The Executive Board of UNDP and UNFPA, comprised of 36 members, was created by General Assembly resolution 48/162 of 20 December 1993. The Executive Board superceded the 48-member Governing Council on 1 January 1994.

The Executive Board is responsible for providing inter-governmental support to and supervision of the activities of UNDP and UNFPA in accordance with the overall policy guidance of the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council, and the responsibilities set out in the United Nations Charter. It must also be responsive to the needs of programme countries. The Board is under the authority of the Economic and Social Council.

General Assembly resolution 60/212 (2005) invited the HLC and the UNDP Executive Board to consider measures to further strengthen the Special Unit within UNDP. Positioning the Unit as a separate entity and a focal point for South-South cooperation in the UN system was intended to enable it to carry out its full responsibilities, in particular through mobilization of resources for the advancement of South- South cooperation.

The UNDP Executive Board decision presented in E/2004/35 (2004) stated that South-South cooperation was to be considered a driver of development effectiveness and was to be incorporated in the multi-year funding framework.

More recently, the Executive Board, in its decision 2007/32 (2007), reiterated that UNDP should promote South-South cooperation by stepping up efforts to seek South-South solutions in all its focus areas as a way to enhance exchange of best practices and support among developing countries, regardless of their levels of development. It also required the UNDP Administrator, in consultation with the Executive Board, to establish measurable targets for the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation.

The Special Unit reports to the Executive Board of UNDP annually, preparing all substantive reports which include the report of the Secretary-General on the State of South-South Cooperation on 19 December of each year, as well as the report of the UNDP Administrator on the implementation of the South-South Cooperation Framework every three years.

UNDP/UNFPA EB website: http://www.undp.org/execbrd/