Appointments to Global Fund Board committees announced

The Board has announced the appointment of 33 members on its three standing committees for two-year terms that started on 11 May 2018. The announcement was made at the in-person Board meeting on 9–10 May. The terms of the current members of the committees expired at the Board meeting.

The Board also tasked the Ethics and Governance Committee (EGC) with reviewing the process for selecting the leadership and members of the committees.

See Tables 1–3 for lists of the new members of the Strategy Committee (SC), Audit and Finance Committee (AFC) and the EGC.

Table 1: Appointments to the Strategy Committee

* Non-voting. (All other members are voting.)

The call for nominations was launched on 29 January of this year. The long lead time was necessary to allow for a thorough nominations and review processes. Constituencies were invited to submit a prioritized list of the names of individuals they wish to nominate and to identify the specific committees they preferred their nominees to be appointed to. Constituencies were encouraged to run a consultative and competency-based nominations process. Board leadership reviewed all nominations, factoring in advice from the ECG, the Coordinating Group and the incoming committee leadership.

Table 2: Appointments to the Audit and Finance Committee

* Non-voting. (All other members are voting.)

A total of 60 nominations were received (for “first choice” committees) including 36 from implementer constituencies and 19 from donor constituencies. According to the Board and Committee Operating Procedures, each constituency was entitled to at least one committee seat and could receive a maximum of two.

The Ethics Office conducted due diligence in two phases –– first, when the nominations were made and, second, when the final list of proposed candidates was drawn up.

The three independent members who were appointed also served on the current committees. Board leadership decided that renewal of the independent members’ terms allowed for continuity and was preferable given the transaction costs of a selection process and onboarding.

Table 3: Appointments to the Ethics and Governance Committee

* Non-voting. (All other members are voting.)

Earlier this year, the Board had appointed the leadership of the three committees. Kieran Daly and Abdalla Osman, respectively, were appointed chair and vice-chair of the SC. Beatrijs Stikkers-Muller and Anthony Garnett, respectively, were appointed chair and vice-chair of the AFC. And Sandra Thurman and Grace Rwakarema, respectively, were appointed chair and vice-chair of the EGC.

Review of the selection process

The Board directed the EGC to undertake a review of the existing processes for selection of committee leadership and members; and to prepare a recommendation to the Board in time for the Board’s next in-person meeting in November 2018.

The Board asked the EGC to “put forward principles and concrete actions to underpin and guide the selection processes, including transparency, rotation of constituency representation, relevant experience, institutional memory, and gender equality”; to develops standards and processes for due diligence undertaken as part of the selection processes; and to review the size and composition of the EGC.

The Board asked that, in conducting its review, the EGC seek feedback broadly from across Board constituencies, including through inviting a representative of civil society to be a participant in EGC deliberations on this review.

Information for this article was taken from the decision points of the Board meeting on 9–10 May; and Board Document GF-B38-ER14 (Appointment of the Members of Standing Committees). The decision points are available now at www.theglobalfund.org/en/board/meetings/35. Board Document GF-B38-ER14 is unlikely to be posted on the Global Fund website.