The Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations System Elects its Chair and Vice-Chair for 2023 and Adopts its Programme of Work

The Joint Inspection Unit concluded the second part of its Winter Session on 10 January 2023. In the first part of the Winter Session, the Inspectors elected Inspector Eileen A. Cronin (United States) as Chair and Inspector Carolina Fernandez-Opazo (Mexico) as Vice-Chair of the Unit for 2023. The Unit also adopted its programme of work for 2023, which includes one system-wide review and the reviews of management and administration of two of its participating organizations. The programme of work will be presented to the General Assembly at its first resumed seventy-seventh session this year.

The Chair of the Joint Inspection Unit for 2023, Inspector Eileen A. Cronin, joined the Unit in 2017. As an Inspector, she has undertaken five system-wide reports including reviews of whistleblowing policies and practices; the system-wide action plan for gender equality and the empowerment of women; change management in United Nations system organizations; enterprise risk management, and business continuity management. She also coordinated a management and administration review of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Inspector Cronin is currently coordinating a system-wide review of mental health and well-being policies and practices. This is the second time Inspector Cronin has served in the Bureau of the Unit; she was previously Chair in 2020. Prior to joining the Unit, Inspector Cronin served as Chief of Evaluation and Aid Effectiveness at the United States Department of State. Prior to joining the Department of State in 2012, Inspector Cronin held several overseas positions with the United States Peace Corps.

The Vice Chair of the Joint Inspection Unit for 2023, Inspector Carolina Fernandez-Opazo, joined the Unit in January 2022. She has 25 years of professional experience in administrative, financial and budgetary issues of multilateral organizations occupying various positions. As an Inspector, she is currently authoring a review of management and administration in the United Nations Population Fund.

Prior to joining the Unit, Inspector Fernandez-Opazo served as the Deputy Director General for Financial Affairs of the United Nations Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. Additionally, she was a long-standing member of the Committee on Budget and Finance of the International Criminal Court, the Financial Committee of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and the Committee on Contributions and Administrative and Budgetary Matters of Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In January 2023, five new Inspectors joined the Unit for a five-year term: Mr. Mohanad Al-Musawi (Iraq), Mr. Pavel Chernikov (Russian Federation), Mr. Gaeimelwe Goitsemang (Botswana), Mr. Toshiya Hoshino (Japan) and Mr. Conrod Hunte (Antigua and Barbuda)

Composition of the Unit for 2023

The current composition of the Unit is as follows:

Mr. Mohanad Al-MUSAWI (Iraq)

Mr. Pavel CHERNIKOV (Russian Federation)

Ms. Eileen A. CRONIN (United States), Chair

Mr. Gaeimelwe GOITSEMANG (Botswana)

Ms. Carolina Maria FERNANDEZ OPAZO (Mexico), Vice-Chair

Mr. Jesús MIRANDA HITA (Spain)

Mr. Toshiya HOSHINO (Japan)

Mr. Conrod HUNTE (Antigua and Barbuda)

Mr. Victor MORARU (Republic of Moldova)

Ms. Gönke ROSCHER (Germany)

Mr. Tesfa Alem SEYOUM (Eritrea)

Background

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 Inspectors of the Joint Inspection Unit are available on the Unit’s 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

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