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Internal Audit of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in WFP - September 2024

WFP has had a strong programmatic focus on gender for decades. In 2020 it provided additional resources for disability inclusion in response to the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy. In 2022, as a result of an expanding focus on diversity, and with the approval of the three-year Investing in People Critical Corporate Initiative, WFP created a DEI Unit in the Workplace and Management Department, with a team of two employees. This team worked on expanding diversity dimensions beyond gender, including disability inclusion, anti-racism and LGBTIQ+ inclusion. The audit assessed the extent to which WFP has established processes to promote diversity, achieve equity and create an inclusive workplace culture for its employees. It focused on work undertaken on four dimensions of diversity – gender, disability inclusion, anti-racism and LGBTIQ+ – because these were areas where the DEI Unit had begun its work. The DEI Unit has the overall responsibility for inclusion for all WFP employees throughout the employee life cycle. The Gender, Protection and Inclusion Unit within the Programme Policy and Guidance Division is responsible for programmatic aspects and coordinates disability inclusion and gender, adding to the complexity of organizational arrangements to manage DEI issues. Based on the results of the audit, the Office of Internal Audit reached an overall conclusion of Major improvement needed,