The 36 Member States of WFP’s Executive Board will convene for their first regular session from 26 to 28 February.
Here are main highlights to look out for:
- The Executive Board Bureau elections
As per WFP’s Rules and Regulations, the First Regular Session each year elects a new President, Vice-President and three other members from the electoral lists to form the Executive Board Bureau. Traditionally, the Vice-President of the previous year succeeds to become President in the next period.
- Opening statements
Executive Director David Beasley will outline current and future strategic issues for WFP to tackle alongside the symptoms and causes of hunger. Joining the opening session as a special guest, Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Emergency Relief Coordinator, OCHA, is expected to focus on the humanitarian–development–peace nexus, i.e., the challenges of responding to growing humanitarian needs caused by conflict in addition to natural disasters, while supporting the 2030 Agenda. Besides providing his views on the impact of the United Nations reform, he has been asked by the Bureau to highlight UN efforts to protect against harassment, exploitation and abuse in humanitarian settings.
- Documentation for Approval or Consideration
Key evaluation reports and country strategic plans will be among a total of 28 documents being presented to the Board.
Evaluation reports
The presentation of findings and recommendations from three evaluations – and the respective management responses – will feature prominently on the agenda. Two evaluations cover the country portfolios in Cambodia and Cameroon. Another evaluation, to assess the impact of WFP programmes on nutrition in humanitarian contexts in the Sahel, examined approaches to prevent and treat moderate acute malnutrition in emergency and post-emergency contexts in Chad, Mali, the Niger and the Sudan.
Country strategic plans
Four country strategic plans (CSPs), one interim CSP and one transitional ICSP will be discussed and, once approved, will be added to the more than 65 countries already operating under the framework of the Integrated Road Map (IRM).
- Executive Board field visit to West Africa
In November 2017, six Board members from the different electoral lists took the opportunity to observe and learn more about WFP’s operations during a visit to West Africa. Their tour included three countries affected by the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in 2014 and 2015: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. They also made a stop-over in Mali, where the WFP country office presented its portfolio. In each country, the members engaged with WFP staff, partners and the host authorities, as well as visiting projects or operation centres to meet EVD survivors and staff who supported the historic UN emergency response. The EB members will share their impressions during this session.
- Dialogue on the United Nations reform
As requested by the Bureau, the Board members will discuss among themselves and receive an update from WFP Management on the impact of recommendations contained in the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda.
-- by Sarah Schneider & Michelle Blood
