News & Events

Farewell to Inspector Flores Callejas

In December 2021, the Joint Inspection Unit bid farewell to Inspector Jorge Flores Callejas, who departed after serving the Unit for two five-year terms. As an Inspector, he has issued nine system-wide reports and notes covering topics such as cybersecurity, enterprise resource planning, cloud computing, south-south and triangular cooperation, safety and security, climate change and procurement.  He also coordinated management and administration reviews of JIU participating organizations such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  During his tenure, Inspector Flores has been active to promote the usage of JIU’s work, its findings and conclusions and issued a series of management letters on the consideration and follow-up given by the United Nations system organizations to recommendations prepared by the Unit. 

The Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations system elects its Chair and Vice-Chair for 2022 and adopts its programme of work

The Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) concluded the second part of its Winter Session on 11 January 2022.  In the first part of the Winter Session, the Inspectors elected Inspector Gopinathan Achamkulangare (India) as Chair and Inspector Tesfa Alem Seyoum (Eritrea) as Vice-Chair of the Unit for 2022. The Unit also adopted its programme of work for 2022 which includes five system-wide projects and the review of management and administration in one of its participating organizations. The programme of work will be presented to the General Assembly at its first resumed seventy-sixth session this year.

Cybersecurity in the United Nations system organizations (JIU/REP/2021/3)

In today’s digitalized world, cybersecurity has emerged as a matter of importance for international organizations, and the United Nations is no exception. The Joint Inspection Unit released its report on cybersecurity in the United Nations system organizations observing significant differences in the approach the participating organizations have taken in their respective responses to cybersecurity threats and in the maturity of their cybersecurity frameworks. Not intended as a technical assessment of the operational arrangements in place across the organizations, the report identifies a series of elements likely to improve the corporate cybersecurity posture of the United Nations system organizations and their capacity to identify, prevent and detect cyberthreats, as well as to respond to and recover from incidents.

JIU engages in a dialogue with the executives of its participating organizations

Following the periodic meeting with the management committee of the United Nations Secretariat since July 2021, JIU initiated a series of high-level meetings with the heads of its participating organizations. The JIU bureau composed of Inspector Flores Callejas as chair and Inspector Roscher as vice-chair met the executive heads and other officials of ILO, ITU, UNOG, WHO, WIPO and WMO to discuss interactions between the Unit and the organizations. The cooperation shown by participating organizations, their support in data collection such as responding to questionnaires together with the effort made in facilitating interactions, of particular relevance since COVID-19 outbreak, were acknowledged and praised by JIU as an essential aspect of the oversight work conducted by the Unit.

Interview of Inspector Tesfa Seyoum

Date: 1 April 2021

Please say a few words about “who you were” in your professional life before joining the JIU

A large part of my career resides within the United Nations, where I served in various roles for 27 years. I was a delegate of my country, Eritrea, at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York for 21 years and served on the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for 6 years. Now, I am elected by the UN General Assembly to serve at the JIU for the next five years. In a way you could say that the UN is in me and I am in the UN. Before that, I worked as the Executive Director of a humanitarian organization, assisting victims of wars and famine in the Horn of Africa for 10 years. I was also Accounts and Budget Analyst for the Africa Region with an international NGO based in Nairobi, Kenya, for 5 years in the early years of my career.

Interview of Inspector Victor Moraru

Date: 17 March 2021

Please say a few words about “who you were” in your professional life before joining the JIU?

I have an extensive work experience in the field of multilateral affairs, with a focus on United Nations activities and programmes. During my diplomatic career, I served as Moldova’s representative to various legislative, functional and subsidiary organs of the United Nations system organisations, including bodies concerned with coordination, evaluation and budgetary matters. Over the years, I participated in many specialised meetings and debates, including on various reform proposals aimed at improving organizational effectiveness, accountability and the UN system-wide coherence with a view to support the implementation of UN global agreements and mandates.

Review of mainstreaming environmental sustainability across organizations of the United Nations system (JIU/REP/2020/8)

The current context provides an opportunity for the United Nations organizations to reimagine the system by making their policies, practices and operations, including internal management, environmentally sustainable. They should move away from advocacy practices aimed merely at raising awareness and should instead assume responsibility for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development within their operations and activities. They should fully seize the opportunities arising from the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic for serious digitalization and resource footprint reduction, including in the realm of travel. 

Farewell to three Inspectors leaving the Unit

December 2020 marked the departure of Ms. Aicha Afifi (Morocco), Mr. Petru Dumitriu (Romania) and Mr. Jeremiah Kramer (Canada), who served the Joint Inspections Unit for a five-year term since 2016.

JIU/REP/2020/5 Enterprise risk management: approaches and uses in United Nations system organizations

Enterprise risk management (ERM) has its roots in the private sector and has value in all sectors, including United Nations system entities. United Nations system organizations are exposed to a myriad of risks while delivering on their mandates –– from fraud and corruption, reputational risks and cybercrime to risks of a political nature, natural and human-made disasters. In its resolution 61/245, the General Assembly endorsed the adoption of ERM in the United Nations system to enhance governance and oversight.