One Year On: Implementing the Colonna Report at UNRWA – Annual Report (June 2024 – June 2025)

20 October 2025

Executive Summary:

One year on from the publication of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality1 – informally ‘the Colonna Report’ – the Agency has made significant progress implementing its recommendations. UNRWA has fully implemented twenty of the report’s fifty recommendations (40 per cent), while the remaining thirty are at various stages of active implementation. This progress highlights the urgency with which UNRWA has responded to the report’s findings, and demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to expanding existing neutrality safeguards and accountability systems. UNRWA’s implementation of the Colonna Report is rooted in a longer-term transformation aimed at building systems and strengthening institutional culture.

Despite major operational shocks – including the ongoing conflict in Gaza, new restrictive legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset, and persistent financial uncertainty – UNRWA has stayed the course, achieving results across all eight categories identified in the Colonna Report, namely: (1) engagement with donors, (2) governance, (3) management and internal oversight, (4) staff neutrality, (5) installations, (6) education, (7) unions, and (8) enhanced cooperation with other UN agencies. The reforms are supported by enhanced internal governance mechanisms, a reinforced oversight structure, and improved tools for due diligence, third-party monitoring, and field-level implementation support. A dedicated implementation architecture has been established, including a detailed High-Level Action Plan with timelines, indicators, and risk mitigation measures, coordinated by an Implementation Support Team under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioner-General for Operational Support.

Over the last year, UNRWA has worked closely with key stakeholders to ensure transparency and shared ownership of the implementation process. Regular Member States briefings have been held in Geneva, New York, and other capitals, complemented by quarterly written updates and detailed reporting during Advisory Commission meetings and SubCom meetings. The support of key donors — Austria, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Germany, Norway, Japan, Luxembourg, and Switzerland — has been critical to the reform effort. To date, approximately US$ 12 million has been mobilized to support implementation, through both earmarked and flexible contributions. Notwithstanding this progress, critical funding gaps remain in priority areas such as education reform, independent oversight, and protection.

To ensure a credible, measurable, and practical approach to implementation, UNRWA has adopted a “minimum viable product” (MVP) methodology to define completion of each recommendation. This approach allows recommendations to be marked as “complete” once their core functional objective is met—even as broader institutionalization or scale-up continues. This pragmatic model ensures transparency, accelerates delivery, and reflects the dynamic operating environment in which UNRWA operates.

The Agency’s continued implementation of the Colonna Report over the coming 18 months will focus on deepening and sustaining these gains. Priorities include embedding neutrality across staffing, management, and programming structures; expanding the reach and quality of education oversight mechanisms; and enhancing cooperation with UN partners and host authorities. The measures taken so far have laid the foundation for a stronger, more accountable UNRWA that is better equipped to meet the needs of Palestine refugees and to uphold the humanitarian principles that underpin its mandate.

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Looking Ahead

UNRWA remains committed to delivering on the full set of 50 recommendations outlined in the Colonna Report. As of mid-2025, 20 recommendations have been completed, with the remaining 30 actively under implementation. The Agency aims to complete at least 40 recommendations by the end of 2026, with remaining long-term actions—particularly those involving structural reform, funding or external coordination—continuing beyond that timeframe. Achieving this goal will require continued momentum, strengthened institutional capacity, and sustained donor support.

Several critical risks and dependencies must be carefully managed over the coming 18 months. Political conditions in key areas of operation, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, pose significant constraints to implementation—both in terms of field access and operational continuity. Moreover, persistent underfunding, particularly in priority areas such as education reform, protection, and independent oversight, threatens to delay or dilute reform outcomes. UNRWA continues to work with partners to close these funding gaps and to build a more predictable and diversified resource base for implementation.

At the same time, the period ahead presents strategic opportunities. A priority will be to align Colonna implementation with the UNRWA Strategic Assessment which seeks to inform deliberations on how best to safeguard UNRWA’s mandate under current conditions and guide decisions on the Agency’s future role, structure, and sustainability. This integration offers an opportunity to embed neutrality, accountability, and governance reform into the Agency’s core strategic vision. In parallel, partnerships are being deepened with key institutional actors—including UNESCO on education and host countries on information-sharing, staff vetting, and installation inspections.

Institutional sustainability will also be a key focus. This includes embedding reforms in Agency policies, training systems, and legal frameworks—ensuring that neutrality, integrity, and accountability remain standard practice. Expanded training for staff and managers and revised governance structures are central to this effort.

The Agency remains attentive to the concerns raised by Member States, including host countries and donors. Specific issues—such as the role of host authorities in staff vetting—are being addressed through expanded safeguards, clearer protocols, and continued dialogue with Member States. UNRWA will maintain open channels for feedback and reporting, including through confidential briefings and public updates. Looking ahead, the Agency is determined to build on the progress achieved to date—consolidating reform gains, addressing remaining risks, and laying the foundations for an ever more transparent, accountable, and trusted