Joint Statement delivered by H.E. Ms. Anna Jóhannsdóttir, Permanent Representative of Iceland,
Executive Board of UNICEF ANNUAL SESSION 2026
Item 15 – Progress on the consideration of the review of governance and oversight 
of ‎the Executive Boards of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS, UNICEF and UN-Women by ‎the Joint Inspection Unit 
18 June, 2026

Mister President,

Distinguished Members of the Executive Board,

I am presenting this statement on behalf of Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, and my own country Iceland.

We would like to thank the Joint Working Group and all its members for the comprehensive update and for the continued dedication and work invested in advancing this important process.

We particularly welcome the interim report and the complete set of proposals for the implementation of the JIU recommendations and appreciate the thorough assessment of the relevance and feasibility of the individual recommendations.

We reiterate the importance of this exercise. The implementation of the JIU recommendations remains central to strengthening governance and oversight of the Executive Boards and to enhancing the effectiveness of our collective work.

We also recognize the value of the structured consultation with the organizations through the questionnaires. This has been a useful and important step in ensuring that the perspectives of the entities concerned are adequately reflected in the process.

We thank the Joint Working Group for the proposal to convene an informal meeting for all three Boards following the Annual Sessions 2026 and look forward to a constructive and focused discussion at that time.

We further welcome the proposed approach for the next steps, in particular the intention to present draft decision language at the Second Regular Session 2026 for those recommendations where sufficient convergence emerges.

In this regard, we encourage all Member States to engage actively and constructively with the interim report and its proposals. In our view, it is essential to collectively move forward in a decisive and results-oriented manner, making full use of the current momentum. This shared effort is key to advancing our common objective of strengthening governance and oversight in an efficient and effective way.

We look forward to continuing constructive engagement with the Joint Working Group as it advances its work.

Thank you.