MANAGEMENT RISK Effectively managing risk is a vital element of good governance and management. This is taking place on a daily basis within UN Human Rights. In its 2018-2021 Management Plan, UN Human Rights made risk management an integral component of programme management. Risk management contributes to the successful achievement of expected outcomes and results, especially at the field level where every programme has a risk management component. Risk assessment is a requirement in the guidelines for UN Human Rights’ country and regional strategies in the OMP and it is monitored through end-of-year reporting. UN Human Rights will manage and reduce risk throughout the organization by identifying, assessing, understanding, acting on and communicating risk issues. This will help senior management to strategically plan and wisely allocate resources, enhance responsible decision-making and contain threats to the organization. Risk management will be monitored as part of programme performance monitoring, strengthening the link between expected outcomes, results and evaluation. As part of the overall risk management initiative of the United Nations Secretariat, UN Human Rights is currently developing a corporate risk management plan in an effort to improve the organizational governance and accountability framework. This is expected to be ready in 2020. assessed the likelihood that each of these risks might occur and devised measures to prevent them or reduce their impact. The principal environmental risks in 2019 included armed conflict (Iraq, Libya, Mali and the Syrian Arab Republic), lack of access (Southern Caucasus and Ukraine), political unrest and elections (Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, Ecuador, Lebanon, the Republic of Moldova and the State of Palestine), humanitarian disasters (Jamaica, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe) and unpredictable challenges in partnerships with Governments. The principal programmatic risks in 2019 included lack of resources and staff (Kyrgyzstan), delays in approval of national framework for cooperation (Madagascar), unclear positioning of authorities on human rights issues (Tunisia), unwillingness to engage and lack of a host country agreement (Burundi and Myanmar) and domestic bureaucratic delays (Yemen). The principal institutional risks in 2019 were mainly related to delays in recruitment and regularisation of national and international staff, due to human resources policies not fully adapted to the needs of field presences (Malawi, the Syrian Arab Republic, and G5 Sahel Framework Project). Based on the assessments and assumptions that were made when developing the different theories of change adopted by UN Human Rights, the Office identified three main risk factors, namely, environmental (political/crisis/cultural); programmatic; and institutional. It then UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2019 67