JIU Issues Review of Management and Administration in UNESCO (JIU/REP/2026/1)

The Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) has issued its report entitled “Review of management and administration in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)” (JIU/REP/2026/1), prepared by Inspector Gaeimelwe Goitsemang.

Conducted as part of the JIU 2025 programme of work, this review is the Unit’s third assessment of UNESCO, and builds on the findings of the 2011 JIU review. It assesses progress made over more than a decade of institutional reform, focusing on governance and leadership, accountability, risk management, internal justice, human resources, financial sustainability and partnerships.  

Review conducted during a period of transition

The review took place at a time of significant transition for UNESCO, marked by the continued implementation of the strategic transformation framework launched in 2018, preparations for the 43rd session of the General Conference and change in leadership.

The decade following the 2011 JIU review demonstrated that while leadership vision and reform ambition are necessary, they are not sufficient on their own. Without deep structural recalibration, sustained investment in institutional capacity and a coherent financing model, UNESCO remains vulnerable to external shocks and internal inefficiencies. Moving forward will require not only technical solutions but also political commitment, cultural transformation and a renewed compact between Headquarters, field offices and Member States, anchored in shared purpose and strategic alignment.

Against this backdrop, the JIU examined the Organization’s core functions, including governance and leadership arrangements, organizational structure, strategic planning, financial and human resources management, ICT systems, integrity functions, oversight, risk management, internal justice and partnerships.

The report contains 13 formal recommendations — seven addressed to the Executive Board and six to the Director-General — in addition to 39 informal recommendations aimed at reinforcing UNESCO’s management framework and related practices.

Progress made, but structural weaknesses remain

The review acknowledges that UNESCO has undertaken comprehensive reforms in recent years. Executive management structures have been formalized, oversight architecture has been strengthened, and internal justice mechanisms have undergone notable reform.

However, the JIU found that progress remains uneven and structural vulnerabilities persist.

In the area of governance, effectiveness continues to be constrained by the absence of a centralized decision-tracking system, overlapping mandates and unclear divisions of responsibility among governing bodies. The working methods of the Executive Board retain legacy features that limit efficiency, while periodic tensions between executive leadership and the Executive Board have contributed to an erosion of trust. The Secretariat of the Governing Bodies remains critically understaffed and subject to dual reporting lines.

Although the executive management architecture has contributed to a more structured decision-making environment, siloed operations and uneven coordination between Headquarters, field offices and institutes continue to slow implementation and limit cross-sectoral impact.

The review also highlights integrity and reputational risks linked to the absence of a transparent regulatory framework governing internal candidates for the position of Director-General and insufficiently defined provisions to ensure geographic diversity at senior levels.

Field coordination, risk management and oversight

UNESCO has consolidated administrative services and reformed its decentralized field architecture. Nevertheless, coordination gaps between Headquarters, field offices and institutes remain. The implementation of the 2022–2024 field reform has been uneven, and staffing gaps, internal control weaknesses and limitations in performance monitoring continue to affect coherence and impact.

In terms of accountability and oversight, UNESCO has updated its accountability framework and strengthened evaluation, audit and investigative functions. The Ethics Office and Appeals Board have also been reinforced.

At the same time, the enterprise risk management framework remains underdeveloped and reactive. The corporate risk register is outdated, ownership of risk processes is fragmented and internal controls are inconsistently applied, particularly in field operations. Evaluation findings are not yet systematically integrated into planning and results-based management.

Internal justice and human resources challenges

Reforms to internal justice have yielded measurable improvements. The Appeals Board significantly reduced its case backlog between 2023 and mid-2025, introduced digital case management and established annual reporting to the Executive Board. Access to external legal representation before the Appeals Board was approved effective 1 January 2026.

Despite these advances, the Appeals Board remains under-resourced and hearings exceed statutory timelines. Between January 2024 and July 2025, UNESCO faced 29 judgments from the ILO Administrative Tribunal, with financial liabilities of nearly $364,000 in compensation and settlements, largely resulting from procedural noncompliance and legal errors.

The mediation function remains underutilized, and the planned establishment of a formal ombudsman function is seen as an opportunity to professionalize mediation within a coherent internal justice architecture.

In human resources management, UNESCO has made progress in structured recruitment, staff development and diversity efforts. However, systemic weaknesses in workforce planning, recruitment documentation, mobility practices and oversight continue to affect transparency, consistency and staff confidence. High vacancy rates, particularly in field operations, and reliance on ad hoc arrangements expose the Organization to reputational and legal risks.

Financial model and partnerships

UNESCO’s financial model has evolved, with voluntary contributions now central to operational viability. While resource mobilization efforts have strengthened, rigid budgeting processes and insufficiently risk-informed planning constrain financial resilience. The strategic role of partnerships has grown significantly, yet the Organization lacks a methodology to measure the impact of non-financial partnerships, limiting institutional learning and accountability.

Staff engagement and organizational culture

The review found a significant decline in staff engagement and morale at UNESCO, with employee engagement dropping from 70 per cent in 2021 to 50 per cent in 2024 and well-being indicators also deteriorating. Half of staff reported frequent stress, confidence in the fairness of misconduct case handling remains low, and a notable proportion of respondents reported experiences of discrimination, harassment or abuse of authority, with women consistently reporting less positive experiences than men. Perceptions of inequity in career advancement, limited transparency, weak meritocracy and low trust in leadership continue to undermine staff confidence. A top-heavy staffing structure, combined with operational understaffing and reliance on temporary and affiliate personnel, has further contributed to frustration and declining morale, prompting the report to call for a review of workforce allocations and stronger institutional safeguards to enhance fairness and accountability.

Looking ahead

The JIU concludes that UNESCO must move beyond managing institutional decline and embrace a transformative governance and accountability model grounded in transparency, strategic coherence and ethical leadership.

The 13 formal recommendations call for strengthened governance accountability, modernization of working methods, enhanced enterprise risk management, reinforced internal controls — particularly in field operations — and improved sustainability of internal justice mechanisms.

Strengthened institutional checks and balances, clearer accountability frameworks and improved coordination between Headquarters and the field will be essential to restoring effectiveness, credibility and relevance in a rapidly evolving global context.

Read more:

Access the report here

Access the review highlights here