Mr. Jonibek Hikmat, the Permanent Representative (Tajikistan), has been elected the President of the UNICEF Executive Board Bureau in 2025.
The Bureau serves as a bridge between the UNICEF secretariat and the regional groups represented on the Executive Board, dealing primarily with liaison, administrative and functional matters, such as facilitating the negotiation of decisions at the session, to enhance the effectiveness of the Executive Board. Members of the Bureau coordinate informal consultations within their respective regional groups. The Bureau usually meets on a monthly basis, and daily during the Executive Board sessions.
The Bureau of the UNICEF Executive Board comprises the President and four Vice-Presidents. These five officers, each one representing one of the five regional groups, are elected by the Executive Board each year from among its members, with the presidency rotating among the regional groups on an annual basis. As a matter of custom, permanent members of the Security Council do not serve as officers of the Executive Board.
The Executive Board is the governing body of UNICEF, providing intergovernmental support and oversight to the organization, in accordance with the overall policy guidance of the United Nations General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.
The Executive Board reviews UNICEF activities and approves its policies, country programs and budgets. It comprises 36 members, representing the five regional groups of Member States at the United Nations. Its work is coordinated by the Bureau.
The Executive Board meets three times each calendar year, in a first regular session (February), annual session (June) and second regular session (September). Executive Board sessions are held at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
