The United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) is an expert body that meets under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council in order to discuss and find ways to support the work of the Council by providing expert advice on matters concerning governance and public administration structures. CEPA is composed of 24 members that meet annually for a one-week session at UN Headquarters in April. History and mandate The Committee traces it roots back to a January 1967 meeting of experts in public administration convened by the Secretary-General in order to review the UN's program in public administration, as well as to make recommendations for the future direction of the organization in the field. The meeting made many recommendations to ECOSOC that it hoped would increase the UN's capacity in public administration: That in the second Development Decade (1971–80), public administration be accorded a priority place as an impact area That it would be desirable for the UN to elaborate more specific objectives and programs in the field of public administration That the United Nations Development Programme give sympathetic consideration to requests for assistance from governments of developing countries in the field of public administration That a separate section be created for public administration in the UN budget, or that funds be allocated for interregional and regional projects in public administration if that is not possible That the public administration unit at UN Headquarters be restored to the status of an independent substantive unit That public administration units be created in ECOSOC's regional commissions That the UN's program in public administration be reviewed by a Meeting of Experts every four years On 24 May 1967, ECOSOC accepted the report of the Meeting of Experts and made several recommendations in the field of public administration. Among them were: to recommend that public administration be accorded an appropriate place in planning for the UN's second Development Decade, to request that experts in public administration be dispatched to its regional economic commissions, as well as to provide support to these commissions in the collection, analysis and exchange of technical information in the field of public administration and to convene the Meeting of Experts from time to time. Meetings subsequently occurred in 1971 and 1975 as the Meeting of Experts on the United Nations Programme in Public Administration. In 1978, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1989, 1992 and 1994 as