Executive Office

The Executive Office comprises the High Commissioner, the Deputy High Commissioner, the Assistant High Commissioners for Operations and for Protection, and the Chef de Cabinet and their staff. The Executive Office establishes and directs the implementation of policy, engages with stakeholders, ensures effective management and oversees UNHCR's operations worldwide. It informs operational units of executive decisions and political developments while keeping the High Commissioner abreast of developments in the Field. The Director of UNHCR's office in New York, the Inspector General and the Head of the Policy Development and Evaluation Service report directly to the High Commissioner and work in coordination with the Chef de Cabinet.

The Controller and Director of the Division of Financial and Administrative Management, the Directors of the Division of External Relations, the Division of Human Resources Management, and the Division of Information Services and Telecommunications report directly to the Deputy High Commissioner. The functions of the Head of the Legal Affairs Section and the Mediator are also overseen by the Deputy High Commissioner.

At the end of December 2006, Ms. Wendy Chamberlin completed her term as Deputy High Commissioner, having served UNHCR in that capacity from January 2004. Her successor, Mr. L. Craig Johnstone, took up his functions in June 2007.

Two new Assistant High Commissioners took up their respective duties in early 2006. The Assistant High Commissioner for Operations is in charge of the Department of Operations, which includes the Division of Operational Services and all Regional Bureaux. The Assistant High Commissioner for Protection oversees UNHCR's protection policy development, implementation and advocacy, including the activities of the Division of International Protection Services.

In February 2006, the High Commissioner launched a process of organizational reform. He appointed a Director for Structural and Change Management to lead a small team which began a thorough review of UNHCR's structures, functions and workforce composition, to ensure they are aligned with current needs and challenges. A second objective of the process is to make the Office as flexible and cost-effective as possible in order to direct a maximum level of resources to its beneficiaries.

The Inspector General's Office (IGO) has three mandated functions: to assess the quality of UNHCR's management, including identifying measures to prevent mismanagement and waste of resources through timely inspections at Headquarters and in the Field; to address allegations of misconduct by personnel who hold UNHCR contracts; and to conduct inquiries into violent attacks on UNHCR staff and operations, as well as other types of incidents that could directly affect the Office.

Inspections provide the High Commissioner and senior managers with an independent and objective review of the management of operations. They highlight key issues and problem areas while identifying best practices that could be replicated to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. The IGO undertakes standard inspections, which are across-the-board checks of management of an operation, and ad hoc inspections, which focus on specific management issues.

The UNHCR Audit Service of the Internal Audit Division of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) assumes the internal audit function for UNHCR. The audit service is based in Geneva and also has auditors located in Nairobi to cover UNHCR's operations in Africa. Resident auditors are also posted in major emergency operations as required.

In 2006, the Audit Service introduced a more risk-based approach to its audit planning process. Audit assignments have been selected and prioritized based on the level of risk they pose to UNHCR. A risk-based audit approach ensures audit resources are focused on higher risk areas and determines what and how often programmes and activities should be audited. The risk assessment process has been designed to be dynamic, and audit plans will be updated continually to reflect the changing risk environment of UNHCR. Such an approach permits the internal audit to focus on how well UNHCR is managing major risks.

The year 2006 witnessed the establishment of the Policy Development and Evaluation Service (PDES). Working in close association with the High Commissioner, the Assistant High Commissioner (Operations) and the Assistant High Commissioner (Protection), the new Service was tasked with three principal responsibilities: producing coherent, critical and forward-looking analysis on issues of concern to UNHCR, and on that basis contributing to the formulation and articulation of consistent UNHCR policies; identifying and examining key trends and developments in the international environment and ensuring that the implications of those trends and developments for UNHCR's work are fully understood within the organization; and managing UNHCR's evaluation function and ensuring that the findings and recommendations of evaluations are effectively used for the purposes of policymaking, strategic planning and programme design.

UNHCR's office in New York (NYO) falls under the structure of the Executive Office. NYO represents UNHCR's interests at UN Headquarters and with relevant actors based in New York, including key NGOs and foundations that focus specifically on UN affairs.

In 2006, NYO helped to launch efforts to involve the Office in the new peacebuilding architecture of the United Nations. The purpose of UNHCR's involvement is to explore ways to ensure the sustainability of returns through post-conflict recovery and reconstruction efforts, using peacebuilding mechanisms as a tool. One UNHCR staff member was seconded to the Peacebuilding Support Office to help shape UNHCR's peacebuilding strategy.

The Deputy High Commissioner

The Deputy High Commissioner oversees all functions related to management and administration of the Office. The Controller and Director of the Division of Financial and Administrative Management, the Organizational Development and Management Service, the Division of External Relations, the Division of Human Resources Management, and the Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications are under the supervision of the Deputy High Commissioner.

Source: UNHCR Global Report 2006. For more details, see chapter Headquarters (pdf).