We understand that the deadline for written input has been the subject of some debate, but we would like to stick to the 1st July 2026 for written input. And the reason for this is the extremely tight deadline by which the group must finalize the report. I mean, in fact, we will have to submit the final report in July. So you can see that there's very little time to consult and then to finalize the report. Furthermore, the board may wish to request an informal to discuss in more detail and provide feedback. In closing, we would like to thank the members of the working group who, despite their busy schedules, consistently attended our meetings and shared their expertise. I think it was a great experience, and special thank you to my fantastic co-chair, Zbigniew, who stepped in last summer. I thank you.

I thank the co-chairs of the Joint Working Group. Colleagues, the floor now is open for statement or questions. Given the limited time available for this item, I kindly ask delegations to keep their interventions concise. I now give the floor to the distinguished Permanent Representative of Zambia, Zambia, Vice President. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you to the presenters. We appreciate the Thank you very much for the presentations. Mr. President, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African members of the Executive Group. The Africa Group welcomes the interim report and the Joint Working Group on Review of the Governance and Oversight Functions of the Executive Board. We commend the work undertaken to assess the recommendations of the JIU and identify practical options for implementation. We support efforts to strengthen governance, accountability, and oversight, We also welcome the focus on improving existing mechanisms before creating new structures. This approach is consistent with the wider UN reform efforts and the need to use limited resources effectively and efficiently. For Africa, governance reforms must deliver more than stronger processes. They must improve results for programme countries. The success of these reforms will ultimately be judged by whether they strengthen support on the ground and accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Oversight is therefore not only about compliance and risk management, it is also about ensuring that organizations remain responsive to national priorities, deliver measurable results, and maximize development impact. Mr. President and Excellencies, the Africa Group welcomes the proposal to support— to develop a harmonized delegation delegates handbook. Such a tool will strengthen institutional memory, support new delegates, and improve the effective participation of board members. It would also promote greater consistency across executive boards. We support stronger engagement between boards and independent oversight functions. Clear reporting lines, meaningful consultations on oversight leadership, and systematic follow-up of recommendations can enhance accountability and improve implementation. The Africa Group also recognizes the growing importance of risk management. Conflicts, climate shocks, humanitarian crises, and economic uncertainty continue to place pressure on development gains. We therefore welcome efforts to strengthen risk reporting and clarify the Board's oversight role. Effective risk management helps safeguard development investments, maintain continuity of support, and strengthen institutional resilience. Mr. President, as implementation moves forward, the Africa Group supports a member-state-driven approach that preserves institutional memory and enhances— ensures inclusive participation. In this regard, we support the continuation of the Joint Working Group with any necessary adjustments to its working methods. This remains the most practical and cost-effective option. It allows member states to guide the reform process without creating additional structures or administrative burdens. The Africa Group also wishes to reaffirm the intergovernmental nature of the Executive Boards. Governance reforms must strengthen, not dilute, the authority of member states. Any future advisory mechanisms should demonstrate clear value. It should avoid duplication, respect the decision-making authorities of the Board, and take account of the capacity constraints faced by many developing delegation— developing country delegations. Excellencies, UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS remain indispensable partners for Africa's development. They support national priorities, build institutional capacities, and help countries respond to emerging challenges. Governance reforms should therefore strengthen the effectiveness of these organizations. They should improve responsiveness, accountability, and delivery. They should not create additional layers that slow implementation or divert resources from development priorities. The Africa Group supports a pragmatic, inclusive, and member-state-driven approach to reform. We remain committed to strengthening accountability, transparency, and effectiveness. At the same time, we must keep our focus on what matters most—delivering tangible development results for programme countries. Mr. President, we look forward to continuing our constructive engagement on reforms that strengthen both governance impact. I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Now I would like to invite another Vice President, distinguished representative of Finland. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, I am presenting this statement on behalf of Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, and my own country, Finland. We would like to thank the Joint Working Group and all its members for the comprehensive update and for the continued dedication and work invested in advancing this important process. We particularly welcome the interim report and the complete set of proposals for the implementation of the JI-U recommendations and appreciate the thorough assessment of the relevance and feasibility of the individual recommendations. We reiterate the importance of this exercise. The implementation of the JI-U recommendations remains central to the strengthening governance and oversight of the executive boards and to enhancing the effectiveness of our collective work. We also recognize the value of the structured consultation with the organizations through the questionnaires. This has been a useful and important step in ensuring that the perspectives of the entities concerned are adequately reflected in the process. We thank the Joint Working Group we support the proposals to convene an informal meeting for all three boards following the annual session and look forward to a constructive and focused discussion at that time. We further welcome the proposed approach for the next steps, in particular the intention to present draft decision language at the second, second regular session this year. For those recommendations where sufficient convergence emerges. In this regard, we encourage all member states to engage actively and constructively with the interim report and its proposals. In our view, it is essential to collectively move forward in a decisive and results-oriented manner, making full use of the current momentum. This shared effort is key to advancing our common objective of strengthening governance and oversight in an efficient and effective way. We look forward to continuing constructive engagement with the Joint Working Group as it advances its work. I thank you.

Thank you, distinguished representative of Finland. I have no further requests for the floor. I want to go back to our distinguished co-chairs. If you have any reflections, please go ahead, Annette.

Thank you so much to the African Group and also to our colleague from Finland for your words of appreciation and encouragement for the next steps forward. I just would like to reiterate the importance to engage with us. You can approach us bilaterally, the co-chairs, but every regional group has representative in the group, so you can also engage with them. And then, as we said, the board might wish to organize this informal as a next step to maybe to discuss more in depth. This is very, I think, the really important next step. And thank you so much for your encouragement.

Please. Yeah, thank you very much. I don't really have anything much different to say. I think Annette has said it for the both of us, but very pleased with the Although very few but very useful engagements we've heard here today, I want to thank the African Group for making a very comprehensive reflection on the report. We indeed wanted to maintain the principles that were mentioned in their statements in terms of how we wanted to follow up on the recommendations and sort of implement the this mandate that we have. I also want to thank the European Union for your very useful statement as well and your encouragement. Just want to reiterate what Annette said. We really do need the cooperation of the Executive Board members moving forward because we are on a very tight schedule and your feedback and just engagement with us whenever it's necessary is going to be really helpful for us into going to the final element of this process. So far you've been very encouraging, so I think the last steps are things we haven't done before, the part about finalizing the decision on the, you know, on the final outcome of this whole thing. So it might be a bit more difficult than what we've done before, but again, we're here to work with you on the report. We think that the report is reflective of things that we've heard in different sessions and in our bilateral consultations, and we think that it's a very honest assessment of, you know, of the recommendation of the JIU. So, yeah, thanks again and looking forward to engaging with you next time. Thanks.

I thank Ms. Gebrekidan and Ms. Kaiser for the Responses. This concludes the consideration of Agenda Item 6, Update on Assessment of How the Executive Board Executes Its Governance and Oversight Functions. I wish to inform the Board that the draft decision under Agenda Item 6, Update on the Assessment of How the Executive Board Executes its Governance and Oversight Functions, is under preparation and will be presented for the Board's consideration later in this session, and we are— please be informed that we are putting it under silence until 4:30 PM today. Before we proceed to Agenda Item 8 on gender equality at UNDP, we will take a brief moment to adjust the podium. Colleagues, we will now continue at the UNDP segment with the Agenda Item 8, Gender Equality at UNDP. Under this agenda item, the Board will consider the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2029, and the annual report on the implementation of the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025. I am pleased to welcome to the podium Mr. Marcos Neto, Assistant Administrator and Director, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support of UNDP, and Ms. Raquel Lagunas, Director, Gender Team, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support UNDP. Please note that this item is scheduled to proceed until 4:15 PM. While every effort will be made to accommodate as many, as many interventions as possible, delegations unable to take the floor may submit their statement to eStatement. Questions may also be shared with the Executive Board Secretariat, which will transmit them to the relevant entities. I now give the floor to Mr. Netto for his presentation.

You have the floor, Mr. Netto.

Thank you, Ambassador, distinguished members of the Executive Board. It is a pleasure to be here today as we present you the new UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2029. My remarks will focus on the 2025 Annual Report on the strategy and then on the new strategy. The Annual Report points out to three clear conclusions: First, UNDP consistently delivers its commitments and continues to achieve strong results through its country programmes. Second, our institutional performance remains solid, meeting or exceeding 83% of the rigorous UN SWAP 3.0 new requirements. Third, UNDP continues to invest at scale, with 75% of expenditure contributing to gender equality. The results are reflected in concrete gains. From 2022 to 2025, 155 million women gained access to financial services and 182 million to basic services. 177 public institutions and 330,000 civil servants advance reforms that improve public policy and service delivery for all people. The strategy, the new strategy, was developed through an unprecedented broad consultation involving more than 3,500 participants, 152 UNDP country offices, and a wide range of external partners, with two messages as a result. First, There is a strong expectation that UNDP helps countries place gender equality at the core of their decisions. Second, there is a clear recognition of UNDP's implementation capacity, at scale, in our areas of strength. What is different in this Strategy is that gender equality is not treated as a sectoral priority. But as a systemic accelerator of development, embedded in the economic, political and environmental structures that determine people's lives. In response, the new Strategy focuses more directly on the roots of inequality and concentrates UNDP's efforts where we bring clear value added: social protection and care, fiscal policy, elections, public institution reform, environmental action, recovery and peacebuilding. It also gives great attention to emerging challenges, including technology-facilitated violence and the risk that digital and AI transitions reinforce existing inequalities. This is about future-proofing development. The qualitative leap of this strategy is that it connects what is too often treated separately, such as budget, care system, environmental policy, so countries can serve their populations, all of their populations, better. Partnerships are central to us. For instance, our partnership with UN Women is a core element of this strategy and reflects the direction of UNAID: a more effective and coordinated UN system. Finally, The Strategy also recognizes that our progress is built through internal transformation. Our impact on gender equality depends on the strength of our own internal policies, structures, cultures and ways of working. Over the next 4 years, we will achieve this through: more integrated actions across portfolios and teams; an internal culture grounded in respect and dignity; and more diverse financing models to translate commitment into delivery. Distinguished Member States and our Administrator said gender equality is not a single-side agenda. It is how development becomes more effective and more sustainable. We are grateful for all the engagement that helped develop this Strategy. We look forward to working with all Member States and partners to translate this ambition into results. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I thank Mr. Netto for his presentation. Colleagues, the floor is now open for statements or questions. Given the limited time available for this item, I kindly ask delegations to keep their interventions concise. Now I would like to invite distinguished Permanent Representative of Nigeria. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African members of the Executive Board, namely Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zambia, and my own country, Nigeria. At the outset, Mr. President, the African Group wishes to commend the significant results on gender equality delivered across the African continent. As indicated in the annual report on the implementation of the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy for 2022 to 2025, the UNDP deployed its innovative CARE geo-referencing tool in Tanzania, the first deployment outside Latin America and the Caribbean, which informed policy decisions on building disability inclusive and gender-transformative care systems. In Guinea, women's leadership in natural resource governance was strengthened, while in Sudan, women's markets equipped with solar lighting and childcare facilities created economic opportunities for both displaced and host communities. In Angola, a national gender observatory was established and budget recommendations to increase gender equality spending were adopted into the national budget. In Malawi, Rwanda, Benin, Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, Guinea, Cabo Verde, and Eswatini, UNDP supported governance reform, gender-based violence response, natural resource management, women's leadership, and data systems. These achievements demonstrate what sustained country-driven programming can deliver on the African continent. We note, however, that Africa continues to face steep development headwinds. Widespread informality, climate and Energy shocks, food insecurity, and persistent conflict disproportionately constrain women's economic participation and safety. Against this backdrop, Africa requires more than proportional attention in the incoming Gender Equality Strategy for 2026 to 2029. Mr. President, the African— the African Group welcomes the new strategy's focus on fiscal policy reform through the Economics Initiative, which is already engaging 30 countries, and its commitment to expanding gender-responsive social protection and integrated care systems. We strongly support the strategy's recognition that core resources remain the backbone of effective gender equality programming. The documented success of increasing 15% of regional bureau track 2 resources as seed funding in country offices must be protected and, where possible, increased. The decline in flexible core resources is not a technical matter. It directly determines whether UNDP can remain flexible and adaptive in fragile and lower-income contexts, many of which are in Africa. We call on the Board and indeed the international community to ensure that the 2026-2029 strategy's regional implementation in Africa is adequately resourced and that the Gender Equality Seal for public institutions expands further across African member states. We also call for sustained momentum behind the $22 million Spotlight Initiative on ending violence against women and girls. The African Group welcomes the explicit reference to the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement as a vehicle for advancing women's access to markets. We urge the UNDP to operationalize this commitment through concrete country-level programmes that link trade policy to women's economic empowerment. Finally, Mr. President, the African Group reaffirms its full support for UNDP's declared intention to continue working closely with governments, the African Union Commission, United Nations agencies including UN Women, as well as civil society to deliver coherent complementary support. The African Group looks forward to strong, transparent and accountable implementation of the new strategy. I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. I now would like to give the floor to the distinguished Permanent Representative of Belgium. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. I deliver this statement on behalf of 21 countries: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and my own country, Belgium. We commend UNDP on its extensive and inclusive elaboration process leading to the new Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2030. 2026-2029 presented today. We thank you for your presentation and we are pleased to see that UNDP continues to prioritize gender equality. This commitment is not only a human rights imperative, but also a quality label, as evidence continues to show that gender equality is a multiplier to results across all strategic objectives. Let me highlight 3 remarks. Three points. First, regarding the planned prioritization and greater focus on higher impact areas, we recognize the value of shifting from scale— from small-scale projects to larger system-level interventions. As UNDP operationalizes this strategy, we want to urge that this focus not result in a dilution of targets or reduced engagement in more difficult field environments and that the ambition of this Plan continues to be underpinned by sustained financial allocations. Second, we recall that the evaluation of the last UNDP Strategic Plan highlighted that gender-responsive programming remains inconsistently applied. To translate a policy commitment into tangible and systemic results, the right expertise is required at country level. We would therefore further encourage UNDP to leverage the expertise on gender equality of its sister agencies, such as UN Women, to deliver the best results. We also welcome the continued commitment for offices in crisis settings to have at least one full-time position providing gender expertise. We encourage UNDP to expand this commitment in the future to ensure expertise is provided across the board. We would welcome further detail on how the right expertise will be ensured, particularly with regards to capacity building, knowledge strengthening, and effective monitoring at all levels. Third and final remark, Mr. President, let me emphasize that more equitable partnerships with women's organizations and other civil society actors are essential to building strong societies and achieving sustainable progress on gender equality, as they play an essential role in understanding needs and dynamics on the ground. I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. I now invite distinguished representative of the United States. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. The United States strongly supports the elements of this strategy that aim to deliver tangible, practical advancements for women and girls. The United States is committed to upholding the rights of women and girls. We applaud the focus on eliminating barriers to women's access to finance, jobs, and productive assets. Furthermore, we stand firmly behind UNDP's critical work to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, and conflict-related sexual violence, which continues to disproportionately impact women and girls in fragile contexts. These are foundational building blocks of true development and peace. The United States emphasizes the human rights, dignity, and rights of women, men, girls, and boys to contribute to their societies, communities, and economies. We have all seen the transformative impacts to all sectors of life when there are no barriers to fully meeting participation of all people. The United States supports the empowerment of all women and girls across all aspects of society and the economy. However, we caution against prescriptive quotas and programs or funding allocations which may adversely impact budget flexibility or program coherence. Furthermore, the United States objects to the strategy's explicit expansion into other aspects of DEI-related programming. True development is built on a foundation of equality and individual merit. Thank you.

Thank you. I now would like to give the floor to Mr. Netto for some responses, please.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, distinguished members of the board. Thank you for your support and your comments. Let me take the comments from Nigeria on behalf of the African Group. I think what I would like to highlight from those statements is the recognition that a lot of what UNDP does, in the past and in the future, is about sustaining country-driven approaches. We very much agree that Africa needs to be a focus, and we will do so in terms of prioritizing the economic development of women and girls in the African continent. Thank you, Madam Ambassador, for your comments on behalf of a large number of 21 groups. We very much value the partnership of Belgium and all of those members on your statement. I think we can guarantee that the idea is not to dilute anything by having prioritizations. I think part of the prioritization has to do with how we see ourselves as comparative advantages in partnering with UN Women and UNFPA and other organizations in that sense. We very much believe that CSOs and women's organizations are essential in implementing this strategy. That's why we consulted widely with them, and we will be working with them in terms of the implementations. I am— very grateful to the United States' comments, and I think we are fully aligned in terms of, you know, dealing with gender-based violence. Also, as this strategy does, and I've mentioned in my statement, not only— but adding the aspects of gender-based violence in the virtual world today, and I think it is very important to realize that we deal with this issue not only in the real life that we are, you know, flesh and blood, but also in a virtual world. And we will— that's one of the new things on this strategy, is to look at the elements of digital and how do we protect women and girls and support them in a virtual world. So that's all my comments in that sense.

I thank Mr. Netto for his responses. This concludes the consideration of Agenda Item 8, Gender Equality at UNDP. If I hear no objections, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to take a note of the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2029 and the Annual Report on the Implementation of the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025. 2025. It is so decided. Before we proceed to Agenda Item 10 on UNDP country programs and related matters, we will take a brief moment to adjust the podium. Colleagues, we will now proceed to Agenda Item 10, UNDP Country Programmes and Related Matters. Under this item, the Board will consider the extension— extensions of UNDP Country Programmes at presented As presented in Document DP/2026/21, I am pleased to welcome to the podium Mr. Hao Lang Xu, Associate Administrator of UNDP. Under this item, the Executive Board is requested to take a note of the first one-year extensions as approved by UNDP Administrator of the country programs for Kenya, Kenya, and Togo, and approved the second 6-month extension of the Country Programme for Argentina and the second 1-year extensions of the Country Programme for Lebanon and South Sudan. Please note that this item is scheduled to proceed until 4:45 PM. While every effort will be made to accommodate as many interventions as possible, delegations unable to take the Participants on the floor may submit their statements to e-statements. Questions may also be shared with the Executive Board Secretariat. We will transmit them to the relevant entities. Without further ado, I now give the floor to Mr. Hao Lang Xu for his presentation. Mr. Xu, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, It is my honor to present for the Board's consideration the proposed extensions of the Country Program Documents for Argentina, Kenya, Lebanon, South Sudan, and Togo in accordance with Executive Board Decision 2014/7. The proposed extensions for Argentina, Kenya, and Togo are first-year extensions. Approved by the UNDP Administrator, with the Board being informed accordingly. The proposed extensions for Lebanon and South Sudan are second-year extensions and are therefore submitted for approval by the Executive Board. All 5 extensions are aligned with the extensions of the respective United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks and have been prepared in consultation with the relevant national authorities and United Nations country teams under the leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator. For Kenya, South Sudan, Lebanon, and Togo, the CPD extensions will allow UNDP to remain aligned with the corresponding UN SDCFs and to ensure continued coherence with national development priorities and planning cycles. For Argentina, the proposed 6-month extension will provide additional time to complete consultations with government counterparts and incorporate their feedback into the next country program. During the extension period, UNDP will continue to support national priorities through its integrated development offer, grounded in a systems-thinking approach and focused on areas where UNDP brings strong comparative value. This includes sustainable development financing, inclusive growth, democratic governance, women's empowerment, resilience, crisis prevention and recovery, and community-level support for sustainable development. These extensions will also help ensure continuity of program implementation, preserve development gains, and maintain UNDP's ability to respond effectively to evolving country contexts while the next generation of country programs is being finalized. The documents before the Board reflects the continued strong collaboration between UNDP, national counterparts, United Nations country teams, and development partners. They also reaffirm UNDP's commitment to supporting countries in advancing nationally-owned development pathways, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the principles of United Nations Development system reform. Distinguished members of the Board, the NDP requests the Board to take note of the first extensions of the Country Program for Argentina, Kenya, and Togo, and to approve the second-year extension of the Country Program for Lebanon and South Sudan. Thank you very much.

I thank Mr. Su for his presentation. Distinguished colleagues, the floor is now open for statements or questions. I now give the floor to the distinguished Permanent Representative of Zambia. Please, you have the floor, Ambassador.

Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, I speak on behalf of Africa Group. Um, the Africa Group takes note of the three extensions for Kenya, Togo, and South Sudan.. And we wish to provide the following statements. We view this extension as practical for Kenya, a necessary measure to ensure continuity of support to Kenya's national development priorities while preparations for the next program cycle are finalized. The group commends the strong alignment to the program with Kenya's national development agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development cooperation framework. We note the program's contributing— contribution to strengthening governance and institutions, advancing inclusive economic transformation, and enhancing climate resilience, and promoting opportunities for women, youth, and vulnerable populations. We particularly appreciate UNDP's continued focus on integrated and innovative approaches that address interconnected development challenges, including poverty, inequality, energy, environmental sustainability, and digital transformation. These efforts are helping to advance progress towards the SDGs and aspirations of Agenda 2063. The Africa Group therefore supports the proposed extension and encourages UNDP and the Government of Kenya to utilize this period to consolidate achievements, strengthen national ownerships, and ensure a smooth transition to the next project cycle. We wish the Government and the people of Kenya continued success in implementation of their development priorities. On Togo, we welcome the proposed extension. We particularly appreciate UNDP's support to strengthening local governance, promoting inclusive economic opportunities, and enhancing resilience in vulnerable communities, especially in the northern regions affected by security and development challenges. The program's focus on social cohesion and prevention-oriented approaches remains particularly relevant in the current context. The Africa Group supports the proposed extension and looks forward to a seamless transition to the next country program, building on the progress already achieved in partnership with the government and people of Togo. As regards the extension for South Sudan, the Africa Group welcomes this second one-year extension proposed of the UNDP Country Programme for South Sudan and commends its effort on supporting nationally led efforts to build peace, strengthen institutions, and enhance resilience in a challenging and evolving context. We particularly appreciate the program's emphasis on strengthening governance and rule of law, promoting social cohesion, supporting livelihoods and economic recovery, in helping communities withstand the impacts of conflict, climate change, and displacement. The program's integrated approach to humanitarian development-peace nexus is especially relevant in South Sudan's circumstances and aspirations. We welcome the focus on building the capacities of national and local institutions, recognizing that sustainable development and lasting peace are mutually reinforcing. The Africa Group supports the approval of the CPD and looks forward to its successful implementation in partnership with the government and people of South Sudan. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Ambassador. Next on my list, distinguished representative of the United States.

Thank you. Mr. Chair, the United States would like to provide remarks related to all UNDP country programs and specific remarks regarding the country program extension for South Sudan. The United States reiterates the primacy of national ownership of development. This may include seeking support from UN agencies and external donors. However, as we have continued to stress, the emphasis must remain on keeping that external support as focused and as time-bound as as possible. It is incumbent on the UN to keep a sharp focus on transitioning all efforts to national actors, guided by the receiving government and financed by national public and private sector resources. While we note that these country programs are mapped against national development frameworks that are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, the United States reiterates that we consider the SDGs to be a soft form of global governance. We will not recognize them as a matter of course. Regarding the further extension of the South Sudan Country Program, the United States is deeply concerned that UNDP's work is entrenching international aid dependency by perpetuating an unsustainable, unsustainable status quo that harms the South Sudanese people. The CDP— I'm sorry, the CPD portrays South Sudan as making institutional progress despite clear evidence to the contrary. Claims of improved fiscal discipline and public financial management contradict the transitional government's systematic corruption, general institutional collapse, and failure to pay salaries for almost 2 years. Proposed support to tax administration, budgeting, and revenue mobilization ignore the chronic budget non-compliance, entrenched corruption, and opaque oil revenue management issues that the CPD itself identifies. UNDP proposals to support electoral institutions, transitional justice mechanisms, national and subnational legislative bodies, health systems, private sector-led development, and large-scale environmental initiatives are simply divorced from the realities on the ground in South Sudan. Rule of law programming risks reinforcing abusive institutions. Health plans ignore a total absence of national cofinancing in a donor-substituted sector. The CPD's ambitions for diversification Private sector development and improved planning far exceed what ministries characterized by extreme turnover, no funding, and limited capacity can absorb. We expect all CPDs to be clear-eyed about risk, time-bound, and consider donor concerns. Thank you.

Thank you, United States.

Next on my list, distinguished representative of South Sudan.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. My delegation expresses its appreciation for the Executive Board for its guidance and oversight of UNDP— globalist work. We aligned ourselves with Zambia's statements on behalf of African Group and would like to state the following on our national capacity. We welcome and support the extension of UNDP's country program for South Sudan and acknowledge its commitment to advancing the well-being and development of our people, especially women, girls, and the young people. We emphasize the importance of continued predictable and sustainable support to UNDP's country representative and team for effective program implementation and results. We strengthen the close coordination— we encourage the close coordination with the and partnership with relevant institutions, and to strengthen the national ownership and enhance effectiveness and to ensure sustainability. We also urge the UNDP to align the program's activities with South Sudan's national development priorities and strategies, considering cultural context, national values, and establish policies framework. While we say the above, we would also want to ensure that the Republic of South Sudan— and some accusations made by the delegation of the United States— we want to assure that these are not in place and this is not the right place for making such unfounded allegations. We want to ascertain that South Sudan, as a government, we are not asking replacement by any organizations, and whatever is done, it is done within the coordination and the framework of the United Nations. And we urge our partners to continue with the spirit of cooperation and guidance rather than unnecessary criticism of the government. We will look forward to continue cooperation with UNDP and the Government of South Sudan and the stakeholders to advance the shared objective.

I thank you. Thank you, South Sudan. Now I give the floor to distinguished representative of Togo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Zambia on behalf of the African Group. We would like to offer the following remarks in our national capacity. My delegation thanks the Administrator for presenting the document DP 2026/21 on the extension of the country program, and we thank them for the clear details about each one of the countries concerned. As for Togo, we congratulate the approach that the UNDP has taken to ensuring a systematic approach to the country programs and alignment with those programs with the priorities for development and the calendars for Development— for Sustainable Development of the United Nations. This alignment remains vital so as to guarantee coherence, effectiveness, and the impact of interventions on the ground. Turning now to my own country, our delegation takes note of the extension by one year of the CPD of Togo announced by the Administrator to ensure full coherence with our national development plan. We welcome the accompaniment of the UNDP in this process, which will allow us to prepare in good conditions the next cycle of programming. Togo finally reaffirms the importance of flexible programming, which is responsible— which is responsive, rather, and well aligned, allowing the UNDP to effectively respond to our national priorities while ensuring the continuity of its work. Thank you.

Thank you, Togo. Now I'd like to invite distinguished representative of Kenya. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Kenya aligns itself with the statement by Zambia on behalf of the African group. I will make a remark under our national capacity. Kenya thanks the Administrator of UNDP and the entire UN Country Team for their continued partnership and support in advancing our national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome the proposal to extend the current Country Programme for Kenya. The extension will provide the necessary continuity as Kenya aligns It is a development planning process with the next generation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and prepares a new country program that reflects evolving national priorities and emerging development challenges. The current program has remained highly relevant to Kenya's development aspiration and the Vision 2030 by supporting efforts to strengthen democratic governance, peacebuilding, and social cohesion, advance inclusive green growth and sustainable livelihood, and enhance resilience through nature-based solutions, climate action, and disaster risk management. Mr. President, Kenya appreciates UNDP's contribution to strengthening public institutions, supporting devolution, promoting accountability and citizen participation, and enhancing the capacity of national and the country— county governments to deliver services effectively. We also commend support for green growth policies, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable financing initiatives that create opportunities for youth and women while advancing environmental sustainability. The program has further strengthened Kenya's efforts to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, and disaster risks through integrated and community-centered approaches. These interventions have contributed significantly to building resilience, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas and other vulnerable communities. As we look ahead, Kenya remains committed to working closely with UNDP to ensure that the next program cycle is responsive to national policies, priorities, including the bottom-up economic transformation agenda, climate resilience, digital transformation, job creation, gender equality, sustainable urbanization, and acceleration of SDGs implementation. The extension will therefore provide an important bridge that safeguards ongoing development gains, maintain the momentum in program delivery, and ensure smooth transition towards the next programming cycle. It is— it will also allow continued support to Kenya's efforts to build resilience, accelerate structural transformation, and leave no one behind. In conclusion, Kenya supports the proposed extension of the Country Programme and looks forward to continued cooperation with UNDP in advancing sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development for all Kenyans.

I thank you. Thank you, Kenya. I have no more No request for the floor. I would like to go back to Mr. Su for his responses. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. We take note of the guidance from the members of the Executive Board. We do firmly believe in national ownership and we agree that For development to take place, you need several things to work together. You need a national vision, unity. You need strong growth. You need a national financing strategy that brings all sources of financing together, right? And you need governance systems that are effective, accountable, and inclusive so that we have, you know, the kind of condition for investment and for growth, for jobs. We are talking about supporting countries in Africa in particular, in this case, countries with relatively low level of development of GDP per capita. If we just look at the GDP indicator, you need 7% growth every year for 10 years to double your GDP. UNDP, right, generally speaking, right? So, so that's why we just have to make sure that everything works, right, so that the standard of, you know, living, right, and standard of quality of life for citizens improve. So you can count on UNDP's, you know, focus on these kind of issues, and we appreciate the guidance of the Executive Board members.

Thank you very much. I thank Mr. Xu for his responses. If I hear no objections, I will take it that the Executive Board wishes to take a note of the first one-year extensions as approved by UNDP Administrator of the country programs for Kenya and Togo. It is so decided. If I hear no objections, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to approve to approve the second 6-month extension of the Country Programme for Argentina and the second 1-year extension of the Country Programme for Lebanon and South Sudan. It is so decided. This concludes the consideration of Agenda Item 10, UNDP Country Programmes and Related Matters. Before we proceed to Agenda Item 15 on UNFPA Country Programmes and Related Matters. We'll take a brief moment to adjust the podium. Distinct— distinguished colleagues, we will now continue the UNFPA segment with Agenda Item 15, UNFPA country programs and related matters. Under this item, the Board will consider the extension of UNFPA country programs as presented in document DP/FPA/2026/9. I am pleased to welcome to the podium Mr. Pio Smith, Deputy Executive Director, Program at Interim of UNFPA. Under this item, the Executive Board is requested to take a note of the first 1-year extension as approved by UNFPA Executive the Director of the Country Program for Kenya, and approve the second one-year extension of the Country Program for Lebanon. Please note that this item is scheduled to proceed until 5:15 PM. While every effort will be made to accommodate as many international as possible delegations unable to take the floor, may submit their statements to e-statements. Questions may also be shared with the Executive Board Secretariat, which will transmit them to the relevant entities. I now give the floor to Mr. Smith for his presentation. You have the floor, Mr.

Smith. Thank you very much, Mr. President, Excellencies, and distinguished delegates. I'm pleased to provide remarks at this formal session of the Executive Board on UNFPA country programmes and related matters. Today we have two country programme extensions under this this session. First, from the Eastern Southern Africa region, we have the first-time 1-year extension of the Country Programme for Kenya. This extension is required because the Government and the United Nations Country Team have agreed to extend the current United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. This extension will allow the next UNFPA Country Programme to align with the new UN SDCF and harmonize— harmonize— and ensure harmonization with national development plans priorities. Second, from Arab States Region, we have the second 1-year extension of the Country Programme for Lebanon. This extension is required because the Government and the United Nations Country Team have agreed to extend the current UNSDCF for 1 additional year. This will ensure the continuation of UNFPA's work addressing current needs while adapting to operational conditions on the ground ground, while also allowing the next UNFPA Country Programme to align with the new UN SDCF. Distinguished delegates, the Executive Board may wish to take note that, as per established procedures, the Executive Director has approved the first-time 1-year extension of the Country Programme for Kenya. Also, the Executive Board may wish to approve the second 1-year extension of the Country Programme for Lebanon. I thank you for your valuable time and look forward to your kind approval. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith. I have distinguished representative of Kenya. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Kenya thanks UNFPA for its Kenya's continued partnership and support in advancing our national development priorities under the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We support the proposed extension and the call for the alignment with our national development priorities, including Kenya Vision 2030, the Potomac Economic Transformation Agenda, and other national policy frameworks. As preparations begin for the next program cycle, it is important that the extension period facilitates broad consultation with the government and the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the future programming remains nationally owned, demand-driven, and responsible to Kenya's development aspirations. Mr. President, Kenya also highly values the contribution of UNFPA in supporting national efforts to improve sexual and reproductive health services, reduce maternal mortality, advance gender equality, address gender-based violence, and harness the demographic dividend through investment in young people. UNFPA has been a trusted partner in strengthening population data systems, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and promoting the rights and well-being of women, girls, and vulnerable populations across the country. The extension of the country program will provide an important bridge that safeguards development gains, maintains momentum in programming implementation, and ensure a smooth transition towards the next programming cycle. We trust that this period will be utilized to develop a future program that is firmly anchored in Kenya's national priorities and responsive to the needs of our people. In conclusion, Kenya looks forward to continue collaborating with UNFPA in advancing sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development while accelerating progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. I thank you.

Thank you, Kenya. I now give the floor to the distinguished Permanent Representative of Zambia. You have the floor, Ambassador.

Thank you, Mr. President. As Africa Group, we want to put on record our— we take note of the one-year extension and want to put on record our support. The Africa Group welcomes the extension of the UNFPA country program for Kenya and supports this measure to ensure continuity of support while preparations for the next program cycle are being finalized. We appreciate UNFPA's continued contribution to improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes, reducing maternal mortality, advancing gender equality, and addressing gender-based violence. We also welcome the program's strong focus on adolescents and young people, recognizing their central role in driving inclusive and sustainable development. The proposed extension will help sustain progress achieved to date, maintain support for vulnerable populations and facilitate a smooth transition to the next country program aligned with evolving national priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The Africa Group supports the approval of the extension and looks forward to the continued participation and partnership between UNFPA and the Government of the People of Kenya.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Ambassador. Now we invite distinguished representative of Minister of Lebanon to take the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Lebanon welcomes the extension of UNDP and UNFPA country programs for Lebanon. The extension comes at a critical moment as Lebanon continues to address the consequences of the recent war and ongoing humanitarian crisis, while advancing Recovery and Reform. Today, it ensures continuity and stability in UNDP and UNFPA's programming across the humanitarian and development levels, and allows for alignment with the extension of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework agreed with the government. Mr. President, as Lebanon moves forward, strengthening national systems and institutional capacities remains essential. It is important to support Lebanon's national priorities during this crucial period. Mr. President, today we would like to express our sincere appreciation to UNFPA Lebanon for its steadfast commitment and partnership during this challenging period. We particularly value UNFPA's work and its support to national institutions. We look forward to continued cooperation with UNFPA in supporting national efforts to strengthen gender-based violence prevention and response mechanisms, expand access to sexual reproductive health services and rights, particularly for women and girls, adolescents in affected communities, and youth empowerment. We also attach particular importance to strengthening demographic intelligence and population data, which are critical for evidence-based policymaking, recovery planning, and sustainable development. In addition, continued support for vulnerable groups, including older persons and persons with disabilities, remains essential as Lebanon works to ensure that recovery efforts leave no one behind. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Lebanon. I would now like to go back to Mr. Smith for his responses. Please, Mr. Smith.

Thank you, Mr. President, and allow me to express our deep appreciation firstly to Kenya and the distinguished Permanent Representative for Kenya and also the Permanent Representative for Zambia on behalf of the Africa Group. Thank you for your support, but more importantly, we wish to thank the Government of Kenya for the longstanding partnership and cooperation that we have enjoyed in your country, ensuring that we have alignment with your national development priorities and your international commitments, including for the ICPD and the SDGs is paramount for our work there, and we look forward to supporting the government of Kenya as well as the people of Kenya to achieve that economic transformation, to make sure that we have rights and choices for women and young people as front and center of that work. I wish to also express our appreciation to the distinguished representative for Lebanon, Of course, this request comes at a very troubling and trying time for your country, and it's a severe humanitarian crisis where we are there on the ground supporting. I think this 1-year extension will help continue that programming work across the humanitarian, the development, the peacebuilding continuum. I think also, you know, I would stress that it allows us to continue the life-saving work that we continue to provide in Lebanon, even amidst the current crisis, all with a view to supporting the future recovery and development efforts under the leadership of your government. So I thank the distinguished representative, and I take good note what you've said with respect to the strengthening of national systems, particularly with respect to the GBVM response, but also the access to services, and in particular what we need to do together in strengthening the approaches on demographic resilience. I think this is a continuing, evolving piece of work for many countries, and same with Lebanon, particularly the work that we do in support of the rights for old the rights for people with disabilities, that remains front and center of a rights-based approach to demographic resilience. So we're very honored to continue working with your government in that respect. Thank you very much, Mr.

President. Thank you, Mr. Smith, for your responses. Colleagues, if I hear no objections, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to approve the the second one-year extension of the Country Programme for Lebanon. It is so decided. If I hear no objections, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to take a note of the first one-year extension as approved by the UNFPA Executive Director of the Country Programme for Kenya. It is so decided. This concludes the consideration of Agenda Item 15, UNFPA country programmes and related matters. Before we proceed to Agenda Item 19 on other matters, we will take a brief moment to adjust the podium. We will momentarily pause the meeting and we will resume it shortly. We will resume it 5 PM.

Dear colleagues, thank you for your patience. We will now proceed to Agenda Item 19, Adoption of Decisions. We will consider the adoption of the decisions for the Annual Session 2026. The Board has before it 13 draft decisions for adoption. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under Agenda Item 2, Update on the Implementation Efforts and the Repositioning of the United Nations Development System. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under Agenda Item 3, Internal Audit and Investigation. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under agenda item 4, ethics. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under agenda item 5, Protection against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under Agenda Item 6, Update on the Assessment of How the Executive Board Executes its Governance and Oversight Functions. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under Agenda Item 7, Annual Report of the UNDP Administrator. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under Agenda Item 9, UNDP Evaluation. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under agenda item 11, United Nations Capital Development Fund. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under agenda item 12, United Nations Volunteers. It is so decided. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under Agenda Item 14, UNFPA Evaluation. It is so decided. 13. If I hear no objection, I shall take it the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under Agenda 16, Annual Report of the UNOPS Executive Director. It is so decided. And if I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the draft decision under agenda item 13, Annual Report of the UNFPA Executive Director. It is so decided. The UN engagement with UN Haiti Initiative, agenda item 18. It is my understanding that there is no agreed text at this point. I have a request from Finland, please.

So, Mr.

President, although we exhausted the initially allocated time for the decision negotiations in view of the promising progress, I would like to make a motion to convene an extra session of the Board for tomorrow.

I believe this will give us enough time to bridge remaining differences and present a decision on UN 80 for adoption tomorrow.

Thank you. Thank you. We have a proposal from Finland to convene an extra session tomorrow to finalize the agenda item 18, engagement with UNHCR initiative and the relevant resolution. Does the Board support that proposal? It is so decided then. I want to thank all the facilitators for the work they have put into this decisions. And now this agenda item 19 will be potentially closed tomorrow. Let's see how that goes. We will return now to agenda item 1, organizational matters. The board will next consider a tentative work plan for the second regular session 2026, and I invite the Secretary of Executive Board, Mrs. Massa Jafari, to present the tentative work plan for the second regular session of this year. Mrs.

Jafari, please.

Thank you, Mr. President. Good afternoon, distinguished members of the Executive Board and observer delegations. As we conclude, or we attempt to conclude, the Annual Session 2026, allow me to briefly introduce the tentative work plan for the second regular session, which is scheduled to take place from 24th to 27th August. The tentative work plan has been circulated for the Board's consideration. It is aligned with the annual work plan of the Executive Board for 2026 as approved at the first regular session and has been reviewed by the Bureau. As usual, it remains subject to adjustment as required. At this stage, the session is structured as follows: on Monday, 24th August, the session will open with organizational matters including the adoption of the agenda and work plan for the session, as well as adoption of the report of the Annual Session 2026. The remainder of the morning will be devoted to the joint segment on engagement with the UN80 Initiative. On Monday afternoon, the Board will consider the update on the assessment of how the Executive Board executes its governance and oversight functions. This will be followed by the structural structured funding dialogues of UNDP and UNFPA. On Tuesday, 25 August, the UNFPA segment will continue with a statement by the UNFPA Executive Director. On Tuesday afternoon, the UNOPS segment will begin with the statement by the UNOPS Executive Director. This will be followed by the UNOPS agenda items on financial, budgetary, and administrative matters, as well as the Process Innovation and Digitalization Program. On Wednesday, 26 August, the UNDP segment will continue with the interactive dialogue with the UNDP Administrator. On Wednesday afternoon, the Board will consider the remaining UNDP and UNFPA agenda items on country programs and related matters. On Thursday, 27 August, the joint segment will continue with the consideration of the report of the Board's visit, field visit to Panama, which took place in May 2026. The session is expected to conclude with the adoption of the decisions under consideration, followed by consideration of the draft annual work plan for 2027, the adoption of the tentative work plan for the first regular session 2027, and the closing of the session. Thank you, Mr. President. We look forward to welcoming all delegations to for the the Second Regular Session in August.

Thank you, Mrs. Jafari. And this tentative work plan has been distributed before this session today, the updated with the expanded timeline. If I hear no objection, shall I take it that the Board wishes to approve the proposed tentative work plan for the Second Regular Session 2020? 6? It is so decided. We have concluded consideration of Agenda Item 1, Organizational Matters. We have a request for the floor. Norway, please, you have the floor. Mr.

President, thank you, and distinguished colleagues. I think this statement is even more relevant right now. I deliver this statement on behalf of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and my own country, Norway. As members and observers of this Executive Board, we wish to reaffirm our role and responsibility as a governance and oversight body. In this regard, we also wish to underscore the importance and complexity of the matters before us. Agenda items under consideration, including particularly complex issues such as UNDS reform, implementation, and UNEAT, require adequate time and space for thorough exchange, careful deliberation, and inclusive negotiation. Looking ahead, we would therefore welcome efforts to ensure that enough time is allocated to the formal sessions for presentations, statements, and interactions with entities, as well as to negotiations and informal processes to enable substantive and constructive engagement by all member states. We reaffirm the importance of returning to and maintaining the original full duration of the session week for each board session. Mr. President, In an increasingly challenging global context, we attach particular importance to consensus, not only as a means of decision-making but as a value in itself within the multilateral system. Reaching consensus requires sufficient opportunity for dialogue and negotiation among Member States. We also recognize that many delegates travel from all regions to participate in these sessions, and that their presence should be matched by meaningful consideration of the issues before us. I thank you.

I thank you for your statement. I have some comments to this statement. I haven't seen that statement before, and I have to tell you that every agenda and tentative work plan that is shared with the Board is discussed beforehand with the Bureau. Which has every region and group represented. The second point is that not the lack of time or sessions is an obstacle. Sometimes I think it's the lack of political will to get things done. As a result, I can tell you that this is an annual session and we could finish the annual session, which is the most— has the heaviest agenda, we could have finished the annual session on a Thursday afternoon, that's 4 days. Especially this year when two full sessions in the first day were allocated to the engagement on the UN80 Initiative, and especially this afternoon when we had time remaining, more than one hour, which is also costly and can be very well used by Member States. So it is true that some of the sessions had to extend beyond the initial plan. I want to thank my Vice Presidents as well and members of the Bureau for their support, for delegations. We've been discussing this morning in the Bureau how much engagement and discipline from Member States as well in adjusting their interventions and the time limits to the— but also maintain the substance. I'm the first one to say that we shouldn't compromise on the substance. Substance is very much important. But I think we are also in this effort altogether, and as a member state, not as a President of the Board— it's going to be ending in half a year's time, by the end of the year— but as a member state, I would always support to shorten the time that we allocate for discussions and conversations and to focus much more on the substance. And I would say that one week for a meeting is too long. Let's multiply that with how many boards we have— four boards, I think. 4 boards. Next week it's UNICEF and then it's UN Women. I have to say that both as Member States and as entities, there's too much time to invest and we have to focus much more on the output. As a result, tomorrow we'll meet again for probably a few minutes to adopt a decision, hopefully, on UNAT, but that of course has in itself consequences and financial impact that is paid by the member states at the end of the day. So I'm all in it for a dialogue, an honest and open dialogue with member states. We've been consulting extensively with the Bureau, with member states, so I think through our discussion as well, all those conversations were meaningful. Now, there will be probably more time for conversations and I would invite you to jump in tomorrow— there will be a full 3-hour session that you pay for, actually. $50,000. Every minute costs— I made the calculation on the UNAT meeting— every minute of translation, interpretation, and services was $723, if I'm not mistaken. Can you imagine that amount of money? Alright, enough of that. We'll discuss it in the UN 80, in the General Assembly. Colleagues, thank you very much. I find myself that we did use indeed meaningfully the time that we had at our disposal this week. I want to thank you for engagement. This session is adjourned and we'll meet you tomorrow. Probably we'll define the timing. It will be in the morning, probably 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock. I still have some other engagements, but We will let you know, 10 or 11 tomorrow. Thank you very much for your cooperation. This meeting is adjourned.