The Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations system elects its Chair and Vice-Chair for 2024 and adopts its programme of work

The Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) held its Winter Session on 6 December 2023. The Inspectors elected Inspector Carolina Fernandez Opazo (Mexico) as Chair and Inspector Jesús Miranda Hita (Spain) as Vice-Chair of the Unit for 2024. The Unit also adopted its programme of work for 2024, which includes four system-wide reviews and the review of management and administration of one of its participating organizations. The programme of work will be presented to the General Assembly at its first resumed seventy-eighth session in 2024.

The Chair of the JIU for 2024, Inspector Carolina Fernandez Opazo, joined the Unit in January 2022 with 25 years of professional experience in administrative, financial and budgetary issues of multilateral organizations occupying various positions. Prior to joining the Unit, Inspector Fernandez Opazo had served as the Director 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 (OPANAL). As an Inspector, she conducted the reviews of management and administration in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). She also served as the Vice-Chair of the JIU in 2023.

The Vice-Chair of the JIU for 2024, Inspector Jesús Miranda Hita, joined the Unit in January 2021 after a long career in the Spanish administration where he held, among others, the positions of Commissioner of the Government (Secretary of State), Undersecretary for Public Works, Transport and Housing, Director-General for Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Defense, Director-General for Cadaster and Inspector of Services of Economy and Finance and Auditor of the State. Inspector Miranda has extensive experience in transforming organizations, leading people, designing and drafting policies and regulations, public financing and auditing. As an Inspector, he co-authored the Review of the internal pre-tribunal-stage appeal mechanisms available to staff of the United Nations system organizations and is currently finalizing a Review of the quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of health insurance schemes in the United Nations system organizations. Inspector Miranda also directed the 2022 JIU self-assessment.

Composition of the Unit for 2024          

Mr. Mohanad Al-MUSAWI (Iraq)

Mr. Pavel CHERNIKOV (Russian Federation)

Ms. Eileen A. CRONIN (United States)

Ms. Carolina Maria FERNANDEZ OPAZO (Mexico), Chair

Mr. Gaeimelwe GOITSEMANG (Botswana)

Mr. Toshiya HOSHINO (Japan)

Mr. Conrod HUNTE (Antigua and Barbuda)

Mr. Jesús MIRANDA HITA (Spain), Vice-Chair

Mr. Victor MORARU (Republic of Moldova)

Ms. Gönke ROSCHER (Germany)

Mr. Tesfa Alem SEYOUM (Eritrea)

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

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M23.004E