UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination

CEB and the UN reform

Since its establishment in 2001, the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) is the inter-secretariat coordinating main body through which executive heads of the United Nations system, chaired by UN Secretary-General, coordinate their actions and policies.

This instrument has a great potential in advancing system-wide coherence and, of course, the Panel’s report recommends CEB to undertake a review of its functioning with a view to improving its performance and accountability for system-wide coherence.

Such a review was discussed at CEB second regular session of 2006 (October), during a private session, and was unanimously welcomed by its members. The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Juan Somavia, and the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Pascal Lamy, have agreed to lead such a review.

Moreover, UNESCO with other four United Nations Agencies (IMO, UPU, WMO and UNWTO) produced a joint Paper on consolidated comments on the Delivering as one report. Among other issues, in this Paper they support the recommendation to reinforce the CEB and commit themselves to cooperate further to make CEB a better tool for enhancing multilateralism and for providing strategic leadership.