Structure and Meetings


Each year UNHCR has one Executive Committee meeting. The Executive Committee’s subsidiary body, the Standing Committee, usually meets three times a year. In addition, there are usually a number of Informal Consultative Meetings of the Standing Committee as well as Informal Preparatory Consultations for members of the Executive Committee to prepare conclusions on international protection and decisions for the Executive Committee’s plenary session.

ExCom
At its annual session, the Executive Committee reviews the work of the Standing Committee over the past year and establishes its programme of work for the next twelve months; examines UNHCR's financial requirements for the coming year and approves the annual programme target; and, adopts conclusions, notably on international protection, as well as decisions on a range of administrative, financial and procedural issues.

2006
2005
2004

Informal Preparatory Consultations
Conclusions and decisions to be presented to the Executive Committee plenary for adoption are prepared in a series of informal preparatory consultations chaired by the Executive Committee Rapporteur. These meetings are open to members only.

Standing Committee
At its forty–sixth session in October 1995, the Executive Committee established a Standing Committee to replace two previously existing sub–committees of the whole on international protection and on administrative and financial matters. The chairing of the Standing Committee is shared by the Executive Committee Chairman and the Vice–Chairman. In 2006, the Standing Committee is scheduled to meet three times. At its periodic meetings, it:





Informal Consultative Meetings of the Standing Committee

The Chairman of the Executive Committee may call for informal consultative meetings on different topics requiring in-depth discussion. In 2005, such consultations, involving ExCom members and Standing Committee observers, included: management reform; enhancing the independence of the Inspector General's Office; staff safety and security; issues to be covered in the thematic conclusions on international protection, as well as the process of negotiating conclusions; proposals to biennialize the Programme Budget; evaluation of the pilot year of the Operational Reserve of UNHCR's Budget; and, the Annual Programme Budget for 2006.

Conclusions and decisions to be presented to the Executive Committee plenary for adoption are prepared in a series of informal preparatory consultations chaired by the Executive Committee Rapporteur. These meetings are open to members only, although new mechanisms were introduced in 2004 to consult non-State observers on issues of interest to them which are under consideration.