SECOND REGULAR 1996 SESSION OF UNICEF EXECUTIVE BOARD TO BE HELD AT HEADQUARTERS, 9-12 APRIL

4 April 1996

Press Release
ICEF/1831

SECOND REGULAR 1996 SESSION OF UNICEF EXECUTIVE BOARD TO BE HELD AT HEADQUARTERS, 9-12 APRIL

19960404 Background Release Executive Board to Discuss Budgetary Matters Country Programme Recommendations, Maurice Pate Award

New York, 4 April (UNICEF) -- The 1996-1997 budget of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will be reviewed for approval at the second regular session of its Executive Board, to be held from 9 to 12 April at Headquarters. Other topics for discussion include the approval of 16 country programme recommendations, the annual report to the Economic and Social Council, cooperation with Rotary International and the 1996 Maurice Pate Award.

For the first time, the Executive Board will be presented with a unified budget for headquarters and regional offices for the biennium 1996-1997 which incorporates administrative and programme support and global funds covering all areas of UNICEF expenditure (document E/ICEF/1996/AB/L.5). The proposed integrated budget amounts to $346 million for 1996-1997, which represents no increase over the 1994-1995 approved budget. That budget includes a proposal to establish a regional office for central and eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States.

The Executive Board will be asked to approve programme recommendations for 16 countries and a regional programme for eastern and southern Africa (document E/ICEF/1996/P/L.44 to P/L.60). The recommendations total $153.9 million in general resources and $381.1 million in supplementary funds. The Board will also have before it for review a report on the UNICEF approach to central and eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States (document E/ICEF/1996/P/L.61).

In conducting mid-term country programme reviews and evaluations, the Board will have before it a summary report (document E/ICEF/1996/P/L/42) which includes reviews of UNICEF programmes in 14 countries: Rwanda, Cameroon, Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Bolivia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, Jordan and Yemen.

The Board will review the annual report of the Executive Director to the Economic and Social Council (document E/ICEF/1996/10). In accordance with the Council's request, the report focuses on strengthening collaboration between

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the United Nations development system and the Bretton Woods institutions in the areas of social and economic development and on steps taken to refine and apply procedures for monitoring and evaluation activities, strengthening national capacity, improving national participation and promoting greater collaboration in evaluation as well as improving the cost-effectiveness of administrative services. The report also responds to decision 1995/56 of the Council on strengthening the coordination of United Nations emergency humanitarian assistance.

The Board will be asked to approve a five-year extension of the programme of cooperation with the PolioPlus programme of Rotary International for the period 1996 to 2000 (document E/ICEF/1996/P/L.62) and to approve an increase of $60 million in the supplementary funding programme amount subject to the availability of specific-purpose contributions from Rotary International. Since the inception of this programme in 1990, Rotary International has provided over $100 million to UNICEF and has been one of the most important donors in supporting routine and now supplemental vaccine needs for polio eradication activities.

The Executive Director also recommends that the Board approve a five- year extension of the Vaccine Independence Initiative for the period 1996 to 2000, so that it may continue to offer countries the possibility of procuring vaccines with their own currencies to meet global disease control goals.

The Board will examine a progress report on the UNICEF management excellence programme (document E/ICEF/1996/AB.L.6) including feedback on initiatives already taken towards management excellence and on external consultancies on supply, information resources management and financial management.

Concerning the Maurice Pate Award, the Executive Director has made a recommendation that the 1996 Award be granted to the Centre régional pour le développement et la santé of Benin (document E/ICEF/1996/11). The Board will be asked to approve this recommendation which has been made on the basis of the Bureau's examination of the nominations submitted and to approve an allocation of $25,000 from general resources to accompany the award.

Executive Board Composition and Officers

The officers of the Executive Board are: M. Ion Gorita (Romania), President; and Lyda Aponte de Zacklin (Venezuela), Jan Top Christensen (Denmark), John Evonlah Aggrey (Ghana) and Mitra Vasisht (India), as Vice- Presidents.

The 36 members of the Executive Board, whose three-year terms expire on 31 December of the year in parentheses, are as follows: Brazil (1996); Burkina Faso (1996); France (1996); Ghana (1996); Indonesia (1996); Italy (1996); Jamaica (1996); Lebanon (1996); Romania (1996); United Kingdom (1996); United States (1996); Angola (1997); Azerbaijan (1997); Burundi (1997); India

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(1997); Japan (1997); Kenya (1997); Morocco (1997); Netherlands (1997); Norway (1997); Pakistan (1997); Republic of Korea (1997); Sweden (1997); Uganda (1997); Venezuela (1997); Canada (1998); China (1998); Cuba (1998); Denmark (1998); Namibia (1998); Russian Federation (1998); Suriname (1998); Switzerland (1998); Turkey (1998); Ukraine (1998); Viet Nam (1998).

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