1st meeting - Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS (Annual Session 2025)

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, good morning to you all. I declare open the first meeting of the annual session for 2025 of the Executive Board of the UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS. This session is being held in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Executive Board and the approved annual work plan. We will now proceed to the first order of business. Before delivering a brief opening statement of my own, I would like to welcome the colleagues who are joining me on the podium: Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the UNFPA, Mr. Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of UNOPS, Mr. Haolang Xu, Associate Administrator of the UNDP, and Ms. Mahsa Jafari, Secretary of the Executive Board of the UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS. I look forward to a productive annual session of the Executive Board. This year's annual session holds special significance as it marks the final board session for both the UNDP Administrator and the UNFPA Executive Director. In recognition of their remarkable leadership and service, a special closing segment will be held on Thursday, 5th of June, with the presence of the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, Mr. Courtney Rattray, who will deliver some special remarks of appreciation to Mr. Steiner and Ms. Kenem. I now have the honor to present a video message from Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed. I would kindly ask the Secretariat to play the video.

Colleagues, it's a real pleasure to join you for this meeting. Let me begin by offering deep thanks to 2 colleagues and friends. Achim and Natalia, for whom this will be their final Executive Board in their current roles. You have been true champions of the repositioning. Your leadership, commitment, and unwavering support for the Resident Coordinator System have helped shape a more coherent and responsive UN development system. We're grateful for your partnership, your friendship, and for your service to people and planet. Excellencies, we come together at a critical juncture. With 5 years to go, countries are redoubling efforts to accelerate SDGs implementation through transformative pathways. The 2024 QCPR has given us clear direction, enabling us to scale up implementation and to deepen our reforms. 7 years into repositioning, and the system that we have built together, we know now is delivering results. As the discussions in the ECOSOC Operational Activities for Development segment in May reflected, Member States are pleased with the dividend of the reforms. 98% of our host country governments confirmed that UN country teams are effectively responding to their national priorities for SDG delivery. That result is a testament to the commitment of the entire UN development system. UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS have been at the forefront of embedding reforms at the country level, and I thank you for this. Excellencies, the Executive Boards remain a vital space for oversight and accountability. A place to build on our partnership and to challenge one another to do more and better. I know the agencies are facing a dire financial outlook, and you have my full support as you continue to target your work towards the areas of greatest need and highest impact. The UN80 initiative launched by the Secretary-General gives us the opportunity to think about transformation beyond financial savings. It is an opportunity for the UN development system to come out stronger from this crisis. The outlook may be stark, but there are beacons of hope. Across the system, entities are using this moment to test themselves, and I know that UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS are at the core of efforts to find new and better ways of working. I trust that the conversations this week will be an opportunity for you to provide vital oversight and guidance to the entities. Excellencies, dear friends, the strategic plans now under development, including those of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS, are a key opportunity to lock in transformation. These plans must reflect the reforms, not just in language, but in how we operate and deliver. These plans must become engines of coherence and ambition, drawing on the comparative advantages of each entity. They must go beyond form and ensure the programs are truly derived from the cooperation frameworks in substance. They must link planning to joint financing and shared accountability and push the envelope on efficiencies. We must also ensure that business models and accountability structures enable collaboration and not competition. We must turn global disruption into the impetus to transform faster and deeper, and we must equip our system to develop at scale for the people who need it most. There is still time to achieve the SDGs. Together, let's stay focused on the necessary tools and structures, and of course our staff, the experts, so that the development system that needs to deliver the SDGs for our Member States happens in reality by 2030. Thank you for your continued commitment and and leadership.

I express my appreciation to the Deputy Secretary-General for that very thoughtful and powerful message. In fewer than 5 minutes, she has given us a great deal of important information. I say less than 5 minutes because you will see a few surprises in this year's session in terms of the timing, as will be displayed on the screen. But I am going to speak, and you will see that I am interrupted if I go beyond my allotted time. So I will begin now with my opening remarks. Excellencies, distinguished members of the Executive Board, Executive Directors, colleagues, Friends all, I have the honor of welcoming you to the 2025 Annual Session of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS. And in doing so, I must recognize that I feel very privileged and lucky to have worked in a coordinated and close way with Ambassadors Sabo, Faruta, Hikmat, and Lagatia, respectively the Permanent Representatives of Ethiopia, Romania, Tajikistan, and in the case of Belgium, Deputy PR, all cognizant of the mandate that we have as members of the Bureau of the Board and of the pivotal juncture that the United Nations system is experiencing at the moment, including for the development arm that this Board is a part of and that we represent. I harbor the conviction that all delegations who are also aware of how crucial this moment is for multilateralism. I hope that we will join forces to ensure with realism and pragmatism a productive annual session acting with strategic vision for the overarching goals to which the Board can contribute. There is not enough time to dwell on minutiae and cathartic exercises that actually prevent us from moving forward. Actually, this is the best way to support our organization, and this is why I would respectfully urge you to listen actively and with empathy so that our dialogues do not get bogged down in irreconcilable positions without a holistic vision, but rather that they be guided by authentic will to find consensus around system priorities. In turn will lead to restoring the confidence and the trust that is often taken for granted but that is so necessary in order to move forward at this time. Ladies and gentlemen, I will not repeat the diagnosis of the complex international environment that is marked by uncertainty. This is something that we hear at each meeting and I believe that this will be a refrain also in the current session. What I would like simply to do is to echo the message that we just heard from the Deputy Secretary-General.

In my view, she is inviting us to see and to capture this moment as an opportunity when she said, and I'm paraphrasing here, the global disruption into impetus to transform faster and deeper and to equip our system to develop at scale for the people who need it most.

Todos.

Each and every one of us, without exception, has a role to play in setting this in motion. This Executive Board, as the governing body and oversight body for the UNDP, the UNFPA, and UNOPS, has the responsibility to support the agencies that are best placed to respond to the needs and aspirations of the people and the communities that most need our support. Colleagues, the program of work for this week will lead us to examine and consider key questions linked to institutional performance, audits, evaluation, and ethics, as well as strategic aspects linked to the follow-up on current plans and efforts for reform that are underway. We will have an opportunity to discuss the progress of each entity and to examine their annual reports and consider each country program. And as we address these topics and as we continue to support the 3 entities as they develop their new strategic plans for the period 2026 through 2029, we do have before us an opportunity for innovation. That can respond ambitiously to current challenges and that can prepare us for emerging challenges. There is no room for inefficiency or institutional jurisdictions for work in silos or duplication or overlaps. But similarly, there can be no room— and we have to be very clear here— there can be no room for multiplication of mandates. In many cases, these are unnecessary, irrelevant, or contradictory, and runs the risk of becoming normalized. We do not have the luxury of being within these malicious thresholds. The recent initiative of UNAT reform and reform of the development system that is underway is in fact an outcry for a systemic response rather than sporadic advancement in fits and starts. Colleagues, let me conclude with a line of thanks to the Administrator, Achim Steiner, and Executive Director Natalia Kanem, who are with us today, as we said, for the last time. What I've just said about the need for responses and strategic strategic solutions. The fact is that Hakim and Natalia have been visionary in their leadership of their agencies, and together with their teams, they have made the difference for millions of people, the ones that are most in need of the work of the UNDP and the UNFPA around the world. And this is why I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation on behalf of the Board for the work that they have done. And also, for my part, I would like to wish you Godspeed in whatever the future holds for you both. Thank you.

Thank you.

We shall now move to agenda item 1, organizational matters, including the adoption of the agenda and the work plan for the current session. I would invite Madam Massa Jafari, Secretary of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS, to provide information on organizational logistical matters to outline the agenda for the session.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, distinguished members of the Executive Board and observer delegations. It's my pleasure to provide an overview of the key organizational and procedural matters for this Annual Session of the Executive Board. With regard to documentation and logistics, the latest version of the tentative work plan for the Annual Session and the note on session logistics were circulated electronically on 21st April 2025 and are available on the Executive Board website. Official documentation for items under the UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS segments were also shared on 21 April in line with the 6-week advance circulation requirement. Advance negotiations on draft decisions began on 28 May and will continue in person throughout this week from 1 to 3 PM, with the possibility of afternoon negotiations depending on the conclusion of the day's plenary sessions. Please note that due to ongoing austerity measures at the UN Secretariat, no conference rooms are available after 6 PM, and evening meetings remain subject to confirmation. The Executive Board Secretariat will continue to provide regular updates on draft decision texts and any related processes. An overview of the agenda. This morning, the session will open with the consideration of organizational matters, including adoption of the session's work plan and the report of the First Regular Session 2025. The joint segment will then begin on— with items on internal audit and investigation, ethics, addressing racism and racial discrimination. In the afternoon, the joint segment will resume with protection against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment, an update on the implementation efforts on the repositioning of the UN Development System, and an update on the assessment of how the Executive Board executes its governance and oversight functions. Tomorrow, Tuesday morning, 3rd June, the UNFPA segment will begin with a statement by the UNFPA Executive Director, followed by discussion on the UNFPA Annual Report. On Tuesday afternoon, The UNOPS segment will feature a statement by the UNOPS Executive Director and discussion on the UNOPS Annual Report, followed by the formative evaluation of the Process Innovation and Digitalization Programme. On Wednesday morning, 4th June, the UNDP segment will begin with the interactive dialogue with the UNDP Administrator and a discussion on the UNDP Annual Report. On Wednesday afternoon, the session will continue with the UNDP evaluation item, followed by UNFPA evaluation. On Thursday morning, 5th June, the UNDP segment continues with items on the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United Nations Volunteers Programme, and gender equality at UNDP. On Thursday afternoon, the UNDP and UNFPA segments will conclude with consideration of the country programme documents and related matters. Thank you. The joint segment will then resume with the item on field visits, followed by the adoption of decisions from the annual session and the adoption of the tentative work plan for the 2nd regular session 2025. I will conclude with a brief overview of key issues related to the logistics of the session. The electronic system will continue to be used for requesting the floor. In line with the established protocol, the speaking order will be as follows. After presentations by the panel, Bureau members will be given the floor first, followed by group interventions. Following group interventions, the floor will be given to permanent representatives who previously requested inscription to the speakers list by the deadline of 28 May, followed by permanent representatives who request the floor during the session. Deputy permanent representatives will follow in the same order. First, those who were pre-inscribed by the deadline of 28 May, followed by Deputy Permanent Representatives requesting the floor during the meeting. Other delegations will then have the opportunity to speak in the same sequence. As is the practice, intervention time limits will be strictly applied: 3 minutes for individual interventions, 5 minutes for Bureau members and group interventions, and a 30-second grace period for interventions that exceed these limits. Delegations are kindly reminded to email statements to estatements@un.org at least 2 hours before delivery. Subject lines should clearly state the meeting title, speaker's name, and agenda item. Statements will be embargoed until delivery and published afterward in the UN Journal. Thank you, Mr. President. My colleagues and I remain available to address any questions from you or from the delegations.

Gracias, señor.

Thank you very much, Madam Jafari, for that presentation. On the matter of statements, when there is a dialogue and Your teams want to respond, there will also be a time limit and there will be a countdown timer, and it will apply just the same to the staff of the agencies as well as for delegates of member states. So if I hear no objections, I will take it that the Board wishes to adopt the proposed agenda and work plan for the annual session 2025.

Yes.

It is so decided. The Board also has before it the report of the first regular session of 2025, document DP/2025/8. This report was circulated in advance and reflects the discussions and decisions of the Board at its first regular session of 2025. If there are no objections, I will take it that the Board wishes to adopt the report. It is so decided. So, we will take a few minutes now to reshuffle the podium.

Thank you.

We will now begin the The joint segment with agenda item 3, Internal Audit and Investigation. We will begin with the presentations of the annual reports of the UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS on internal audit and investigation activities in 2024. These will be followed by the respective management responses, after which the floor will be open for delegations' questions or comments on the 3 reports, and I am pleased now to welcome to the podium Ms. Lyndon McGuire, Assistant Administrator and Director at the Bureau for Management Services of the UNDP; Mr. Chris Taylor, Director of the Office of Audit and Investigations at the UNDP; Mr. Andrew Sabaton, Deputy Executive Director for Management for the UNFPA; Mr. Moncef Kribe, Director of the Office of Audit and Investigation Services of the UNFPA; Mr. Sonja Nathan-Kohn, Deputy Executive Director for Management Policy at UNOPS, and Mr. Abdul Dieng, Director of Internal Audit and Investigations Group at UNOPS. Before we proceed to the presentations, I also wish to acknowledge the presence here of Ms. Bettina Tucci Baciostas, member of the UNFPA Oversight Advisory Committee, and Mr. Naohiro Muri, Chair of the UNOPS Audit and Advisory Committee. Thank you, Also joining us via video conference is Mr. Rakesh Nangia, Chair of the UNDP Audit and Evaluation Advisory Committee. They will briefly present the reports of their respective committees today. I now invite Mr. Chris Taylor, Director of the Office of Audit and Investigations at the UNDP, to introduce the annual report on internal audit and investigation activities in 2024. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, distinguished delegates, it's a pleasure to present the 2024 Annual Report of the Audit— of the Office of Audit and Investigations at UNDP. I want to begin by thanking my team for their hard work and professionalism throughout the year. The report is a summary of their work, and it's a privilege to present it on behalf of everyone in the office. In completing our work, OAI conformed with the Institute of Internal Auditors' international standards, and OAI undertook its operations independently of UNDP management under the oversight of the Audit and Evaluation Advisory Committee. In 2024, the office issued 108 audit reports and 8 advisory memos. Compared to 2023. This signals that UNDP controls have remained consistently implemented and resilient throughout a demanding year for the organization. The reports identified thematic issues in project management, procurement, governance, and financial management, resulting in 224 recommendations. The management team responded promptly to these recommendations. 86% were resolved by year-end, and only 2 have been outstanding for more than 18 months. Taking all audit results into account, UNDP's systems for governance, risk management, and control were satisfactory, with some improvement needed. Turning to our investigations work, In 2024, OAI managed 696 cases. We opened 434 new cases and closed 419. This represents a 3% increase in workload compared to 2023 and marks the 4th consecutive year of caseload growth. Within those case numbers, we saw a 57% increase in cases relating to SEAH. That is sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment. In total, we had 38 new cases compared to 24 the previous year. In 2024, OAI was an active member of the UNDP Task Force on the Prevention of SEAH and the UNDP Task Team for Victim and Survivor Support. OAI also participated in management-led outreach to country offices to deliver training and raise awareness of reporting channels. I believe that OAI's active involvement has helped increase reporting, which is a positive development. OAI will continue to prioritize its SEAH work through 2025 and beyond. As a result of the investigations in 2024, OAI substantiated 75 cases of wrongdoing. And identified $360,000 of losses. These reports resulted in vendor sanctions, staff dismissal, and other disciplinary processes. Finally, a few words about OAI's performance. 2024 was a challenging year, with the team carrying a 14% vacancy rate. This included 8 months without either a permanent head of audit or investigations. Despite these uncertainties, the audit program was fully completed and audit reports received positive feedback from audit clients. Investigation assessments were completed promptly and OAI closed a record number of cases. However, vacancies drove a $2 million underspend and resulted in OAI missing its performance targets on the timely issuance of audit and investigation reports. These will be priority areas to address under our new leadership teams. Other priorities will be to review our investigations model to improve efficiency and keep pace with the caseload, to reinforce our compliance with new global audit standards, and to broaden our advisory services to management to help support them through the challenges and uncertainties of the coming year. That concludes my statement. Thank you, Mr. President.

Gracias, señor Taylor.

Thank you, Mr. Taylor. I now invite Ms. Linda McGuire to take the floor.

Thank you very much. Good morning, Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to present UNDP's management response to the 2024 Annual Report of the Office of Audit and Investigation, OAI, including the management note to the Annual Report of the Audit and Evaluation Advisory Advisory Committee, the AEAC. First, I extend my sincere appreciation for your continued engagement on audit, investigation, and oversight matters, as demonstrated by the valuable discussions during the Executive Board informal session on the 16th of May. This forum is instrumental in fostering mutual understanding and deeper collaboration. We commend OAI for its report. Audit observations and recommendations are taken very seriously at all levels in UNDP, and OAI's insights contribute significantly to enhancing internal governance and a culture of accountability and overall performance. Additionally, management thanks the AEAC for their strategic advice, which reinforces our shared commitment to excellence. As noted by Chris, 2024 was a challenging year marked by multiple crises and risks. But despite these challenges, UNDP continued to stay and deliver, recording more than $4.8 billion in program delivery in the year, demonstrating both resilience and adaptability in supporting countries' development priorities. UNDP made notable improvements in audit performance, with 88% of audit reports rated fully satisfactory or satisfactory with some improvement needed. This is a 13% increase from 2025 and the highest in 5 years. The audit recommendation implementation rate also improved to 85.9%, reflecting management's commitment to accountability and oversight. These indicators speak to UNDP's ongoing efforts to strengthen internal controls, and organizational culture. For 2024, OAI's overall opinion on the governance, risk management, and internal control elements was, in the aggregate, satisfactory with some improvements needed. Issues identified are important for management to address, and we will, but do not significantly affect the achievements of the objectives of the organization. I will now share very briefly progress on some key focus areas, starting with program and project management. Where UNDP accelerated reforms in 2024 to address recurring challenges. The continued rollout of the Portfolio Initiation Framework, which integrates portfolio-based approaches into program design and implementation, and updated policies have improved strategic coherence and oversight in this area. We also enhanced the Results-Based Management Handbook, risk management frameworks, and the social and environmental standards. The Integrated Risk Module in Quantum, our ERP, now supports real-time, data-driven decision-making, while regional dashboards and tailored capacity building are reinforcing local accountability. These measures are expected to yield continued improvements in 2025 and beyond. In the area of procurement, UNDP continued to strengthen procurement through the Quantum UNALL platform, the UN system's first fully integrated procurement system, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and risk management. Centralized vendor management and automated controls have reduced duplication, enhanced due diligence, and lowered fraud risk. These advancements, combined with streamlined procurement processes and stronger oversight, led to a 24% reduction in procurement-related issues, further enhancing efficiency, and accountability in both sourcing and contracting. In the area of governance, findings continue to focus on financial sustainability and challenges in resource mobilization. The decline in core funding is following a long-term trend in the UN development system and continues to be problematic for UNDP and other UN organizations. To address the risks, UNDP is implementing its resource mobilization strategy to stabilize core funding, diversify the funding base, enhance resource mobilization capabilities, and identify new revenue sources. On fraud recovery, UNDP has continued to make steady progress. As of the end of 2024, we had recovered 37% of estimated losses and 41.7% of recoverable amounts since 2013. While 2024 recoveries were lower than 2023, this reflects the variable and often long-term nature of recovery efforts. So just a word, as I see I'm running out of time, on the AEAC annual report. I just wanted to mention our, our management note to this. We really value the strategic advice provided by the AEAC over the past years. Their insights have contributed to strengthening our financial governance, enterprise resource planning, and risk.

Thank you very much, Ms. McGuire. I now invite Mr. Grape, Director, Office of Audit and Services of UNFPA to introduce the report. Thank you. You have the floor.

Mr. President, distinguished representatives of the Executive Board, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to present the 2024 Annual Report of the Office of Audit and Investigation Services, OAIS. Let me begin by reaffirming to the Executive Board that OAIS operated with full organizational independence. We determined the scope of our work freely, we executed it without interference or pressure, and we communicated our findings with transparency. All audits were conducted in conformance with the international standards of the Institute of Internal Auditors, and our investigations followed all UNFPA policies and the Uniform Principles and Guidelines for Investigations. Let me now turn to the opinion on the adequacy and the effectiveness of UNFPA's framework of governance, risk management, and control processes. In short, the GRC opinion. In 2024, OAIS issued an overall opinion of partially satisfactory with some improvement needed, consistent with the prior year. This rating indicates that while the GRC processes were adequately designed and were operating effectively, targeted improvements were needed to ensure full achievement of the objectives of UNFPA. The identified gaps did not hinder the achievement of the organization's strategic objectives, but management's attention was required to address and mitigate these risks. Mr. President, members of the Executive Board, allow me to share highlights of the work that underpinned the GRC opinion and our contribution to enhancing accountability, integrity, and oversight within UNFPA. In 2024, OAIS issued a record number of reports— 29 in total, our highest ever in a single year. These included 23 business units and 5 critical business processes like cybersecurity or ERP. These reports resulted in 205 recommendations, with 84 recommendations classified as high priority, requiring, requiring prompt action by UNFPA. 92% of OAIS recommendations have already been implemented by management. The root cause of these findings was inadequate guidance and insufficient resources. Recurrent issues included weak oversight of implementing partners, deficiencies in program supply management, and non-compliance with procurement procedures. Let me now turn to our investigations. OAIS closed 165 cases, 10% above our annual targets. We enhanced our intake processes, cleared backlog cases, and prioritized high-risk cases, including sexual misconduct cases. Of the 165 cases closed, 24 were substantiated fraud cases. The breakdown is fraud and financial irregularities, 15 cases; sexual misconduct, 3 cases; prohibited conduct, 3 cases; favouritism, harassment, and retaliation, 3 cases. The total financial impact from substantiated fraud cases was $2.6 million. In terms of advisory work, OAIS continued to offer consulting services across diverse business areas, including a review of UNFPA policies and procedures using AI. We also laid important groundwork for 2025 by streamlining audit and investigative workflows and enhancing the use of data science and AI in increase— to increase our audit coverage and detect fraud. In terms of budget, the approved budget allowed OAIS to fully implement its work plan. On the staffing front, OAIS finalized several recruitments and established a fully functional investigation intake unit. In conclusion, Mr. President, members of the Executive Board, I take this opportunity to thank the UNFPA Executive Director all my UNFPA colleagues, the Oversight Advisory Committee, and all of you, our Member States, for your support and engagement. I also value the continued opportunity to interact directly with the Board through closed briefings, and I wish for them to continue. Finally, I thank the OAIS team for their unwavering commitment to our mandate, professionalism, and dedication. Thank you, Mr. President.

Gracias a usted, señor Griff.

Thank you, Mr. Griff. And I give the floor to Mr. Andrew Saverton to present the management response.

Mr. President, distinguished members of the executive board, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present UNFPA's management response to the 2024 annual report of the Office of Audit and Investigation Services, OAIS, and the report of the Oversight Advisory Committee. OAIS has again rated UNFPA's governance, risk management, and control systems as partially satisfactory, with some improvement needed. This rating affirms that our core systems are sound, but at the same time it signals areas where we must remain vigilant. Importantly, oversight only works if adequately supported, and we've ensured that. In the midterm review, we allocated an additional $2.7 million to expand OAIS's investigative capacity and modernize its audit tools. Looking ahead, in line with UNFPA's commitment to accountability, our draft integrated budget foresees the same proportional allocation for audit and investigations and shields OAIS from all but the very low-risk reductions. We've already seen some tangible results from this commitment. In 2024, 295 audit recommendations were implemented. That's a fivefold increase over the previous year. Our on-time allocation implementation rate rose to 92%, and the number of long outstanding items dropped to just 3. Audit response is no longer a side activity. It is now fully embedded in management routines. Now turning to the 6 control gaps identified by OAIS. On governance, we have strengthened results-based management through the rollout of Quantum Plus, which now provides a real-time integration of budgets and performance indicators across offices. We continue investing in the second line, fully resourced in the forthcoming integrated budget. Looking ahead, we will also launch candid discussions with partners on risk sharing, especially in humanitarian contexts. At the country-level risk management, a revised ERM policy, a comprehensive risk and control catalogue, and upgrades to the MiRisk platform are now in place. As also recommended by the Oversight Advisory Committee, we plan to integrate the MiRisk into Quantum Plus later this year. Making risk information part of day-to-day operations. When it comes to oversight of implementing partners, UNFPA has moved entirely to a risk-based approach to best tailor assurance activities. Expanded audit procedures and upcoming policy review revisions requiring using the UN Partner Portal for all selections further reinforce transparency and control. To strengthen protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, 98% of partners have now completed their PSEA assessments. Our 270 PSEA focal points are supported by updated learning tools and quarterly exchanges. Elsewhere, a modern shipment tracker tool, mandatory procurement plans, and expanded long-term agreements improve compliance and value for money in procurement, and they bolster financial controls. Additional safeguards are in place when humanitarian operations require cash-based approaches. Finally, regarding financial resource management, new dashboards provide real-time visibility over budgets, cash flow, and funding to partners. Revised contingency planning and tighter budget thresholds are helping offices better manage their financial risk. To— is a commitment to our organizational culture of integrity and accountability. We are grateful to the Oversight Advisory Committee for their productive collaboration and recommendations in different areas of our work, and we are aligning work plans accordingly and will continue to engage the committee closely on the progress. Mr. President, distinguished delegates, UNFPA remains committed to appropriate resourcing oversight urgently acting on findings, and embedding a culture of accountability throughout the organization. These efforts are vital to safeguard public trust and above all to deliver for the women, girls, and young people we serve. I am available to answer any further questions you may have. Thank you.

Gracias.

Thank you, Mr. Saverton, for that response. I now invite Mr. Abdul Dian, Director of the Internal Audit and Investigations Group of UNOPS to introduce the annual report on internal audit and investigations activities in 2024. You have the floor, Mr. Dieng.

Thank you very much, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues. 3 weeks ago, we had a very long discussion about our annual work plan, our annual activities, and today it's about some refreshment and waiting for your questions. First of all, I would like to say that we strictly follow the internal audit standards and the CIA, the Conference of International Investigators, guidelines.

We are—

I'm happy to confirm that we have implemented the new audit standards confirmed by a third-party commissioned by UNOPS. In terms of audit recommendation, UNOPS has made strong achievement implementing 96% of our 8 recommendations. However, I would like to draw to your attention that there is one remaining recommendation, the last 5 years, that require your attention. In terms of our opinion, based on the work done, we are of the view that UNOPS governance Risk management and control is partially satisfactory, with some improvement needed. Some key highlights about our audit activities: we have issued 69 reports. Of these 69, 4 were qualified, and we engaged a very comprehensive review of our UNOPS field offices and regions to help with the organization, bringing to the organization the foundation of future decision and structuring. In terms of investigation, some figures: we received a 17% increase of allegation, 22% increase of allegation against senior leaders, 37% increase of allegation on sexual exploitation abuse and harassment. But despite all this increase, the investigators were able to complete in an average time of 5.8 months all our investigations. Investigators were able to complete all sexual exploitation within an average time of 3.3 months, and all retaliation cases have been completed within 120 days. To conclude, Mr. President, in the interest of time, I would like to thank the Board. We have established very trust and professional working relationship. It's very helpful for our performance. I would like to thank through Muri here present, the Chair of our ACAC, also their support and guidance. I would like to thank our Executive Director. He's not here, but also all, you know, But more importantly, I want to really thank IAG team. Our work, I think, is one of the most difficult work in Europe. We interact with people, we upset people because we do our job. We receive a lot of criticism because we do our job. Here and publicly, I want to thank IAG team, to renew my trust and support to them. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. Jing, for that presentation. I now invite the Deputy Executive Director for UNOPS to present the management response.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, honorable members of the board. I am delivering this statement on behalf of the Deputy Executive Director, Management and Policy, I will provide a brief management response to the report on the activities of the Internal Audit and Investigations Group, IAIG, in 2024. I would also like to acknowledge the report by the Audit Advisory Committee and the dedication— the dedicated work that they have delivered. On behalf of UNOPS management, I extend my sincere appreciation to IIIG for their dedicated efforts and significant support they provided to our organization throughout the entirety of 2024. IIIG's rigorous work and insightful recommendations significantly strengthened UNOPS' operational effectiveness and integrity. As a valued partner. They contribute to financial probity, efficiency, effectiveness through audits, risk assessments, and advisory services, going much beyond compliance to uphold accountability and transparency. Management appreciates their independent perspective and constructive feedback, which are vital for ongoing improvement and impactful results. and it intends to continue this productive collaboration. UNOPS management welcomes the IIRG confirmations of its organizational independence and sufficient resourcing. We note the partially satisfactory, some improvement needed overall audit opinion for 2024, consistent with 2023, appreciating that this opinion is based on internal audits, project audits, progress on past recommendations, data analytics, and investigation findings. UNOPS management is pleased with the 96% overall implementation rate of audit recommendations in the IIG 2024 report, a slight increase from 95% in 2023. This upward trend reflects a consistent dedication and organizational commitment to strengthening internal controls and enhancing operational efficiency through diligent follow-ups on audit findings. UNOPS management treats IIG concerns seriously, ensuring thorough review and discussion of all audit findings by the management team to develop effective remediation and improvement strategies across the organization. UNOPS remains unwavering in its commitment to further improve the rate of recommendation implementation. Addressing the 207 outstanding recommendations from 2024 in a timely and effective manner is a key priority. priority. 2 recommendations from the IAIG 2024 report were outstanding for over 18 months by the end of 2024. A recommendation on recruitment was delayed due to security concerns, and a design review took longer due to pending third-party work. We are prioritizing their implementation in 2025, further demonstrating our commitment to accountability and continuous improvement. Management has responded to the detailed IAIG key audit recommendations to the Executive Board and remains available for further discussion. Key strategic issues raised in the advisory engagement are valued and being addressed through corporate channels. With a formal response already provided. In summary, UNOPS is proactively addressing concerns about its fund management model with regional offices. Guidelines will be updated to improve clarity and reduce risk. IPAS integration into the practice groups have been effective since January 2025, with ongoing efforts to optimize is functioning. Corrective actions are implemented and necessary procurement contract management tools have been put in place to address recurring issues in insurance engagements. For small grants, updated asset registers demonstrate compliance and grant disbursements follow a 70% utilization rule with justified exception. Treasury management policies have been updated and a new functional restructure put in place that ensures better segregation of duties. Management welcomes the increased handling of investigations and is concerned about the 70% rise in sexual misconduct allegations. Upholding a victim-centric approach, management is committed to the swift implementation of all recommendations. In closing, UNOPS management reiterates its commitment to working with IAG to develop—

Thank you.

I think we are not given a time of, you know, just to finish. Please, let's try to be a little bit flexible on this, but I think you were about to finish. Gracias, señora.

Thank you very much, Madame Damja, not Madame Leighton-Cohen, for that presentation. We will now turn to the respective audit advisory committees, and we shall begin with the Chair of the UNDP Audit and Evaluation Advisory Committee, Mr. Rakesh Nanja. You have the floor, sir.

Mr. President, distinguished delegates, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for this opportunity and my apologies for not being with you in person. Since I do not have the benefit of flashing lights, I will try and do my best manage time as effectively as possible. You have all seen the deliberately brief AEAC annual report that summarizes developments last year. However, much has changed since then, especially in these last few months. My remarks will briefly reflect on the key accomplishments from last year and highlight more recent developments that that are relevant to oversight and governance. The core message, Mr. President, is that the AEAC is satisfied with the performance of UNDP's oversight mechanisms. We believe these remain robust, adaptive, and effective. The UN Board of Auditors has similarly expressed confidence on both the financial and performance audits. The bottom line: oversight is sound. However, Mr. President and colleagues, UNDP's real challenges lie in securing sustainable core resources and delivering impact amidst shifting geopolitical and development dynamics. These challenges are not unique to UNDP but shared across the UN system. First, reflections on 2024. Last year was shaped by operational pressures, global risks, and indeed volatile funding. The AEAC's efforts focused on safeguarding financial integrity, strengthening risk management, and advancing evaluation and ethical standards, all of which were aligned to UNDP's evolving needs. Some key highlights, if I may. First, on financial oversight, the committee provided proactive guidance during the quantum rollout. The system has now stabilized with timely closures and improved management reporting, enabling stronger operational responses. The demand on the platform is expected to continue to grow, enhancing both efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the system is likely to contribute to advance readiness on the new accounting standards and close monitoring of the ASHI portfolio as well as liquidity. Second, on leadership and reform across the UNDP, we've seen new leadership across DMS, OAI, and ethics. All of these new leaders have brought fresh momentum. OAI has restructured and balanced their workload in line with the risk-based work audit plan. The Ethics Office has continued innovating, achieving full financial disclosure compliance, and launching regional pilots and awareness campaigns. Enhanced coordination between BMS and OAI has also strengthened internal controls. On risk and learning, The new Risk Appetite Statement that was introduced last year is a step forward, and while it is still maturing, it does provide a critical foundation. The AEAC continues to emphasize the integration of audit and evaluation into strategic planning. Looking ahead, Mr. President, UNDP faces a much more complex operating environment increased earmarking, and heightened political and financial uncertainty. AEAC emphasizes the need for continued strong budget discipline, institutional resilience, agility, and particularly oversight as these challenges continue to be addressed. The upcoming change in administrator makes continuity in leadership and institutional memory We also note that the UN Secretary-General's Office is working to prepare the UN system for the transitions ahead. For its part, the UNDP has taken proactive steps to address pressures on core funding and delivery for the short to medium term. It continues to manage potential resource reduction in a conservative and measured manner. The UNDP has also—

Please, could we turn the mic on again for Mr. Nyang?

May I continue, Mr. President?

You can continue. Please go ahead.

Thank you. The UNDP management has also largely protected the oversight bodies from budget cuts. And in turn, the OAI and Ethics Office have taken steps to streamline their operations and increase impact. The Independent Evaluation Office is also reviewing its structures, and the AEAC just 2 weeks ago provided advice on their new policy. First, on OAI performance under its new leadership, as I briefly mentioned, The OAI has reorganized its team, strengthened risk-based programming, balanced the workload, and expanded investigative coverage. It is working actively to reduce investigation timelines and synthesize findings at a portfolio level and refine SECU's role and root cause analysis. Nevertheless, AEAC and the UNDP management have high expectations of OAI. And want them to continue to improve their operating model to more efficiently handle the increasing caseload. In addition, they need to look at their strategic analysis, drawing on data from the caseload and body of audit work, as well as broaden their offers to management to also provide advisory works on current risk. The Ethics Office has also achieved full compliance on full disclosures. It has taken many innovative steps to increase ethics awareness across UNDP, including piloting regional initiatives in the Latin America region, as well as launching the Ethics Awareness Months and the Ethics Champions Initiative. All of these efforts contribute to a stronger culture of integrity. As a closing thought, Mr. President, the AEAC commends UNDP for upholding its commitment to transparency, accountability, and oversight in a resource-constrained environment. As UNDP prepares for leadership transition, the AEAC remains a committed partner in supporting sound governance and institutional learning. On behalf of the AEAC, I thank you for this opportunity to share these reflections. Mr. Chairman, I welcome your observations as well as those of distinguished delegates and would be happy to respond to any questions. Thank you once again.

Thank you, sir, Mr. Nanja, for that presentation. I now invite Ms. Bettina Toutsipatsiotis, member of the UNFPA Oversight Advisory Committee, to present the annual report. You have the floor, madam.

Please.

Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, I'm pleased to brief you on the activities and findings of UNFPA's Independent Oversight Advisory Committee, as detailed in our document DP/FPA/2025/6. Addendum 1. In 2024, the committee convened 4 times, including a field trip to Thailand and Vietnam to understand UNFPA's operational environment. In respect to the accountability function, we found the work of internal audit, investigations, ethics, and evaluation to be well structured and effectively implemented. Private sessions with the heads of these functions confirmed their independent operation. We also reviewed the external auditor's work, including their plans and reports. The Internal Audit and Investigation Service has significantly improved the timely issuance of internal audit reports, now adhering to a 90-day deadline. They have also started leveraging data analytics and client surveys to strengthen processes. We recommend further enhancements, such as requiring feedback on audit reports and expanding thematic audit scopes. For investigations, the number of cases closed exceeded new cases received. This positive trend is attributed to successful recruitment and strategic use of consultants. The Independent Evaluation Office continues to enhance its quality and independence. We welcome the decision to establish a direct reporting line for staff working on decentralized evaluations through the Office. The Ethics Advisor addressed challenges in maintaining staff political neutrality by launching mandatory online training. The Committee recommended clarifying neutrality requirements during recruitment, in job descriptions, interviews, and induction processes. Mr. President, in November 2024, the Committee met with the new external auditor, the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts. We discussed their strategy for the 2024 financial audit and progress on implementing prior year recommendations. We emphasized the urgent need for management to address all outstanding issues. The Committee engaged in substantive discussions with management in other critical For the upcoming 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, we stressed the importance of a defined demographic change outcome and careful stewardship of resources, supporting an additional 4th outcome on population dynamics. We commend the 2025 rollout of a new Emergency Response Policy aimed at enhancing UNFPA's humanitarian capabilities amidst global crises. Regarding headquarters optimization, given the significant risk of restructuring and staff relocation, we advised UNFPA to develop a rigorous risk mitigation plan. Ongoing dialogue with Member States and staff is crucial to maintain commitment and minimize loss during this change process. We believe this project management approach is well conducted. For supply chain management, considering concurrent changes, initiatives, and staff relocation, we advise developing and implementing a rigorous risk mitigation plan to address potential staff anxiety and talent loss, ensuring continued staff engagement. We also express concerns over significant delays in implementing the Board of Auditors' recommendations on supply chain management, urging accelerated progress. UNFPA should provide necessary context to ensure realistic deadlines, especially with ongoing structural changes and policy modifications. Finally, Mr. Chair, the committee acknowledges UNFPA's progress in rolling out its enterprise risk management system, including regional and headquarters training and risk assessment. A key recommendation is to prioritize integration to MyRisk application into Quantum+. Mr. President, together with the report that you have received, I now conclude my report— my remarks and welcome any questions that you may have. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Batsiotas, for that presentation. I now invite Mr. Naohiro Mori, Chair of the UNOPS Audit and Advisory Committee, to present the UNOPS Audit Advisory Committee Annual Report for 2024. You have the floor, sir.

Mr. President, distinguished representatives, and members of the Executive Board, thank you for this opportunity. On behalf of the Audit Advisory Committee, I wish to convey 3 messages regarding our work and observations throughout 2024, as detailed in our annual report. First, regarding the Committee's activities and oversight. Throughout 2024, the Committee executed its mandate with heightened diligence, closely monitoring, supporting, and advising on the significant organizational reforms led by the Executive Director and the management team. We maintain our full independence, supported by our dedicated Secretariat and budget, allowing us to provide objective and independent advice. In December 2024, we welcomed 3 new female members, all from the Global South, with substantial public and private experience and knowledge, after a rigorous selection process out of over 500 applicants. As a result, the Committee has 6 members with 50% diversity for both gender and geography. To deepen our understanding of UNOPS operations, I, with 2 other members, visited the UNOPS office in Brazil in November 2024, observing firsthand the impact of projects and the positive culture shift underway. I have also participated in the nice meeting of the United Nations System Oversight Advisory Committee in December. Second, concerning external audit, internal audit, investigations, and ethics, the committee reviewed the 2023 report of the United Nations Board of Auditors with the unqualified opinion. We noted the overall audit opinion of the internal audit and investigations group in their annual report, recognizing the progress made by management in addressing audit recommendations. The committee noted IAIG continued independent and unhindered access. We appreciate management's commitment to the timely implementation of IAIG recommendations and IAIG efforts to strengthen internal controls, including its focus on investigating potential fraud and addressing the complexities of sexual exploitation and abuse cases. We observed significant progress within the Ethics Office, including enhanced case management and steps taken to rebuild trust. We are also pleased to note that the new whistleblowing mechanism and the UNOPS-specific Code of Ethics were launched in January 2025. Third, regarding management actions, strategy, and reform. The committee commends UNOPS management for the significant progress made in implementing the Comprehensive Response Plan. We noted that by late 2024, the vast majority of recommendations were completed. With the plan on track for substantial conclusion by year-end, barring multi-year initiatives like digitalization. We are also comfortable with the current organizational structure that enables checks and balances to prevent abuse of power. We noted UNOPS' intention to continue to build institutional capacity Beyond the Comprehensive Response Plan. During 2024, we received the report of the Executive Director for 2023, and we observed strong performance in the implementation of the restated Strategic Plan 2022-2025, with significant operational milestones achieved and indications of recovering partner trust. This includes implementation of over 1,100 projects across 80+ countries, procuring $1.6 billion in goods and services, managing $510 million in grants, and recruiting nearly 4,000 personnel, delivering to sites in fragile situations such as Gaza and Ukraine. The UNOPS has also secured $3 billion in new engagements, a clear sign of recovery. Furthermore, in early 2025, we completed our review of the report of the Executive Director for 2024, which is presented to the 2025 Annual Session of the Executive Board. We support the strategic direction and ambition to manage for impact and the enhanced focus on digitalization, climate action, and strengthened partnership, coined in the ambition to scale up And speed up for impact. We confirm that UNOPS management team has been highly receptive to our advice. Our engagement with the management has intensified, with our regular meetings expanding.

Por favor, la palabra.

Please. Sir, could Mr. Mawri be given the floor again so that he can just finish presenting his report?

Thank you.

Sorry.

Yes, just a bit more. Sorry about that. I apologize. The Committee was kept informed of the key transformation initiatives, including process innovation and digitalization, management for impact, and the organizational culture transformation. Those initiatives are multi-year projects, and we understand the complexities and difficulties of delivering planned results with capacity and resource constraints. We encouraged management's continued investment in those areas, particularly in data capacity, process excellence, and embedding a culture aligned with the UN values. We discussed financial matters, including the annual performance, the imperative of ensuring long-term financial sustainability, and ongoing revision of the financial regulations and rules. We noted the Executive Board is accompanying Sorry, accommodating approaches to reserve management that is better suited for the UNOPS model operating as a going concern. Finally, concerning the SRI matter, I'm sure that all of you want to hear this. The Committee notes the ongoing investigation and recovery efforts fall under the jurisdiction of the UN Office of Legal Affairs and are outside of the controls of UNOPS management. The Committee continues to view the SRI crisis primarily as a matter of individual misconduct rather than systemic failure of oversight functions. In early 2025, it noted the efforts of member states to pursue justice. The committee acknowledged the significant strides made by UNOPS in 2024 towards reform, strategic clarity, and operational effectiveness. We maintain confidence in the organization's ability to navigate challenges and fulfill its vital mandate. In closing, I'm sorry that I overestimated my time. We thank you for the opportunity afforded to the ASC to present our opinions and comments to the Executive Board. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mory, for that presentation. We will now open the floor for discussion. I don't see any requests for the floor, so we can perhaps move to the next Next agenda item. Ah, I see Netherlands have requested the floor. You have the floor.

Muchas gracias. Thank you, President. The Kingdom of the Netherlands wishes to stress the importance of the work of the audit and investigation offices of the agencies, as well as of the advisory committees. They are a critical part of the system of internal oversight that gives us the assurances needed to support the important work of our agencies. Without the safeguard of solid internal checks and balances— sorry— and a system that assures us of accountability and transparency in the spending of public funds, support to the UN would not be possible. We value the cooperation with OAI, OAIS and IAIG. Over the past few years, the relationship between your offices and the Board has grown into a constructive partnership that we hope will continue to grow. Whether it is about annual work plans, emerging risks, systemic issues, whistleblower protection, or opportunities for improvements within the agencies, your assessments and honest dialogue between the Board and your offices are of vital importance to us being able to perform our governance responsibilities. That is why we find it important to reiterate our expectation that OAI, OAIS, and IAIG retain their full operational independence. Adequate, dedicated, and sustainable funding, staffing expertise, and direct access to the Board. We understand that resources in today's funding environment are constrained, but in turbulent times of reform and the implementation of both cuts as well as new strategic plans, your work is more important and relevant than ever. We therefore ask the agencies to be mindful of the value of the Third Line Defence in their budgeting. And we have discussed much already in the informal briefings and confidential briefings, and for now we would just like to pose one question: how will OAI, OAIS, and IAG engage with UNAID and with efficiency and reform processes within the agencies? How do you see your role? Thank you.

Gracias.

I thank the representative of the Netherlands. I will now give the floor to Romania, followed by Switzerland.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I wasn't planning to take the floor, but since, you know, the colleagues were here and I feel as a team from the Bureau to be here present, let me just thank you very much, the briefers from the podium and also from the floor and online, and also the responses of the management I mean, we all know that the job of inspectors and everything you do in the audit and investigation is not a beauty pageant contest. It's also not a place for criticism, and this is why we appreciate very much your independence and how you work with— and what you do. But I think your job is about reality check, and it's about checks and balances, and this is what we as member states are waiting for. And as Bureau members, as I was saying, We cannot but encourage you to do your work as you've done and to interact with member states. If there is something for a country like mine, I think we appreciate that very much, how you interact with the member states. And the informal briefings, even though we sometimes complain as member states, we still appreciate them because they give us a good overview so we can prepare to the, uh, you know, for this, uh, formal dialogue. And this is why you see that not many people are taking the floor, because some of the issues were already addressed in the informal context. So, um, 3 questions from my side. One, a general one for the 3 of you. So do you think that the work of each of the offices that you head, uh, encouraged reporting? Because we— from, from what I see in each of the agencies, there is an increase of, of reporting. and allegations. So do you think that what you do, this is something that encourages people to do that? Then on UNDP, Chris, you're saying something about the improving investigation model. This should be your challenge in the next years. So if you can say more on that. Then on UNFPA, I missed the word, but basically you said that your findings didn't affect the objectives of the mandate of the UNFPA. However, my question is, did it affect the credibility? And then on OMSA, one comment on OMSA. I am the facilitator of the decision on protection against sexual exploitation and abuse, and I encourage the delegates to have a constructive and full discussion later afternoon when we're going to negotiate the informal, especially depending on what we heard today. day at the briefing.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much for that, Romania. I now give the floor to Switzerland, who will be followed by Ethiopia. Switzerland, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and we would like to thank you for the reports of the OAS and IAIG, as well as the report of the audit and oversight committees and their work in the third language of Defence. We are also grateful for the informals with the offices that proved to be a constructive space for dialogue. We have a question related to the report of the AEAC. In that report, specifically on paragraph 74, it is said, quote, that the committee supports efforts to increase ethical awareness It emphasized the importance of a system-wide approach, and we would like— we understand that the AEC is flagging a systemic issue that related to fragmentation, fragmentation on how misconduct ethics breaches and disciplinary actions are handled, and we would be interested for the AEAC to expand a little bit and explain that recommendation. Also, if the Office could explain how you see the coordination between Audit and Ethics Office with the Ombuds Office. And, you know, if possible, if the Audit and Oversight Committees of UNFPA and UNOPS could also comment on their views and the potential siloed approach when it comes to oversight. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Switzerland. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Permanent Representative of Ethiopia and member of the Bureau. You have the floor, Ambassador Sahle.

Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the floor, and I'm also grateful to those who presented the reports, the Audit and Inspection Services. They are the health check posts of these institutions and also the management response. All this is very, very encouraging and we want to recognize that encouraging trend. In the meantime, the general trend seems to be satisfactory. Okay, satisfactory for UNDP, satisfactory for UNFPA, and then partially satisfactory to UNOPS. So is that the ceiling? I mean, satisfactory, or are we going to have more improvement down the road when we get into this more complex organizational terrain due to the UNAT and others? Or is this a ceiling where we have to aspire for? I mean, satisfactory is good enough, or do we have good, very good, excellent, or anything like that? Thank you, Mr. President.

Gracias, Ethiopia.

Thank you very much. Now. I'd like to give the floor to the UNFPA, followed by UNOPS, and then we'll see how the discussions evolve. Ms. McGuire, you have the floor.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President, and, and for the comments. UNDP management takes note, in particular to the Netherlands' point about maintaining the independent oversight functions, particularly in financial downturns, which indeed we have tried to do so and to protect those functions to the extent— to the maximum, as the AEAC chair also noted.

Noted, but fully recognize the other comments, and I think it's to my my colleagues to respond more specifically to those. Thank you.

Gracias, señora Maguire. Thank you, Miss Maguire. UNFPA, Mr. Saberton.

Thank you, Mr. President. I think most of the questions are actually. Addressed to my independent oversight colleague, but just to reiterate again from a management's perspective, the same as UNDP, that we fully recognize the importance of maintaining a fully independent and well-resourced oversight service. And UNFPA has a history of that, a history of consistent growth over the years, and we're taking that into account even in the, what are some downturns in the funding environment as is. Thank you.

Gracias, señor. Thank you, Mr. Saberton. Go ahead.

Most of the questions was also addressed to my colleague, but let me also take the opportunity to really reiterate and confirm and recognize the independence and the Sufficient funding is a key critical element and requirement for IIG, and I just want to confirm that as well. And so, all from my side, thank you.

Gracias, señora Demjet. Thank you, madam. I now give the floor to Mr. Nanja. Followed by Ms. Barziotas and Mr. Mori.

Thank you, Mr. President. Let me go in the reverse order, if I may, with your permission. First, for the question from the distinguished, the distinguished delegate from Ethiopia, have we reached what would be called the satisfactory state, and is there any room for improvement. But here I'd like to say that there is no room for complacency. Things happen all the time, and ensuring that not just internal control systems but proactive systems are in place to protect wrongdoing from happening. And there's always continued change which is expected as we anticipate things that are coming down the pike. So to give you some examples of possible areas for continued work from management. First, with OAI, and Chris is right next to you, there is an opportunity to look again at investigation timelines and how best these can be looked at. Similarly, on compliance issues, there is much room in there to work on. There is no crisis, and that's the best thing to have. We do not want a crisis, and therefore The teams need to be working proactively all the time to ensure that this situation continues to be satisfactory or even better. Similarly, as we look at the offices of independent evaluation and the Board of Auditors, the Board of Auditors conduct performance audits as well, and ensuring that the independent evaluation offices continue to work closely with the Board of Auditors and ensure complementarity rather than overlaps to continue to strengthen the control mechanisms. Those would be the objectives in there. For my reaction to the distinguished delegate from Switzerland, I don't know if I have the same paragraph, but you're absolutely right. The number of cases have been increasing. Part of this is due to awareness raising. One of the innovative forms that the Ethics Office instituted was ethics champions in the various country offices and the regional offices. Linda is right there, and she was the— she was the head of the Latin America region at that point in time when there was a pilot conducted, and part of it was how best to ensure that staff feel comfortable enough to raise issues without fear of, of any lashback in there. So I think a lot of this is happening. Whistleblowers are much more comfortable in raising issues today as they see management also taking action. So there is activity on the part of safeguarding and protecting the whistleblowers. But also staff see active management actions taking place, and that increases the possibilities of people reporting into the system. I would appreciate if, if there is an opportunity, Mr. President, for Chris to touch upon the sharp increase in sexual exploitation and harassment. We had a good discussion on this. There are, there are reasons in there which Chris and team are addressing in those as well. Thank you again, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. Nanja. Now, Ms. Barciotas, followed by Mr. Mori, please.

Phone, please.

Yes, thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for the members for the questions. They were not specific questions to our committee. However, let me take this opportunity to ensure the, the executive board members that our oversight committee enjoys full independence and that we ensure that the accountability functions also work in UNFPA in a well-funded, independent manner. We have received full collaboration from management And we have full access. So just to reassure the committee that our role has been effective, I believe, and that we are at the disposal of member states for any questions. Thank you very much.

Gracias, señora Mori. Señora Barciotas tiene a continuación la palabra. El señor Mori.

Thank you, Mr. Barciotas. Hold on, Mr. Mori.

It's a very good question about whether satisfactory is the ceiling. We take generally rule of thumb that if we see more than 25% of reports with improvement opportunity or unsatisfactory, then we will start to worry about things. But there is always opportunity for improvement. And part of what I actually said in my prepared remarks is that we do actually look at the systemic issue, which is actually touched by the Romania— sorry, the Swiss delegates, which is actually very important to us, that with all the costs that we would avoid the requiring of SRI type of situation, that is a systemic issue. and structural issue, and that's what we pay attention to. And also, through doing that, we do actually look at the adequacy of budget, audit plan, and then the staffing of the IAIG as well as ethics. And that's part of our regular dialogue every time we meet. Thank you, Mr. President.

Gracias a usted, señor Mowry.

Thank you, Mr. Maury. If you will allow me, we'll give the floor to Mr. Taylor now, who will speak on behalf of the Office of Audit and Investigations. Also Mr. Greb from the OAIS of UNFPA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And lastly, UNOPS. Mr. Taylor first.

Great.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thanks everybody who asked questions. I think I'd have been disappointed if we had got out of here without any. First of all, on the questions from the Netherlands around how OAI is going to engage with UNAT as it goes forward, and I think there's kind of 2 areas here to think about. One is how UNAT will affect the organization, and the other is how UNAT will affect OAI directly. So I think on the first of those, how UNAT is going to impact UNDP, it's hard to tell exactly how it's going to impact at this stage, but it's our job in OAI to be working with management to help them identify risks as they emerge, and then to think about how we shape our support offer to management to help them deal with those risks as they go through the year, maybe the next 18 months or so. So what that means in practical terms, it means we have to be flexible in how we offer audit and advisory services. I would anticipate more advisory work in the next 6 months than maybe we would normally do, and particularly if the organization gets into more complex questions around, you know, process design and so on. We will want to be alongside them thinking through what kind of risks emerge from changing current operating practice. And then I think there's an issue for OAI itself as well, and others have touched on this, you know, around funding. We are a part of UNDP, so if UNDP is affected, we naturally will be affected as well, if there are restructures, if there are reductions in costs, if there are moves out of headquarters functions. So we'll have to play our part and make sure that we are contributing to any necessary savings if that's where we go. Where I would urge some caution is around sequencing and really thinking about the timing of how OAI responds to UNAT. As UNAT creates risk for the organization, it will be really important that OAI is able to support management in the way that I just described. And so it probably points to reducing OAI's sort of footprint in slightly slower time than the rest of the organization, so sort of effectively helping mop up risks before OAI is sort of subject to significant change. Then we had a question, I think, from the floor from Romania on encouraging reporting, and so do we think that sort of OAI activity has helped increase reporting? I think the answer to that is certainly yes in UNDP. We've spent quite a lot of time over the last year or so, working with management— so there's a big push from management as well— but working with management on outreach, on training efforts, down to the country office level, particularly on SEAH, but on other areas as well. So, actually, related to the question from the floor from Switzerland as well, we recently, for example, did a session led by the Staff Council where all of the independent functions and the Ombudsman spoke to anybody in the organization who wanted to join, so thousands of staff members, on what our services are and how to access them. So absolutely, it's a strategic push from our part. We want those case numbers to go up. And then you also asked about how we're sort of improving our investigations model. There's a couple of aspects to this. I might— am I going to be— am I going to be shut off? Can I have a couple more seconds?

Yes.

Okay, I'll keep going. So there's a few aspects to this. First is the one that Rakesh already mentioned on behalf of the AEAC, where we have sought to rebalance some of the portfolios of our investigations managers. They're all technically very strong, but we wanted to give them all sort of a greater investigations portfolio and give them specific areas to focus on where we could have a little bit more bandwidth around proactive work, SEAH work, AI technology tools, and donor relations. So we're trying to build some specific capability in those 4 thematic areas. We're also looking at how we triage and assess cases when they first come into us to make sure that we are, as best we can, directing our skills to the highest risk cases, and maybe cases which are of lowest risk or could actually be dealt with by management could be directed to management. So that's a way of freeing up some specialist time for really complicated cases. There's other things as well. I could talk about AI, I could talk about sort of further outreach with management, but I think I'll sort of pause there on that. But those are the 2 main ones at the moment. Um, Switzerland, I think I've answered as I can. And Ethiopia, um, in terms of satisfactory opinion, um, being the ceiling, the satisfactory is the sort of the highest rating that we can do at the moment. It's satisfactory with improvements needed. In theory, um, the management team could get the kind of the full satisfactory annual report. So we don't rule it out, but it is very challenging to get to that stage, I think, particularly with the challenges that are coming in the next 12 months or so.

Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Taylor. And now, Mr. Grieb.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Let me start by responding to my distinguished delegates from the Netherlands. I would welcome any contribution from the oversight offices to the UN reform. I would say that our offices have extensive and a wealth of knowledge of the operating systems, of the operating also environment in which these organizations are working So our contribution will be, I would consider, very relevant to this exercise. And I must add also that as a community of internal oversight offices, what we call the UNRIAS, which is representatives of the internal audit services, and the UNRIS, representatives of the investigative services, can also be part of this discussion because it brings a lot of knowledge, experience from these units and offices into this discussion. So I, I would be welcoming this contribution. To the question from the distinguished delegates from Romania, I must say that we are working day and night to improve and encourage reporting of allegations to, uh, to my office. We've also contributed into a certain number of webinars, work that the Staff Council has conducted to— in terms of outreach and to get the information out to all staff and our implementing partners that they should report to us. I must say that we have also created a certain number of communication tools and mediums for staff to report allegations to us. We've produced also animated videos different languages so that we are explaining the investigation process and how staff should— staff and also UNFPA personnel and implementing partners should report to us. We have also produced a certain number of brochures, newsletters. All this helps the organization and everyone within the organization to come to the office to report to us. I must say also that what we strive also is to publish and publicize our work. It's not enough to publish your report. It is also important to publicize the message that is there, and this is also continuous work we do. In terms of reputation and credibility, I must say that if an organization is able to achieve its objectives, as we have demonstrated through our work, this already builds into its credibility and impact on the ground. Unfortunately, there will always be attacks on the organization from those who have either been penalized or those who have not benefited in one way or another from the organization. We've had cases where people that, because the organization has upheld the zero tolerance, they have been dismissed. Some of them have came and mounted an entire campaign against the organization. This is this is not good, but I must say we are also open to have a direct channel with anyone complaining about the organization, its its managers, leadership, and so on. We will take into account any allegation that we receive. In terms of for the distinguished delegate from Ethiopia, I think as an organization UNFPA strives to to do excellent work. I must say that I'm very pleased when I. Management acting on all audit recommendations, no outstanding recommendation, but also being involved in all discussions throughout the audit process, whether from the planning until the conclusion and the implementation of the various recommendations. Will there be a time where we have a fully, fully satisfactory rating? That would be our aim, but I must say that as an organization, UNFPA works in very difficult difficult context, and there will be cases where we will have a breakdown of internal controls, because after all, the— we are working in an environment where you have people, some of them know the processes and the procedures, others may have also ill intent which may impact the organization. So our role as oversight office is to make sure that all processes, all projects and programs are implemented with due regard to the policies of the organization. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. Grip. Mr. Dieng, thank you very much.

A couple of words in terms of potential role of IRJ in the UNAT. We wish to, to bring our expertise if we are required to provide any advisory, but at this time we have no role in it, any role we will play will be considered also potential conflict of interest or conflict of interest, yes, if we have to be involved in any role about the UNHCR. But definitely we are open to help the organization and based on our expertise. Our reporting, yes, our reporting, I think we try to be as transparent as possible. We train almost every year all our regions. 3 weeks ago, I was in Nicaragua. We trained 120 people, but from the plane, I received 5 complaints. Just to let you know, the more people are aware of their right and the channel of complaint, they will come to us. It adds to us that maybe also there are more issues on the ground. In terms of rating, Excellency, Our harmonized ratings are 4: satisfactory, partially satisfactory with minor improvement, partially with major improvement, and unsatisfactory. UNOPS has currently, the last 3 years after the crisis, we have improved a lot and we moved to partially satisfactory with minor improvement, meaning that controls are in place but still require some improvement. As my colleague from UNOFP said, we work in a very, very imperfect world where if you work in difficult countries where sometimes having internet is a difficulty and then reporting issue is a problem, it will be difficult to expect some satisfactory rating at this time, but we wish that the UN, not only UNOPS, will be one day in a world where things will be perfect. In terms of credibility, yes, credibility depends on us. We have to walk the talk and we have to demonstrate that here we are here for UNOPS, nothing else. We will work with total fairness, objectivity, and people's rights are respected. As long as we can demonstrate that, our credibility will remain. If we don't, we will lose it. As simple as that. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Gracias a usted, señor Dieng.

Thank you very much, Mr. Dieng. So this question won't be resolved today. There are activities held on it in the past and in the future. This is a discussion that will continue. And as is the case for other agenda items for this session, so thank you all for your contributions and your responses, the delegations for your interventions. We'll prepare a draft decision on item 3 of our agenda on internal audit and investigation. This will be presented for the board's consideration Later in this session. We'll take a few minutes to rearrange the podium. Thank you.

Distinguished colleagues, we will now continue with agenda item 4.

As I was saying, distinguished colleagues, we will now continue with agenda item 4 on ethics. The reports of the ethics offices of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS on activities for 2024, followed by management responses. I am pleased to welcome to the podium Mr. Alessandro Maggi, Director of the Ethics Office of the UNDP; Mr. Andrew Sapperton, Deputy Executive Director for Management of UNFPA; Ms. Miriam Baillé, Ethics Advisor, UNFPA; the Deputy Executive Director for Management and Policy of UNOPS; And Mr. Berkhan Menaygo-Vekil, Director of the Ethics Office of UNOPS. I now give the floor to Mr. Maggi, Director, Ethics Office of UNDP, to introduce the report on the activities of the UNDP Ethics Office in 2024.

Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, thank you for the opportunity to introduce this report. There were strong results in 2024. These included record levels in awareness-raising and in advice provided for individual matters, full compliance with financial disclosure filing obligations for the largest group of filers to date, new initiatives such as our ethics champions, and enhanced approaches to measure Our work continued to influence organizational culture while also managing risk in individual matters. The full range of these results is detailed in the report before you. Through my brief remarks today, I wish to offer a lens for reviewing these results in terms of how the Ethics Office is making UNDP a more efficient, agile, and accountable organization. For Member States, we contribute to the assurance that UNDP is upholding the highest standards of conduct, that we are performing our work with the independence and impartiality called for under Article 100 of the the Charter, and that we are serving as responsible stewards of the public funds with which you have entrusted the organization. For our personnel, we are a confidential advisor to help identify and address conflicts of interest, a source of support to protect them from potential retaliation, and an impartial guide as they endeavor to perform their official functions and manage their personal circumstances with the loyalty, integrity, and accountability that comes with the privilege of serving the international community. For UNDP's management, we are an independent counsel in preventing, identifying, and managing integrity risks, while also championing an organizational culture where ethics informs decision-making at every level. By performing these functions, the Ethics Office advances some of the key differentiating capabilities identified in UNDP's business model review, notably ensuring that UNDP maintains trusted relationships with governments and its status as a politically impartial agent for change. As this board has repeatedly underscored, For the ethics office to effectively perform this work, it requires full independence. This safeguards a function whose role involves firmly maintaining that organizational interests should be prioritized over private ones, that accountability should be applied regardless of hierarchy, and that those involved in failures should be protected. rather than dissuaded from doing so. I wish to confirm that the Ethics Office was able to carry out its work in complete independence. To achieve our objectives, independence must be complemented by a leadership commitment to supporting the function. This has been the case at UNDP. The results achieved in 2024 demonstrate how such a commitment along with strong partnerships and innovative practices, can catalyze the work of a relatively small function to influence the culture of the organization. There is important work ahead. As UNDP confronts an increasingly complex environment, the work of the Ethics Office will be as relevant as ever. We will continue leveraging digitalization, innovation, and partnerships to improve efficiencies and address the growing demand for advice and guidance and the integrity risks that accompany organizational change. We will also continue to work with and support sister agencies, as well as contribute our expertise to system-wide efforts. I take the opportunity to express appreciation to UNDP's leadership and the Audit and Evaluation Advisory Committee for enabling an independent and empowered ethics function. I also wish to thank my team. Finally, Mr. President and distinguished delegates, I thank you for your attention and for the valuable support that this Board continues to provide for the ethics function. Thank you.

Gracias a usted, señor.

Thank you very much, Mr. Maggi. I now give the floor to Ms. Nathan McGuire for her responses on behalf of the administration. Thank you.

Yes, yes. Mr. President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to deliver UNDP's management response to the 2024 Annual Report of the Ethics Office. UNDP is deeply appreciative of the Ethics Office's efforts to foster a strong culture of ethics and accountability. Management recognizes the Ethics Office for its impactful outreach in 2024, with a record high of 8,390 participating in ethics training sessions. This highlights the increasing interest in and awareness of ethics-related matters across UNDP. Organizational Culture remains a vital driver of performance and a key priority for management under the People for 2030 strategy. UNDP leverages its UNDP Listens surveys to collect data on culture, and we already see very positive improvements in staff engagement and inclusion, indicating that staff feel more engaged and empowered. The Ethics Office is a key partner in our work on culture. Actively contributing to leadership development, including through its role in the flagship Leaders for 2030 Program Resource Group. The Ethics Office also participates in procurement training for country offices and regions, as well as in onboarding sessions for new personnel. To ensure further tailored engagement and strengthened ethics capacity in diverse operating contexts, Management encourages the expansion of the Ethics Awareness Initiative across all bureaus, building on its successful pilot, which was mentioned by the Chair of the AEAC, in the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the ongoing rollout in my own bureau, the Bureau for Management Services. Allow me to close by re-emphasizing UNDP management's commitment to a strong strong culture of ethics, integrity, and accountability across the organization and to a strong ethics office. I want to thank you all very much for your time today, and my colleagues and I are ready to respond to any questions you may have. Thank you.

Gracias, señora.

Thank you very much, Madam Maguire. I see that we are catching up for the slight delay that we had accumulated. I now invite the Ethics Advisor of UNFPA to present the report on the work of the Ethics Office in 2024. Ms. Bailey, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor and opportunity to present to you the report on of the Ethics Office activities in 2024. The year 2024 represented a dynamic period of transition and strategic reorientation for the UNFPA Ethics Office. With new leadership assuming responsibility in mid-August, the Ethics Office embraced the opportunity to enhance its operational framework, reinforce the organization's ethical foundation, and revitalize its outreach and engagement strategies. This period of change built upon the strong foundation that was laid by the previous Ethics Advisor, with a continued emphasis on cultivating a sustainable speak-up culture and strengthening UNFPA's broader ethics framework. Since its establishment in 2008 in UNFPA, the Ethics Office plays a vital role in serving UNFPA's extensive global workforce comprising nearly 6,000 staff. Across over 300 duty stations worldwide in raising awareness on ethical standards and instilling a culture of ethics, integrity, and accountability. The office is currently staffed by 3 staffers: one ethics advisor, an ethics officer, and an ethics associate. The core functions of the ethics office are central to upholding the organization's integrity and include providing confidential ethics advice, and guidance on ethical matters; addressing requests for protection from retaliation; proactively promoting ethical awareness and sound decision-making at all levels of UNFPA; coordinating the financial disclosure programme and standard-setting and policy-making. To ensure a cohesive approach within the broader UN system, the Ethics Office also actively collaborates and coordinates with the Ethics Panel of the the UN and the Ethics Network for Multilateral Organizations. Focusing on impact and cultural relevance for the diverse workforce, outreach and training activities were a significant focus in 2024. The Ethics Office revitalized its communication channels, including a review of its online presence, the launch of a new mandatory ethics training course, which is available in multiple languages, a new monthly newsletter on ethics issues, and targeted outreach activities that culminated in a mission to 5 offices in Western Central Africa in December 2024. These efforts reflect the Office's commitment to proactive engagement and promoting a strong speak-up culture throughout UNFPA. Another key component of the strategic focus was a commitment to leveraging technological advancements This included the integration of advanced tools for data collection analytics and the development of a new case management database and filing system, including new standard practices aligning with practices across the United Nations system. In addition, new work planning tools were introduced, knowledge management was improved, and the financial disclosure process was refined. The Ethics Office also prioritized strengthening partnerships with other UNFPA units to extend reach and impact. This included providing support and input to the Integrity Group, a crucial forum for addressing workplace conduct issues. The Office further advocated for stronger interdivisional responses to these issues, emphasizing collaboration with the Ombudsman's Office and the Learning Branch of the Division of Human Resources. In terms of key services, has delivered. The Ethics Office provided confidential ethics advice and guidance, responding to 644 requests in 2024. A significant portion of these requests related to the Financial Disclosure Program, with an increase in inquiries concerning conflicts of interest, likely due to enhanced scrutiny. The Office also plays a critical role in protecting personnel from retaliation, and in 2024, there was a notable increase in requests for protection to 20 cases, highlighting the importance of this function and potentially indicating a growing trust in the mechanism. In those cases where a prima facie determination was made, the Ethics Office proposed protective measures which were all followed up and implemented by the Administration. Throughout the year, the Ethics Office received strong support from the senior leadership, which reiterates and demonstrates commitment to the core values of UNFPA encourages open dialogue and speaking up of our personnel. Their messages— the Ethics Office made it consistently clear that there is zero tolerance for any form of misconduct. Looking ahead, the UNFPA Ethics Office, with the continued support of its leadership, remains dedicated to fostering a culture of integrity, transparency, and accountability by empowering personnel to make ethical decisions and and providing essential guidance and support, the Ethics Office plays a crucial role in safeguarding UNFPA's reputation and ensuring the organization can effectively advance its vital mission of promoting the health and well-being of women, girls, and young people everywhere worldwide. Thank you, Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, ladies and gentlemen. I look forward to any further guidance, insight, and questions you may.

Gracias, señora Baeli.

Thank you very, very much, Madam Baeli. And let me now give the floor to Mr. Andrew Sabin.

You have the floor, sir.

Mr. President, distinguished members and observers of the board, colleagues, I'm pleased to present UNFPA's management response to the report of the Ethics Office. Let me begin by emphasizing emphasising UNFPA's unwavering commitment to fostering a working environment that is ethical, accountable, inclusive, and just for all personnel. Under the leadership of our Executive Director, we have established a clear tone from the top: zero tolerance for abuse, wrongdoing, and harassment, alongside a strong culture of integrity, transparency, and speaking up. Management wholeheartedly acknowledges the valuable work of the Ethics Office and commends its accomplishments in promoting integrity, accountability, fairness, and safety throughout the organisation in 2024. Management appreciated the consistency in leadership and strategy vision— and vision— strategic vision maintained throughout the leadership transition in 2024. Despite undergoing a leadership transition, the Ethics Office has maintained strategic focus on enhancing mandate delivery, improving processes and capacity, strengthening the ethical framework, and renewing communications and outreach. We commend their efforts to build on past achievements and foster a sustainable speak-up culture. This seamless continuity reflects our collective resilience and shared commitment to ethical ethical governance. Responsive service and collaborative spirit has also defined 2024. The Ethics Office responded to 776 service requests that year, including 644 requests for advice and guidance, achieving a 100% completion rate in the financial disclosure program. We appreciate their ongoing collaboration with other teams and offices including the Integrity Group, the Office of Audit and Investigation Services, the Ombudsman, the Division for Human Resources, and the Coordinator for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. With regard to protection from retaliation, we note the significant increase in formal requests for protection from retaliation— 12 requests compared to 4 in 2023. Even one case is one too many, but this increase is evidence of our strong speak-up culture where personnel feel increasingly empowered to voice concerns, reflecting successful awareness-raising efforts. Of these 12 cases, 2 were deemed sufficiently substantiated to warrant investigation with protective measures immediately applied. One investigation concluded with finding of retaliation, resulting in comprehensive remedial measures to restore workplace harmony, while another investigation continues with our full support. With regard to the financial disclosure program, the UNFPA financial disclosure program stands as a cornerstone of our commitment to transparency. The ethics office reviewed 946 financial disclosures from nearly 27 of our staff who are required to file, and notes with appreciation the achievement of a 100% compliance rate for those 946 staff members who are required to participate in the programme. Of these, all 4 identified actual or perceived conflicts of interest were successfully resolved. Management will continue working with the Ethics Office to ensure staff understand disclosure requirements and to promote compliance with the UNFPA policy on financial disclosure and declaration of interest. Regarding training, outreach, and communication, we appreciate the Ethics Office commitment to in-person visits and workshops, which builds trust through direct interaction with personnel. Management appreciates that 1,070 UNFPA personnel successfully passed participated in training conducted by the Ethics Office, in addition to a stable 72% global compliance rate with, with our mandatory ethics training.

As it—

and this is noteworthy, as is collaboration to update the training courses and offer them in additional languages. Management applauds and encourages these ongoing efforts to ensure inclusive and accessible training on ethics-related material and subject matter. And we note that the Ethics Office refreshed its communication strategy, which has resonated throughout our organization with high-quality content and consistent messaging, and has successfully promoted ethical awareness across our global workforce. In conclusion, UNFPA management reinforces its commitment to maintain the current Ethics Office budget for 2024. despite the challenging funding environment, which is in line with the Executive Board decision 2022-16 to ensure that the office can adequately execute its mandate. UNFPA's management will continue to provide support to the Ethics Office as they safeguard our reputation as a trusted and respected institution. We look forward to continuing our fruitful collaboration to foster a culture of ethics and integrity throughout UNFPA. Thank you.

Gracias, señor.

Thank you very much, Mr. Sabaton, for that presentation. I now give the floor to Mr. Berkan Manyagovacil, Director of the Ethics Office for UNOPS, to introduce the report on the activities of UNOPS Ethics Office in 2024. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates and colleagues. I'm honored to present today the work of the Ethics Office in 2024, as outlined in our annual report. Before I highlight some key topics and activities, I'm glad to confirm the operational independence of the Ethics Office and its compliance with applicable JAU standards during this reporting period. In 2024, the Ethics Office again saw an increased demand for its services by almost 22% compared to 2023. This trend is not only linked to increased awareness or training activities by the Ethics Office but reflects the significant investment of the Ethics Office to the completion of the reforms of UNOPS Speak Up and Whistleblower Mechanism. On the topic of protection against retaliation, in 2024, the Ethics Office handled 55 matters relating to alleged retaliation at The office provided advice in 45 matters and concluded 10 formal cases for protection against retaliation. In approximately 70% of these cases relating to advice, underlying issues were often linked to interpersonal conflict or performance appraisals. Of the 10 formal cases, 9 did not meet the standard required under the policy, and only one was found to have brought a case of prima facie retaliation, which was referred for investigation. Also, in 2 instances, the Ethics Office issued interim measures to protect individuals pending the review of their case. On the topic of training and awareness-raising, in 2024, the Ethics Office finished the rollout of its global awareness-raising campaign called Ethics in Action. 7 in-person and 8 virtual sessions were held with over 780 participants. Participants, with overall positive feedback. In the 2 years of its rollout, the campaign reached a total of more than 2,000 personnel across all levels and contract types in 45 sessions covering 6 regions. However, compared to the previous year, training-related activities saw a decrease due to the dedication of the Ethics Office's workforce to an increasing advisory workload and the overhaul of the mechanism. On the topic of advice and guidance, the Ethics Office continued to provide ethics advice and guidance to staff and non-staff personnel in 626 matters on outside activities, conflicts of interest, or receiving gifts. To drive efficiencies, the Ethics Office also launched a series of new forms and included advice on these topics in the Code of Ethics. In regards to UNOPS's financial disclosure program, in 2024 UNOPS partnered with the United Nations Secretariat to provide services in the administration of its financial disclosure program with the Secretariat, as I mentioned. In this cycle, 1,134 required filers participated in the program with 100% submission rate. This means that all required filers, including UNOPS' management team, submitted their statement. From 1,134 34 participants, 48 possible conflicts of interest were identified, and advice was provided. And finally, on the topic of policy and standard setting, as mentioned, a main priority in 2024 was the overhaul of UNOPS' Speak Up and Whistleblower mechanism, which was launched on January 24th, 2025, together with UNOPS' first Code of Ethics. Both are publicly available at integrity.unops.org. We hope that these resources not only contribute to a strengthened system, but also to a wider culture of dialogue where speaking with becomes the norm and speaking about our values and ethical values becomes a daily practice. Since the launch, the portal has seen nearly 3,000 views, and the Ethics Office has now focused its attention on awareness-raising activities to ensure adoption, including the launch of a UNOPS-wide ethics dialogue to familiarize colleagues with the Code of Ethics and the available support. In closing, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I want to thank my team for the immense work they have shouldered in 2024. I also want to thank you for your continued support of this reform. Your ongoing engagement has helped to keep it a priority, for which I am very grateful. Looking forward, this reform was more than a procedural step. It lays the foundation for the work we still need to do. Building a culture of transparency and accountability goes beyond policies. It requires sustained support and active engagement. And with your leadership and that of the Executive Director, I look forward to continuing this effort together. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Manigo-Vaquil, for that.

Distinguished members of the Executive Board, ladies and gentlemen, I am delivering this statement on behalf of Deputy Executive Director, Management and Policy, Sonia Leighton Cohn. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present UNOPS's management formal response to the 2024 Annual Report of the Ethics Office. Let me begin by expressing our sincere appreciation of the Ethics Office team and their continued professionalism and commitment. Their efforts remain vital as we work to rebuild trust and strengthen a culture of accountability throughout the organization. The 2024 Ethics Annual Report offers a clear, independent picture of where we stand, the progress we've made, the challenges we face, and the opportunities ahead in embedding ethics more deeply across UNOPS. We welcome both the report and the activities undertaken by the Ethics Office over the past year. I am pleased to confirm that all outstanding recommendations from previous years have now been fully implemented. This includes critical actions like reinforcing our speak-up channels and enforcing protections for whistleblowers, important steps in our broader recovery. A major milestone during this period has been the development of the very first UNOPS Code of Ethics. Shaped through broad consultation, it set out our shared values and expected behaviours. But a code on paper is not enough. Our focus now is on making sure it's fully integrated into how we operate, from hiring and onboarding to training to performance management. Our goal is to make ethics not just a policy, but a lived reality in our daily work. Beyond compliance, we are committed to driving real cultural change. This is why we see the Ethics Office just not— not just as a watchdog, but as the key partner, one that helps us build trust, foster principled leadership, and support every colleague in acting with integrity. We are especially encouraged by the rising number of ethics advice requests. To us, that indicates a growing awareness among our personnel and a greater confidence in the Office's independence, as well as in the systems that we've built to protect them. We also appreciate the impact of the Ethics in Action campaign, the positive response from across organization shows that initiatives like this are making a difference, helping to create spaces for honest dialogue, reflection, and learning, all of which are essential to genuine cultural transformation. Let me close by reaffirming UNOPS management's unwavering support for the full operational independence of the Ethics Office. We remain committed to acting on its recommendations quickly meaningfully. This partnership is essential not just for internal reform, but for restoring confidence among our member states and stakeholders. There is still much to do on the path to fully embedding ethics at the heart of UNOPS. The good news is that we are moving in the right direction, and we are doing it together. Thank you again for your guidance and support. We look forward to continuing this important journey with you. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much, Madam Demjare. We will now open the floor for brief comments and any specific questions that I would ask you once again to be as brief as possible. I give the floor to the Netherlands.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Kingdom of the Netherlands wishes to stress the importance of the work of the ethics offices of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS.

They are a critical part of the internal oversight system, giving us the assurances needed to support the important work of our agencies. The ethics offices' work on strengthening ethical ethical cultures and ensuring accountability and integrity within the agencies is much appreciated. We value our cooperation with the ethics offices.

Over the past few years, the relationship between your offices and the Board has grown into a constructive partnership—

partnership that we hope will continue to grow.

Your assessments of developments within the agencies and honest dialogue between the Board and your offices are of vital importance in allowing us to be able to perform our governance responsibilities. As we also did in the context of the audit and investigation offices, we also in this segment reiterate our expectation that the ethics offices retain their full operational independence, adequate, dedicated, and sustainable staffing, expertise, and resources, as well as access to the board. In context of ongoing reforms and reorganizations, your work to advise and support both management and all personnel is more important than ever. We would like to pose the following question: How will the ethics offices engage with UNAID and with efficiency and reform processes within UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS? And how do the ethics offices see their overall role in these processes?

Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much, Representative of the Netherlands, for those questions. I do not see any further requests for the floor, so I suggest a quick response. I think you've also highlighted things that were discussed in the previous session, so we will begin with the UNDP for a response, the UNFPA, and then UNOPS, if you feel truly obligated to respond to the question. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President, and, and thank you to the distinguished delegate from the Netherlands.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, colleagues, for the comments and reflections on the question. I will be brief by saying, very similar to our colleagues in the oversight offices, we intend to support and offer our advice and guidance on any risks that are arising, and we'll stand ready to implement the decisions reached by the organizations and the member states.

Thank you.

Gracias.

Thank you. UNFPA.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you to the Netherlands. Very pertinent question. To add to what my colleague from UNDP is saying, I would like to also add that during that particular time, the role of the ethics office is going to be extremely important. I mean, there may be a questions arising in relation to restructuring, workplace issues, eventually also protection against retaliation issues that may go on the rise within that given context. I just want to reiterate the place and the pertinence and the relevance of the Ethics Office, particularly during that time, will be very important. And then to also add to that, once that process is done, I think our function will be definitely still be the same with the possibility to deliver on all the services of our mandate as given by the Secretary-General's Bulletin of 2007, is to nurture that culture of integrity and accountability within our respective agency. Thank you so much.

Gracias. UNOPS, por favor.

Thank you. UNOPS next.

Thank you for also the question and your ongoing support. On that UNAT question, as my colleague mentioned, we're glad to participate in any discussion relating to that topic. Of course, it will be important to look at the tension between consolidation and respective— the specificities of each organization. I think there's a healthy tension there, and we look forward to discussing any related items. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much. That's very pertinent. I think it was a very important question from the Netherlands, and as we said earlier, this will allow us to continue the dialogue that was begun some time ago. So thank you very much for that. Thank you for your comments and for your participation. I wish to inform the Board that a draft decision on joint Agenda item 4 on ethics is under preparation and will be presented for the board's consideration later in the session. So, we can now move to the next segment following some seating rearrangement of the podium.

I am pleased to welcome back to the podium Ms. McGuire, Mr. Selberton, and Ms. Tanjay representing UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS respectively. We're also joined by Mr. David Barefield, Director, Office of Human Resources at UNDP; Ms. Josephine Bitty, Director, Division for Human Resources at UNFPA; and Ms. Valerie Kujata, Director of the People and Culture Group of UNOPS. I now give the floor to Ms. McGuire.

Thank you, Mr. President. Members of the board and colleagues, thank you for the opportunity to present a brief update on UNDP's work on addressing racism and racial discrimination. While UNDP has long upheld a policy of no tolerance towards any form of discrimination, more targeted work to address racism began in 2020. That year, the administrator confirmed the need for a deeper look at issues of racism and committed UNDP to becoming an anti-racist organization. To ensure a holistic response, UNDP established the Anti-Racism Advisory Group. Its analysis and recommendations informed a comprehensive action plan which set forth measures to strengthen efforts and address remaining gaps. With most actions from the plan successfully completed in 2023, anti-racism efforts were fully integrated into UNDP's broader agenda to promote equal opportunity and eliminate all forms of discrimination. These are now overseen by a dedicated corporate committee under the Associate Administrator to ensure adequate accountability and progress. Today, I will focus on the implementation by UNDP of the 6 JIU recommendations on addressing racism and racial discrimination in the system. Entity-specific recommendations are implemented, and work is in progress on the interagency ones. So let me start with the 2 interagency recommendations. Recommendation 1 speaks to data and evidence. Dignity, respect, and non-discrimination in the workplace are about not only the right policies and processes. They're first and foremost about the lived experience of personnel. With this in mind, UNDP continues to strengthen how it captures and analyzes data about experiences through our innovative UNDP Listens program. This includes all personnel surveys and also follow-up discussions with different personnel groups. We call them listening sessions. In early 2025, UNDP conducted one of its UNDP Listens surveys, and the results were very encouraging. 79% of respondents reported feeling respected, valued, and supported. To better understand the experiences of colleagues from different backgrounds and ensure that response actions are evidence-based and lead to meaningful impact, we have added voluntary self-identification questions to our UNDP Listen surveys. The demographic question on race is guided by the taxonomy used in the JIU survey. Beyond these efforts, we are actively contributing to interagency work on racial data standardization led by the UN Secretariat. In line with Recommendation 4, which encourages interagency coordination and collaboration collaboration. UNDP remains strongly committed to ensuring that efforts to address racism are harmonized and benefit from the collective experience of all UN agencies. Interagency fora such as the HR Network of the High-Level Committee on Management are essential for ensuring shared learning, alignment of standards, and system-wide accountability.

With regard to entities Please, could we give the floor back to the presenter? This is a very important topic that we've addressed in the past.

You have the floor again.

Thank you. With regards to the entity-specific recommendations, we're very proud in UNDP of our growing suite of learning and development resources in line with JIU Recommendation 2. This includes self-paced learning materials, offerings for leaders, and experiential tools such as our flagship Speak Up Culture initiative. A recent pilot of this concluded that offices that participate in the Speak Up Culture sessions reported measurable improvements across key dimensions of the engagement survey. And we're looking at how scale up that pilot initiative. All of these efforts can only go so far. We need to really look at adequately resourcing our efforts as well, and that's at the heart of JIU Recommendation 3. Through our People for 2030 strategy and the work of the independent offices, UNDP continues to invest in the necessary infrastructure to promote a respectful workplace culture. These investments include dedicated personnel programs and personnel support tools. Finally, there is the strong accountability mechanisms, as pointed out in JIU Recommendation 5. We've made important strides in strengthening systems and processes to address root causes and instances of racism and racial discrimination. For example, the case management system used by our Office of Audit and Investigation explicitly tracks cases involving racial discrimination. The UN ClearCheck 2.0 system has been updated with a specific category on substantiated allegations of racism and racial discrimination. Lastly, UNDP continues to promote equal opportunities in line with JI Recommendation 6, through transparent empowering environment for growth and development. So this is our talent marketplace, a comprehensive suite of career development programs that we can go into more in the question and answers. So thank you once again for the opportunity to present this update to the board.

Gracias, señora Maguire.

A continuación, thank you.

Thank you very much.

May I now give the floor to Mr. Saberton?

Mr.

President, distinguished members and observers of the Board, colleagues, I'm pleased to present UNFPA's update on our response to addressing racism and racial discrimination at UNFPA. In alignment with the ICPD Programme of Action, the core of our mandate lies in equality and human rights, and our programmes actively combat racism and all forms of discrimination, marginalization, and injustice. We firmly believe that fostering an equitable and inclusive UNFPA begins with each of us ensuring every voice is heard and power is shared. UNFPA maintains a zero tolerance stance on any wrongdoing, including racism and racial discrimination. This aligns with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declared in 1948 that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. As the UN Charter Our foundational document reminds us, we the peoples of the United Nations are committed to working together to promote tolerance, peace, and security while advancing economic and social progress for all. Already in 2019, UNFPA initiated a strategic process to align the entire organization with anti-racism principles. 88% of our global workforce is based around the world with 168 nationalities represented. UNFPA's efforts to address racism and other forms of discrimination include an intersectional approach and consider how workplace structures, policies, and practices may be influenced by racial factors as well as other dimensions. Our latest staff survey, the Global Staff Survey from 2024 has shown positive trends in terms of staff perspectives of UNFPA as a respectful workplace. Notably, across all regions and across all divisions, the survey has not indicated that racism is a primary concern among staff members. In fact, 88% of respondents felt that they were being treated equally regardless of religion and 78% regardless of ethnic origin. Whilst this is a notable achievement, there remains work to be done. UNFPA will continue to counter the effects of racism, intended or unintended, in the workplace. With regard to our work, an example of the outcome of these efforts is reflected in our programmatic work geared to combat racism and racial discrimination and reflected in our People of African Descent initiative. Using a human rights-based approach aligned with the objectives of the ICPD Programme of Action, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and the Montevideo Consensus and the International Decade for People of African Descent, our staff established the People of African Descent Initiative, seeking to advance rights, justice, and development for people of African descent in response to observed structural inequalities, limited rights and inadequate access to high-quality sexual and reproductive health services, the right to bodily autonomy, intersectional forms of discrimination, and the need for more disaggregated data and evidence. This in turn now supports— with this initiative, we now in turn support the design and implementation of inclusive policies and targeted programs To address the social, cultural, economic and structural causes of exclusion and marginalisation of people of African descent, especially women and girls. With regard to addressing the implementation of the JRU recommendations, in particular regarding the progress on the joint recommendations 1 and 4, we consider the 2 recommendations as being partially implemented. And UNFPA will continue to work with other organizations towards full implementation. UNFPA has actively participated in the Working Group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mandated by the HLCM, contributing significantly to the system-wide set of values and principles.

Por favor, un minuto de gracias para el señor Syberton. Devuélvanle el uso de la palabra. Tiene un minuto.

Please return the microphone to Mr. Syberton to finish this statement.

With other organizations in interagency efforts to address racism and other forms of discrimination. With regard to the entity-specific recommendations, UNFPA considers that these are implemented, and they include the recommendations on capacity development, culture and leadership, accountability mechanisms, and on equal opportunities. Regarding culture and leadership, the Executive Committee leadership and senior management continues to demonstrate its commitment to setting the tone at the top by actively participating and endorsing strategic initiatives conducted globally to address racism and other forms of discrimination. Discrimination. I am proud that my counterpart at UNFPA, the Deputy Executive Director of Programmes, is the co-chair of the UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. In looking forward, UNFPA will continue working on reaching the furthest behind programmatically and internally by calling in our different identity stories. Step by step, we will continue to work on our internal culture while striving for systematic change through enhanced awareness, disaggregating data, monitoring, and culture change initiatives. We will seek to nurture an even more equitable organization and ensure rights and choices for all in the workplace, in the work that we do. With this, I thank you for your attention. Thank you.

Gracias, señor Saberton.

Thank you, Mr. Saberton. Madam, you have the floor for 5 minutes.

Members of the Executive Board, ladies and gentlemen, I am delivering this statement on behalf of Deputy Executive Director, Management and Policy, Sonja Leidenkohn. Thank you for giving me the floor today and for the opportunity to speak on this important agenda item. I am honored to share the progress UNOPS has made in advancing respect and equity across our workplace in direct response to the recommendations from the Joint Inspection Unit on addressing racism and racial discrimination. At the heart of our efforts is a firm and unwavering belief: equity, dignity, and respect are not optional, they are essential. These values are fundamental to the credibility, the effectiveness, and indeed the very humanity of the United Nations system. And for us at UNOPS, they are central to our mission, serving people in need wherever we work. This is not a side initiative. It is an integral part of the broader transformation embedded in our cultural change of efforts, our HR reforms, and our commitment to ethical governance. We are not simply complying with recommendations. We are reimagining how fairness and inclusion are built into every aspect of how we operate, how we behave, and how we lead. The Joint Inspection Unit's recommendations have provided us with a clear and valuable roadmap. They have guided a deep and honest examination of every stage of the employee experience from recruitment and performance management to learning and accountability. We have asked ourselves at each step, are we truly being fair and inclusive? I'm pleased to report that we have now implemented the internally applicable elements of 5 out of the 6 JIU recommendations, and we are advancing steadily on the 6th. Allow me to highlight a few of the key developments.

Our—

on self-identification, we have launched an interim voluntary mechanism, and we are now preparing our system to support long-term sustainable capability, including through the rollout of our upcoming recruitment platform. In learning and development, we have moved past basic awareness building. Our new tiered learning program focuses on behavior change, because inclusion must be lived, not just understood. In resourcing, we have embedded the agenda into our core budget and operations. It is not an add-on. It is part of how we operate. With interagency collaboration, we are not just participating in conversations. We are actively advocating for more structured, formal coordination across the UN system. And on accountability, we have established an accountability plan for inclusion and equity, complete with clear metrics and systems to track progress and ensure transparency. The message we're sending, both internally and externally, is clear: equity and respect cannot depend on individual goodwill alone. They must be built into the very fabric of the institution. Looking ahead, we are preparing to launch a comprehensive equity and respect strategy in 2026. Our approach is grounded in transparency, in continuous learning, and most importantly, in action. We know that there is more work to be done, but we are making real, tangible, and sustainable progress because this is not only a question of justice. It is a matter of integrity and of shared humanity. We carry this responsibility with both humility and determination, and we welcome your continued partnership and dialogue as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, distinguished delegates. I look forward to your reflections and your questions. Thank you.

Gracias, señora Tamjair.

Thank you. I now would like to give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia, who will speak on behalf of a group of countries, and then we'll hear from Jamaica, followed by Portugal.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. President. I deliver this statement on behalf of the following countries, including the Executive Board members of Africa. That's Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mexico, Moldova, Mozambique, Norway, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Zambia, and my own country, Ethiopia. Sorry, United Kingdom was missing. United Kingdom included. The EU associated itself with this statement as a donor. We thank UNFPA, UNDP, and UNOPS for the updates on efforts to prevent and address racism and racial discrimination in line with the recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit on addressing racism and social discrimination in United Nations organizations. Despite efforts to eliminate racism, we must acknowledge that racial discrimination is still happening. We condemn racism and racial discrimination in all its forms and manifestations, and declare that racism and racial discrimination should have no place in UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS, or anywhere. We need comprehensive equality policies. To ensure non-discrimination. All actors, including multilateral organizations, must take targeted, inclusive and participatory actions to address the diverse and overlapping forms of discrimination and intolerance. The UN system must be equipped to raise issues of non-compliance in its dialogue with Member States. Progress is reported in several areas. For instance, we note new resources dedicated to improve UNFPA's anti-racism training and capacity-building activities, positive impact of UNDP's Speak Up Culture Programme, and steps taken by UNOPS to strengthen its data collection with the inclusion of self-identification. Categories into the Pulse Survey. We also note the Agency's partnership in 2024 with the Staff Council to host a session covering racial justice as part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awareness Series. While we commend the Agencies for their progress, we encourage more transparency around the challenges in addressing racism and racial discrimination. In this regard, we appreciate UNDP's reporting on the number of complaints of racial discrimination received by the Office of Audit and Investigation under the agenda item, and encourage other organizations to do the same. Implementation of recommendations that require interagency efforts keeps falling behind. We therefore encourage the organizations to prioritize efforts to address Recommendations 1 on a common set of categories for voluntary self-identification and other efforts to strengthen collaboration on anti-racism in line with Recommendation 4. UNDP and UNFPA play important roles in guiding and strengthening their implementing partners, including as part of the localization agenda. We would like to understand what UNDP and UNFPA are doing to ensure that racism and racial discrimination is also prevented and addressed within implementing partner organizations as at country level. Ending racism and racial discrimination is essential for upholding fundamental human rights and for leaving no one behind. It's an issue that must be addressed continuously, in a holistic manner, and at all levels. It's about fostering a culture of respect, accountability, and zero tolerance for misconduct. I thank you, Mr. President.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Ambassador.

I now give the floor to Jamaica, followed by Portugal.

Jamaica, por favor.

Jamaica, please.

Thank you, Mr. President. As this is the first time I take the floor during the formal session, allow me. To express Jamaica's support for your leadership of the Executive Board. Mr. President, we acknowledge the findings of the JRU note on the review of measures and mechanisms for addressing racism and racial discrimination in the United Nations system organization, and note with deep concern that 1 in every 5 surveyed respondents reported experiencing racial discrimination or harassment. Let me be clear, my delegation condemns all acts of racism racism and racial discrimination, including within the United Nations system. Such acts fundamentally violate the inherent dignity and worth of the human person and are in contravention of the United Nations Charter and the UDHR, which sits at the heart of the UN. Mr. President, the impact of racism and racial discrimination is not just confined to the individuals directly affected by it. It also permeates throughout the organization as a whole. Undermining its organizational culture, integrity, productivity, and more broadly, its ability to effectively deliver on its mandate. Let us not forget the commitment we all made to leave no one behind. This must be reflected in how the entities respond to racism and racial discrimination. Mr. President, I acknowledge the various efforts of UNDP, UNFP, and UNOPS to address racism and racial discrimination through their various to their respective anti-racist policies and programs, equity and inclusion strategies, and awareness-raising and training initiatives. I also note the entity's managed engagement, rather, in the High-Level Committee on Management DEI Working Group to ensure alignment with best practices. However, more work remains to be done. Anti-racism principles must be institutionalized across all aspects of each entity's operations. Clear accountability mechanisms must be put in place and robust monitoring and evaluation systems established. In this regard, I urge entities to take the necessary steps to fully implement recommendations 1, 4, and 6 of the JIU note. The JIU note indicated that most of the surveyed respondents who were discriminated against did not report the situation. It is both the responsibility of the board as well as the entity themselves to ensure that all staff members feel respected and included and are confident in the mechanisms and policies in place. As such, efforts to combat racism and racial discrimination must be strictly enforced, not only as a matter of compliance but also as a moral imperative. Can the agencies share how they manage the— how they measure, rather, the effectiveness of the initiatives they have so far established to tackle racism and racial discrimination? discrimination in their respective organizations. Thank you, Mr. President.

Gracias, Jamaica.

Finalmente, thank you, Jamaica. And now give the floor to Portugal.

Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, Excellencies, Portugal warmly congratulates the Executive Board along with the leadership of dedicated staff of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS for their steadfast commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and respect for human exploitation, abuse, and harassment— efforts that are vital to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful organizational culture. We welcome the opportunity to reaffirm our strong support for the comprehensive initiatives underway to strengthen the United Nations system across the 3 agencies. Such efforts are essential to enhancing transparency, accountability, and effectiveness, ensuring that these agencies continue to be responsive and impactful in meeting the needs of the communities they serve. Portugal particularly values the ongoing initiatives aimed at fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment, especially through the implementation of robust and systemic measures to prevent and address sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. These efforts reflect a strong commitment to accountability, survivor-centered approaches, and transformative institutional culture change, foundations that are essential for maintaining trust in the United Nations and safeguarding the well-being of all. We encourage UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS to maintain momentum, continue close collaboration with other UN agencies, and further engage with Member States, civil society, and affected communities to address these issues in a comprehensive and survivor-centered manner. We emphasize the importance of maintaining zero tolerance for any form of misconduct conduct and will continue to advocate for decisive action, transparency, and steadfast accountability to uphold the highest standards of integrity and safeguard the dignity and rights of every individual within the UN system. Portugal reaffirms its full support for the Executive Board and remains firmly committed to working towards a United Nations system that is safe, inclusive, and accountable for all.

Thank you. Muchas gracias, Portugal. Quiero agradecer.

Thank you, Portugal. I thank the interpreters who have agreed to work for an extra few minutes, which will allow us to hear the responses of UNFPA, UNDP, and UNOPS. I will give you each. 2 minutes, after which I will be personally cutting off your microphones.

And thank you very much for the questions and the comments. I'll try to address as best I can, and then perhaps in the exchange we can also go into more depth. On implementing partners, so indeed, you know, our— this is a question that comes up, but our partnership policy specifically, explicitly prohibits collaboration with any entity formally, informally engaged in activities inconsistent with the UN Charter, including racial discrimination. Secondly, our social and environmental standards. This is another place where implementing partners basically require adherence to these standards. Standards, and these standards include dedicated clauses on non-discrimination and equal opportunity. We're also trying to deepen our collaboration with groups representing marginalized communities, and we're also investing in anti-racism capacity building, including training for our partners. So those are just some examples of how we're addressing the question from the distinguished delegate of Ethiopia. in that statement. As also mentioned, we do have the voluntary racial self-identification, which was sort of introduced into our engagement and inclusion surveys. So we have— we are monitoring on that basis. And as also noted, OAI has, you know, incorporated into their system tracking racial discrimination cases, so being able to specifically extract that information. On accountability, to the distinguished delegate from Jamaica, so respectful workplace cultures behavior is embedded in our competencies of all staff, and managers must demonstrate this. So they are reviewed during performance conversations and appraisals. And institutional progress is monitored via the UNDP Listens surveys and also those listening sessions that I mentioned. But in addition to that, indicators are built into the People for 2030 strategy that are focused on the respectful workplace environment. We also have some AI-driven sentiment analysis that looks at the open-ended comments and questions that come in through those surveys, and we have upward feedback via the UNDP Leadership Pulse tools.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. So, to you, Mr. Saberton, now, without repeating what we've already heard.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I would just say, with regards to— it's a ditto for UNFPA, with the same of our implementing in terms of their selection and the agreements that they need to sign before we even begin working with them, a declaration that they adhere to UN principles, including these on racism, and without that signature they cannot be selected for this. With regards to the intervention from Jamaica, I would say that UNFPA has been concentrating in the last 4 or 5 years in actually capturing the data in levels of detail. I mentioned in my intervention that in 2020, we started a deliberate effort to address racism within the organisation and its activities. In 2021, we hired our first DEI specialist to ensure anti-racism efforts are more centralised. And then we go on to the people strategy in 2022 and 2023, the leadership dialogue to solidify the commitment of senior leadership to a more anti-racist organisation. And in 2024, the organisation continues its conversation as a way to raise awareness, and with the hiring of a senior consultant on anti-racism, it will ensure that these learning activities revolving anti-racism are focused and relevant.

Thank you, Mr President.

Thank you very much, Mr Saberton. Now you have the floor.

Thank you very much. I would just like to start by saying we're very grateful for the feedback we've received so far on anti-racism, and we really remain very committed towards interagency efforts to ensure the implementation of the recommendations, in particular the 1 and 4. And with regards to the very good question to the— from the delegate from Jamaica, let me explain what we do. Effectiveness for us is really measured through the enhanced matrix in the annual culture and engagement surveys, which include DEI-related questions. For example, from 2023 and 2024, we saw an improvement across all identity groups. Although improvements noticed is modest, however, I'm— it is not surprising in, in this context. here, and we are of course striving for behavioral change, which is usually manifested over time. Further, these metrics also have been introduced in the interim anti-racism accountability plan, and this matrix— mix of metrics provides insights into the progress on inclusivity and highlights areas requiring targeted action. So that's just a little bit of feedback on that. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much. I think what we can draw as a conclusion from this continuous dialogue that we have on the subject is that we are all seeking an organization free of discrimination or racism. And so with that, I wish to inform the board that a draft decision on joint agenda item 6 on addressing racism and racial is under preparation and will be presented for the Board's consideration later in the session. This afternoon at 3 PM, we will continue the annual session with agenda item 5, Protection Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment. The morning meeting is adjourned.

Distinguished delegates, we will meet in Conference Room B For the continuation of the negotiations on the decisions. At 1:15, so in 7 minutes, Conference Room B.