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.

Inspector Gopinathan Achamkulangare joined the Unit in 2013. As an Inspector, he has undertaken ten system-wide reports such as review of mainstreaming environmental sustainability across organizations; enhancing accessibility for persons with disabilities to conferences and meetings; and, more recently, the management of implementing partners in United Nations system organizations. He also coordinated three management and administration reviews of JIU participating organizations. Prior to joining the Unit, Inspector Achamkulangare served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva. His diplomatic career began in 1977, when he first joined the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

Inspector Tesfa Seyoum joined the Unit in January 2021, with 27 years of professional experience with the United Nations through various positions. As an Inspector, he is currently co-authoring the review of management and administration in the United Nations Human Settlement Programme. Prior to joining the Unit, Inspector Seyoum served on the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for six years and was a delegate of Eritrea at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York for 21 years.

In January 2022, one new Inspector joined the Unit for a 5-year term: Ms. Carolina Maria Fernandez Opazo (Mexico). She has extensive experience in the multilateral arena and held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of her country. Prior to joining the Unit, Ms. Fernandez Opazo served as the Coordinator, Financial Affairs and Appointments Planning within her national Directorate General for the United Nations.

Composition of the Unit for 2022

The current composition of the Unit is as follows:

Mr. Gopinathan ACHAMKULANGARE (India), Chair

Mr. Jean Wesley CAZEAU (Haiti)

Ms. Eileen A. CRONIN (United States)

Ms. Carolina Maria FERNANDEZ OPAZO (Mexico)

Ms. Keiko KAMIOKA (Japan)

Mr. Jesús MIRANDA HITA (Spain)

Mr. Victor MORARU (Republic of Moldova)

Mr. Nikolay LOZINSKIY (Russian Federation)

Ms. Sukai PROM-JACKSON (Gambia)

Ms. Gönke ROSCHER (Germany)

Mr. Tesfa Alem SEYOUM (Eritrea), Vice-Chair

Note to Editors

The Joint Inspection Unit is the only independent external oversight body of the United Nations system mandated to conduct system-wide evaluations, inspections and investigations. It seeks to ensure the optimum use of available resources by the United Nations system, and to enhance the efficiency of its administrative and financial functioning. The Unit also seeks to identify best practices, propose benchmarks, and facilitate information-sharing across the system.

The curricula vitae of all JIU Inspectors are available on the JIU website (www.unjiu.org). The website also contains information on the statute of the Unit, its mandate, reports, notes and management letters issued by the Unit and other relevant material.

To learn more, go to http://www.unjiu.org

Contact

For questions relating to this press release, please contact

The Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations system

Tel: (+41) 22 917 30 70

Email: jiucommunications@un.org

M.22.001E