As delivered by Senior Advisor, Stian Nordengen Christensen.
Thank you, Chair,
Norway welcomes the reports covering finance and oversight. Our statement will cover all these reports.
First, we believe UNCHR deserves credit for its efforts to increase cost-efficiency and value for money.
Norway encourages UNCHR to continue the work of clarifying these aspects including documentation of quantified results in its reporting also in the future.
A persistent challenge is the relatively low percentage of unearmaked funding. Norway places great significance on unearmarked funding, including in the follow-up of the Grand Bargain.
Norway has reached the target of around 30% unearmarked or softly earmarked funding.
We encourage UNCHR to continue to develop reporting that assures visibility for donors’ unearmarked contributions. Visibility is the key to increasing these contributions from their current level.
Madam Chair,
Norway places particular importance on good practices for risk management, and promotion of a robust organizational culture for risk management. We welcome the important steps undertaken by UNCHR in this regard.
Norway also places a high value on strong oversight functions.
We welcome the recommendations of the «Independent Audit and Oversight Committee” to ensuring adequate and appropriate resources for the Investigation Service, and for evaluations.
We are looking forward to hearing more about how UNCHR is considering accommodating these recommendations.
Finally, the Deputy High Commissioner mentioned in her briefing a 7 % drop in women in D1 positions. We would like to ask if this was a foreseen consequence of the change in the HR-policy (from rank-in-person to rank-in-job). Furthermore, is UNHCR planning specific measures to increase the number of women in D1 positions? And what is the estimated time before reaching the same level as before the change in HR-policy?
Thank you.