28 July 2016

Independent Accountability Panel

In September 2015, the UN Secretary-General launched the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health to help further the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda. The strategy builds on 15 years of progress under the Millennium Development Goals and the Every Woman Every Child (EWEC) movement. A key strategic priority for EWEC is to ensure strong implementation of the SDGs.

To this end, the UN Secretary-General appointed the Every Woman Every Child’s Independent Accountability Panel (IAP). The Panel will produce its first report in September 2016, during the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly. The report will provide an independent assessment of progress and challenges to help strengthen the response from the international health community and countries. In subsequent years, the annual report is expected to coincide with the relevant Sustainable Development Goals follow-up and review processes, such as the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

The IAP is comprised of the following distinguished panelists from diverse regions and backgrounds that range from human rights experts to humanitarian leaders to statisticians. These panelists are empowered to command attention from the global community across the full range of the updated Global Strategy’s accountability framework – to monitor, review and act – and across the spectrum of issues that comprise the Global Strategy’s “Survive, Thrive, and Transform” themes.

  1. Carmen Barroso [Co-Chair], Brazil
  2. Kul Gautam [Co-Chair], Nepal
  3. Brenda Killen, UK
  4. Pali Lehohla, South Africa
  5. Winfred Osimbo Lichuma, Kenya
  6. Elizabeth Mason, UK
  7. Vinod K. Paul, India
  8. Giorgi Pkhakadze, Georgia
  9. Dakshitha Wickremarathne, Sri Lanka
  10. Alicia Ely Yamin, USA

The IAP will carry forward the work of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health (COIA). The COIA produced 10 recommendations including the appointment of a nine member independent Expert Review Group (iERG), hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The iERG’s 2014 report and the Global Strategy call for the establishment of the IAP to carry forward the work of the iERG into the SDG era.

The Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), chaired by Mrs. Graça Machel, led a selection process that yielded a shortlist of candidates for consideration by the UN Secretary-General. The confidentiality of applicants and nominees was maintained throughout this process. The IAP’s secretariat will be independent, housed at PMNCH.

The IAP will undertake their roles on a pro bono basis.