EXECUTIVE BOARD 133rd session Agenda item 7.5
EB133/11 21 May 2013
Membership of the Independent Expert Oversight Advisory Committee Report by the Secretariat
1. This report outlines the proposal of the Director-General for the renewal of the term of office for three members of the Independent Expert Oversight Advisory Committee. 2. In resolution EB125.R1, the Executive Board, inter alia, decided to establish an Independent 1 Expert Oversight Advisory Committee and approved its terms of reference. The required qualifications of its members were provided in the terms of reference annexed to the resolution, which include: • Members shall collectively possess relevant professional financial, managerial and organizational qualifications and recent senior-level experience in accounting, auditing, risk management, internal controls, financial reporting, and other relevant and administrative matters; • Members shall have an understanding of and, if possible, relevant experience in the inspection, investigative processes, monitoring and evaluation; • Members should have or acquire rapidly a good understanding of WHO’s objectives, governance structure and accountability, the relevant regulations and rules, and its organizational culture and control environment. 3. In addition, the terms of reference stipulate that the composition of the Committee shall reflect the following parameters: • Committee membership should have a balanced representation of public and private-sector experience; • At least one member shall be selected on the basis of his or her qualifications and experience as a senior oversight professional or senior financial manager in the United Nations system or in another international organization;
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Resolution EB125.R1, Annex.
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• In the selection process, due regard shall be given to geographical representation and gender balance. In order to retain the most equitable geographical representation, membership should be rotated among the WHO regions to the extent possible. 4. Of the five members of the Independent Expert Oversight Advisory Committee, the term of office of three expires at the end of January 2014: Ms Marion Cowden (Australia/New Zealand), Mr John Fox (United States of America) and Mr Veerathati Santiprabhob (Thailand). The Secretariat has therefore requested an independent expert to review the existing roster and any new candidates, including those proposed by delegations, and to present a shortlist to the Director-General for her consideration. 5. The names on the roster have been drawn from selections based on replies to advertisements in the international press and from suggestions made by Member States at various times. 6. The initial review of the 29 names on the roster resulted in a shortlist of 17 names, based on an evaluation against the following criteria: education, financial qualifications, audit qualifications, audit experience, audit committee membership, international experience and the reviewer’s overall impression of the candidate. A further screening through telephone interviews refined this list further, and resulted in the Director-General identifying three candidates to be proposed to the Executive Board. Each of the three candidates provided a curriculum vitae, a summary of which is presented 1 below. In addition, while maintaining the revised roster for the time being, the Director-General considers that advertisements should be placed in the international press in good time for the selection of the two places that are due to become vacant in 2016, in order to give a larger choice of competent candidates, as well as to satisfy the requirements in the terms of reference concerning geographical representation and gender balance.
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Mukesh Arya Male Indian South-East Asia
Gender: Nationality: Region:
Education, experience and competencies Qualifications: BCom, LL.B. Chartered Accountant, Auditor and Fraud Examiner. 20 years with Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India, ending as Principal Director. 6 years with UNRWA in Jordan as Director Internal Oversight. 3 years to date as a consultant.
Experience:
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The full curriculum vitae for each of the three candidates will also be available.
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Bob Samels Male Canadian Americas
Gender: Nationality: Region:
Education, experience and competencies Qualifications: BA in Economics and Accounting. Chartered Accountant. 13 years in a major audit firm, ending as Associate Partner. 21 years in various positions within a Business Services and Technology group, including Director of Internal Audit and Risk Management.
Experience:
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Steve Tinton Male British European
Gender: Nationality: Region:
Education, experience and competencies Qualifications: MA. Chartered Accountant 38 years in a major audit firm, ending as partner and risk management leader. 7 years to date, member/chair of UK National Health Service regional audit committee.
Experience:
7. The two existing members of the Independent Expert Oversight Advisory Committee whose mandates terminate at the end of May 2016 are Ms Mary Ncube (female; Zambian; African) and Mr Farid Lahoud (male; Lebanese; Eastern Mediterranean).
ACTION BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 8. The Board is invited to take note of this report and to confirm the three appointments by its Officers to the Independent Expert Oversight Advisory Committee for a non-renewable four-year term effective January 2014 to January 2018.
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