FAQ

  • The UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) is the longest-standing and highest-level coordination forum of the United Nations system. It meets semiannually and is chaired by the UN Secretary-General. CEB serves as an internal coordination mechanism that provides high-level system-wide strategic guidance, promotes coherent leadership, shared vision and enhanced cooperation, and considers forward-looking solutions in response to mandates stemming from the governing bodies of its member organizations.

  • Under the chairmanship of the United Nations Secretary-General, the Chief Executives Board brings together the Executive Heads of the United Nations, its 12 Funds and Programmes, the 15 Specialized Agencies, and 3 Related Organizations. These are: UN – Secretary-General, ILO, FAO, UNESCO, ICAO, WHO, WBG, IMF, UPU, ITU, WMO, IMO, WIPO, IFAD, UNIDO, UNWTO, IAEA, WTO, IOM, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP, UNHCR, UNRWA, UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP, UNODC, UN HABITAT, UN Women, UNOPS.

  • The CEB member organizations are part of the UN system as outlined in the UN Organizational Chart

  • The Chief Executives Board for Coordination has 31 member organizations. Chaired by the Secretary-General, CEB convenes twice a year to consider policy and management issues impacting organizations of the United Nations system. The work of the Board is supported by two high-level committees: The High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) and the High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM), which also meet semiannually.

  • HLCP is the principal mechanism for system-wide coordination and policy coherence in the programme area. It is responsible to CEB for fostering coherence, cooperation and coordination on the programme dimensions of strategic issues facing the UN System. The Committee is composed of senior representatives from CEB member organizations responsible for programme planning and development who come together twice a year to meet in regular session. The following three inter-agency mechanisms were established by HLCP to increase coherence across the United Nations system in addressing urgent development challenges: UN-Water, UN-Oceans and UN-Energy.

  • HLCM is responsible for ensuring coordination in administrative and management areas across the UN System. HLCM is charged with identifying and analyzing administrative management issues of common concern, which require a system-wide response and with promoting and coordinating management initiatives that will improve services, achieve productivity improvements and increase efficiency and effectiveness across the United Nations system. The Committee is comprised of senior administrative managers from the member organizations of the United Nations system who meet twice a year.

    In its work, HLCM is supported by five Technical Networks in the areas of finance & budget, human resources, digitalization and technology, procurement and safety & security.

  • For CEB reports and other resources, including the Annual Overview Report, visit Reports.

  • The CEB Secretariat oversees the day-to-day coordination of the work of the CEB and its pillars. It has dual locations – in New York and in Geneva - both reporting to the Secretary of the CEB, who is based in New York.

  • The meetings of the Board are attended by the Executive Heads only. The meetings of the High level committees and related subsidiary networks/ad hoc working groups are limited to the respective senior/technical officials nominated by each Executive Head.

  • The origins of the CEB date back to 1946 when the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) was established, pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 13 (III), as a standing committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to:

    • Supervise the implementation of the agreements between the United Nations and the specialized agencies;
    • Ensure coordination of the programmes approved by the governing bodies of the various organizations of the United Nations system; and
    • Promote cooperation within the system in the pursuit of the common goals of Member States.

    The underlying premise in the creation of the ACC (predecessor of CEB) was that an institutional mechanism was needed to draw the disparate parts of a decentralized system of specialized bodies - each with its own constitution, mandate, governing bodies and budgets - into a cohesive and functioning whole.