U.N. appoints Ian Martin to lead strategic assessment of UNRWA; review will not change agency’s mandate

The United Nations secretary-general has appointed Ian Martin of the United Kingdom to lead a strategic assessment of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), U.N. spokesperson Eddy Lederer said on April 22, 2025.

Lederer said the assessment will “review UNRWA’s impact, implementation of its mandate under the present political, financial, security and other constraints and consequences and risks for Palestine refugees,” and that the exercise is part of the secretary‑general’s broader effort to ensure U.N. entities are “fit for purpose.”

“This is not about changing UNRWA’s mandate. UNRWA’s mandate has been given to the organization by the General Assembly,” Lederer said, adding that the strategic assessment is intended to identify how the agency can best deliver services in a singular operating environment. He said the review is expected to conclude in June 2025.

Ian Martin, the appointee, has previously led an independent strategic review of the U.N. mission in Somalia and served on the high‑level independent panel on peace operations, the spokesperson said.

In a question‑and‑answer exchange with reporters, Lederer rejected the notion that UNRWA was being singled out for institutional change. “UNRWA is not being singled out,” he said, noting the agency operates “in a singular environment” because of its operating context and the range of services it provides, which include education and health in addition to humanitarian relief.

Lederer also described strategic reviews as a recurring tool the secretary‑general uses “in different cases,” including peacekeeping and political missions, to explore how U.N. work can be done “better and more efficiently.”

The spokesperson did not describe any change to UNRWA’s mandate and said member states and U.N. entities would be involved as appropriate during the review process. The secretary‑general announced the appointment as part of an initiative the U.N. has termed UN80, which assesses aspects of U.N. work ahead of the organization’s 80th anniversary.

The assessment’s final product and any resulting recommendations will be made available when the secretary‑general completes the review in June 2025, the spokesperson said.