Statement by India on Agenda item 7: Report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the Management and Administration Review of UNAIDS - - Delivered by Dr. Sadre Alam, First Secretary (WHO HQs, 10-12 December, 2019)

We thank the Secretariat for the background document on this important agenda item and the Executive Director for submitting the management response. We express our gratitude to the U.N. JIU for its very comprehensive and timely report in the backdrop of the ECOSOC resolution of 2019 on UNAIDS which has called on this board to hold discussions on the governance issues. The report of the JIU with the recommendations contained therein could serve as critical levers of necessary changes and innovations to create a sustainable, fit for purpose and up to date UNAIDS.

2. UNAIDS is a unique and successful model of multi-stakeholder partnership in the UN system which should be continuously improved to remain relevant.

3. We support and value the inclusive governance model of UNAIDS and wish for the inter-governmental machinery, led and driven by duly elected Member States of the PCB and fully supported by the Secretariat, to play a lead and main role in its oversight including of the Human Resources, as intended by the ECOSOC when constituting the PCB as the governing body of the joint programme.

4. Further, as UNAIDS is a JIU participating programme since 2012 and given the constructive spirit in which the recommendations have been made by the JIU to it, we request for the full implementation of the recommendations, both 8 formal and 25 informal in the nature of U.N. system best practices, contained in the JIU report on UNAIDS with periodic reporting on the status of its implementation along with continued work on the governance issues as called for in the biennial ECOSOC resolution of 2019 to create a strong, effective and accountable programme that is able to meet both the needs and expectations of its members.

5. The latter could entail detailed discussions through standalone agenda items in the future PCB meetings in 2020-21 and/or a working group, open to all member states and include within its scope gaps in governance as highlighted by the JIU as well as the need for standing PCB governance or oversight related agenda items with regular reporting and updating the modus operandi. Needless to add that these discussions on the governance issues should be inclusive of all UN member states irrespective of their membership of the EOCOSC and the PCB.

6. As regards the former issue of implementation of the JIU recommendations, we also look forward to the unified programme of change proposed by the Secretariat which will set out set out the relationships between and the sequencing of the individual change elements, provide a timeline and resourcing plan, and an update to the PCB on progress made.

Mr. Chair,

7. We fully rely on the new Executive Director’s vision and guidance on this critical issue and assure her of all our support and cooperation.

8. We wish for the decision on this agenda item to reflect this. Our proposed amendments to the draft decision have already been shared with the Secretariat in advance for the information of all PCB members. We underline our flexibility on the language of the proposal and are in your good hands Mr. Chair to facilitate a decision by consensus.

Thank you.

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