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Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty
Rules of Procedure of the Board of Champions

Context

  1. These Rules of Procedure are approved by the Board of Champions, and are fully in line with the mission, goals, principles and rules present in the constitutive documents of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, including the Inception Document “United Against Hunger and Poverty”, and the Global Alliance´s Terms of Reference and Governance Framework,

Roles¹

  1. The main role of the Board of Champions is to promote and sustain the momentum of the Global Alliance, encouraging countries, institutions and organizations, including their own, to maintain active support and implement the commitments made under the Alliance.
  2. Specifically, the members of the Board of Champions are responsible for:
    1. Championing the fight against hunger and poverty and helping communicate the Global Alliance’s work and approach, including at relevant international fora and summits;
    2. Championing and monitoring the full implementation of the commitments articulated under the Statements of Commitment by their respective country/entity;
    3. With help from the Support Mechanism, and upon demand, seeking to identify, negotiate, remove roadblocks and facilitate flexible partnerships among different Global Alliance entities, including for supporting a specific country-level policy implementation;
    4. Raising awareness about the Global Alliance among potential new partners;
    5. Providing guidance to the development of the Global Alliance and its activities;
    6. Through its Chairpersons and Core Group, overseeing the Global Alliance Support Mechanism, including its Director, and ensuring guidance and accountability;
    7. When necessary, by consensus of the Board, upon request of concerned member States, approving applications to join the Alliance from non-governmental entities, after consultation with concerned governments;
    8. Through its Chairpersons and Core Group, and with help from the Support Mechanism, liaising with and providing reports and suggestions to the G20, including Finance and Development Ministers, as well as receiving their guidance and input;
    9. Admission, Selection Process and Resignation;
    10. Reporting to and helping to inform the agenda for the Summits against Poverty and Hunger.

Activities and Meetings

  1. The full Board of Champions will meet ordinarily twice a year, including through virtual meetings or hybrid meetings. Additional meetings may be called by the Core Group.
  2. Aside from their collective activities and meetings, Champions are expected to individually exert their roles, keep driving countries, institutions, and organizations, including their own, to maintain support and momentum and implement the commitments made under the Global Alliance, as well as interface with the Core Group, Support Mechanism and Alliance members as necessary.
  3. Meetings of the Board of Champions can be, upon request, attended by representatives of any member entity of the Global Alliance, as silent observers.
  4. The Support Mechanism will help prepare meetings of the Board of Champions with guidance from the Chair(s) and Core Group.

Composition and Tenure

  1. The composition of the Board of Champions will include:
    1. Up to 25 representatives of UN member or observer States and G20 members representing a diverse range of development stages, geography and regions;
    2. Up to 1 representative each of FAO, IFAD, ILO, IMF, UNDP, UNICEF, UNIDO, WHO, WFP and the World Bank, along with the CFS Chairperson;
    3. Up to 6 representatives of other regional or multilateral development banks, funds, or financial institutions;
    4. Up to 6 representatives of other national, regional or international knowledge institutions;
    5. The Director of the Global Alliance Support Mechanism (in an ex-officio capacity).
  2. Members of the Board of Champions, a non-paid role, are nominated as senior representatives of their respective countries/entities, which should bear all costs from their members’ participation and engagement. Champions can be occasionally replaced by a previously designated alternate representative. Alternate representatives can be replaced by Champions as necessary.
  3. Representatives for constituencies listed in paragraphs a), c) and d) should serve a three-year term, with reappointment subject to a transparent selection process that ensures adherence to the criteria outlined in these Rules. Terms may be rotated or relinquished early in favor of new entrants by mutual agreement.

Composition and Tenure

  1. Criteria for admission to the Board of Champions:
    1. Nomination by an Alliance member;
    2. Holding a senior position (Director, Undersecretary, Board Member, or equivalent) within the nominating entity;
    3. Demonstrating commitment to fostering the Alliance’s mission and fulfilling Board responsibilities; and
    4. Ensuring balance among constituencies of the Alliance, stages of development and geographical representation, with government representatives ideally composing at least half of the Board’s membership.
  2. Expressions of interest and nominations from member organizations shall be submitted to the Support Mechanism, which will verify compliance with the criteria before presenting candidates to the Board.
  3. The Board will decide on new members during regular meetings or through written consultation.
  4. If nominations exceed the allocated slots for each constituency, the Board shall select members based on the criteria under paragraph 6 and candidates’ actual or potential contributions to the Alliance’s mission and operations from both an institutional and individual standpoint.
  5. The decision process may take one of the following forms:
    1. Deciding by a majority of members based on a reasoned proposal made by the Core Group or the Support Mechanism. The proposal must list all candidates and explain how the criteria under paragraphs 6 and 9 were applied to arrive at the proposed selection.
    2. Mandating the Core Group or a specific selection panel of Champions to decide on the selection of members within 30 days, based on the aforementioned criteria. If necessary, the panel may conduct interviews with potential candidates.
  6. To promote shared ownership, balance, and rotation, the decision on admittance may incorporate solutions such as: a rotating Champion seat acting on behalf of a specific group of members or entities; agreements to voluntarily split the regular three-year term among different entities; other arrangements that ensure inclusivity and flexibility. In all cases, the solutions for shared or collective seats must respect the limitation to admit a single designated Champion per seat at any given time.
  7. Champions may resign at any given moment by announcing their decision to the Core Group and/or the Support Mechanism. Resigning from the Alliance’s Board of Champions will not affect the Champion’s affiliated entity’s status as a member of the Alliance
    1. The entity represented by the resigning Champion may immediately, or in very short order, nominate a proposed new Champion to serve the remainder of the original term. The nomination will be subject to the Board’s approval as per the criteria and procedure detailed in this document.
    2. In case of failure to designate a substitute Champion by the represented entity, the seat will be considered vacant. Other Alliance Members of the same constituency will be able to express their interest in nominating a Champion for the remainder of the three-year term.

Core Group

  1. The Board elects up to two Co-Chairpersons and up to six Vice-Chairpersons, all from national government representatives. The Director of the Support Mechanism serves as an additional ex-officio Vice-Chair.
  2. The two Chairs and up to seven Vice-Chairs comprise a Core Group to help advance the work of the full Board of Champions, supporting the Board of Champions’ roles in-between meetings and calling on other Board of Champions members as needed, as well as being directly responsible for the functions listed under paragraph 2, items f), h) and i).
  3. Members of the Core Group will serve for a term of one year, renewable for up to two additional years. The group should strive to avoid complete or near-complete substitution of Members after any single one-year period, aiming for staggered replacements. Terms can be renounced early in favor of new entrants if both parties are willing.
  4. Nominations for Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons should preferably be made by consensus of the Board of Champions, and reflect:
    1. Personal commitment and dedication of time and effort;
    2. Balance in geographical representation and stages of development;
    3. National contributions to the Alliance’s objectives.
  5. The decision on nomination may incorporate solutions such as voluntary agreements on supporting different countries for the following one-year term.
  6. If consensus cannot be reached, elections for Co-Chair and Vice Chair positions will follow these procedures:
    1. Voting will occur by roll call and open vote on competing full slates of Chairs and Vice-Chairs candidates.
    2. Each slate must be proposed by a Board member and seconded by at least one other member before being put to a vote.
  7. Core Group meetings shall be conducted online every two to three months, or as needed, at the request of the Chairs or the Director. Deliberations may also occur via email or other electronic means.
  8. Champions from International Organizations and International Financial Institutions are encouraged to participate actively in Core Group meetings and, upon their request, will be listed as non-voting members of the Core Group.
  9. All other Champions can freely participate in Core Group Meetings, in a non-voting capacity. Representatives of Global Alliance member countries or organizations may also be invited by the Chairpersons when relevant.
  10. Representatives from host countries for Summits Against Hunger and Poverty or other major Global Alliance-related events may be included in the Core Group for the year of the event and the preceding year, in addition to the regular group members.

Chairpersons

  1. The Co-Chairpersons of the Board of Champions will preside over its meetings. In the absence of a Co-Chair, a Vice-Chair will substitute and assume the presiding role for that meeting.
  2. The Co-Chairpersons, or their designated alternates, will preside over Core Group meetings.
  3. The Co-Chairpersons, with support from the Director, will provide ongoing guidance in implementing the Global Alliance, in line with decisions from the Core Group and the Board of Champions.
  4. The Co-Chairpersons are responsible for convening and conducting meetings, and, with support from the Director, preparing agendas, documents, reports, and draft proposals, and ensuring proper communication with the Board.

Decision-making

  1. The Global Alliance emphasizes flexible, voluntary collaboration focused on policy implementation rather than negotiating consensus-based policy directives, recommendations or guidelines. Therefore, Champions activities are expected to prioritize advocacy, communication, leadership and specific actions at individual and organizational levels across the Alliance to advance country-led policy and program implementation plans over collective decision-making.
  2. Board consensus is required for decisions such as approving applications from non-governmental entities to join the Alliance if a member country raises concern (as outlined in paragraph 2, VII).
  3. Day-to-day governance decisions are delegated to the Core Group, which will strive for consensus but may decide by majority vote if necessary.
  4. Decisions made by the Board of Champions and Core Group are restricted to the operations of these bodies and of the Support Mechanism and are not binding on any Alliance Member.

Amendments

  1. While no changes can be made to the Alliance’s Mission Statement, High-level Goals and Guiding Principles, other changes to the Alliance’s Terms of Reference and Governance Framework, and Policy Basket Rationale, Process Criteria and Templates may be proposed by the Core Group and require approval by at least two-thirds of Board members.
  2. Amendments to these Rules of Procedure, not requiring changes to the Terms of Reference and Governance Framework, must be supported by a majority of the Core Group before being considered by the Board of Champions for approval by a majority vote.
  3. A summary of decisions by the Board of Champions and/or its Core Group shall be distributed by the Support Mechanism and made accessible to all Alliance Members.

Notes

1. Based on the Global Alliance’s Terms of Reference and Governance Framework.