FIFTH COMMITTEE BEGINS CONSIDERING UN COMMON SYSTEM; CONCLUDES DISCUSSING AUDITORS' REPORTS
Press Release
GA/AB/3193
FIFTH COMMITTEE BEGINS CONSIDERING UN COMMON SYSTEM; CONCLUDES DISCUSSING AUDITORS' REPORTS
19971117 The International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) was ready to contribute to the ongoing reforms at the United Nations if it was asked to do so, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was told this morning as it began discussing the United Nations common system.The Chairman of the Commission, Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor, made that pledge after informing the Committee that the ICSC had not been consulted on reform of the United Nations. In response to a General Assembly request that it lead in analysing new approaches to human resources management, the ICSC had taken the initiative by making suggestions on performance management and appointments of limited duration. Its proposals were intended to produce an updated, flexible human resources policy framework for the common system.
The draft code for United Nations staff members violated their right to associate and infringed on their right to privacy and personal freedom, said the President of the Federation of International Civil Servants Associations (FICSA), Walter P. Scherzer. "The code [of conduct for United Nations staff] cannot be allowed to stand", as it implied that all members of the international civil service were capable of wrongdoing.
Neither Professional nor General Service salaries in the United Nations system were competitive, said the President of the Co-ordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA), Rosemarie Waters. The latest revisions in the General Service salaries, to take effect on 1 January 1998, eroded pay, in contravention of the Flemming principle. Under that principle, General Service conditions of employment are based on best prevailing local conditions. Since the United States federal civil service, the comparator, was no longer the highest paid service, Professional salaries should be adjusted accordingly.
The Assembly should defer implementation of the revised salary survey methodology for General Service staff until the working group on the consultative process of the ICSC met in January 1998, she continued. Even though staff views must be taken into account in the Organization's reform
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process, departments had effectively eluded consultation on the reforms and manipulated posts and switched some staff from established posts to those funded by extrabudgetary sources.
Some novel points in the ICSC's annual report showed that flexibility could be achieved within the United Nations common system, the representative of Paraguay said on behalf of the Rio Group. They included the suggestions regarding temporary appointments.
As the Committee concluded debating the Board of Auditors' reports, some delegations called for a lengthening of Auditors' terms of office from the current three years, in order to better coincide with the United Nations biennial accounting cycle. The representative of Pakistan said the terms should be extended to four years, while Ghana's said a six-year term would give Auditors time to become familiar with the organizations they audited and make effective contributions.
The representatives of Canada, China, Egypt, Jamaica, Belgium (for the European Union and other States), Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia also spoke this morning.
As the Committee concluded discussing some reports under human resources management, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, Rafiah Salim, responded to States' questions. The Committee will revert to this agenda item when documents become available.
The Chairman of the Board of Auditors, Sir John Bourn, made a concluding statement as the Committee concluded debate on the reports of the Board of Auditors.
The Fifth Committee is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m., on Wednesday, 19 November, to continue discussing the common system.
Committee Work Programme
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to take up the United Nations common system and to continue considering audited financial statement and reports of the United Nations Board of Auditors, as well as human resources management.
(For background on human resources management, see Press Release GA/AB/3186 of 6 November. On the reports of the Board of Auditors, see Press Release GA/AB/3190 of 11 November.)
Common System
The Fifth Committee had before it the 1997 annual report of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) (document A/52/30), which contains recommendations, decisions, observations, tables and annexes on the remuneration of staff at the Professional and higher categories, conditions of service, appointments of limited duration, and travel expenses, as well as performance management and award of bonuses to staff.
The 15-member Commission advises the Assembly on salary and compensation issues, as well as conditions of service for General Service, Professional and higher-level staff. Fourteen organizations, together with the United Nations, participate in the common system of salaries and allowances. [Note: According to the Noblemaire Principle, the salaries of staff in the Professional and higher categories in the United Nations system shall be established by reference to the highest paid national civil service. For that purpose, the United States federal civil service has been used as comparator since the formation of the Organization.
On remuneration, the ICSC recommends that the General Assembly approve a revised base salary scale which reflects a 3.1 per cent increase for staff at the Professional and higher categories, effective 1 March 1998. According to the ICSC, analysis for 1997 showed that the net base salary of Professional staff with dependants at the level of P-4, step VI (the approved point for comparison with the United States federal civil service) was $57,198, while the equivalent for United States civil service was $58,970, or 3.1 per cent higher. To bring the two scales in line, a 3.1 per cent adjustment to the common system scale -- on a no-loss/no-gain basis -- was required. According to an annex in the report, the change would increase net dependency rate base pay at P-4, step VI, to $58,971. Gross base pay would start at the various levels thus: Professional levels of P-1 ($35,382), P-2 ($46,458), P-3 ($57,720), P-4 ($70,619), P-5 ($85,685); Principal Officer (D-1) ($97,119), and Director (D-2) ($109,741); Assistant Secretary-General ($133,994); and Under-Secretary- General ($147,420).
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The adjustment would cost about $2.4 million annually, according to the ICSC. But since the revised salary scale would be effective only on 1 March 1998, the cost for 10 months of that year would be some $2 million. Most of the costs would arise from adjustments to mobility/hardship allowances.
The report says that the concept of base salary scale was introduced by the Assembly, effective 1 July 1990, through its resolution 44/198 of 21 December 1989. By that resolution, it established a floor net salary level for the Professional and higher categories by reference to base net salary levels of comparable officials at the base city of the comparator civil service -- that of the United States. The base or floor system was meant not only to provide minimum amounts of remuneration for United Nations system staff, but also to serve as a reference point for calculating certain separation payments and mobility and hardship allowances.
Adjustments to the salary scale were made on 1 March each year from 1991 to 1995 and on 1 January 1997.
In other aspects related to remuneration, the ICSC decided to report to the Assembly a forecast of a margin of 115.7 between the net remuneration of the United Nations staff in grades P-1 to D-2 in New York and that of the United States federal civil service in Washington, D.C., for the period from 1 January to 31 December 1997. [Note: The margin is the average percentage difference between the net remuneration of United Nations staff in New York and that of the United States civil service.]
On the Assembly-requested comparison of the total compensations of the German and the United States civil services, the ICSC says that preliminary estimates showed no significant change from the results it reported in 1995, which showed that the German remuneration package was 10.5 per cent higher than its United States counterpart, the comparator for United Nations salary.
Turning to the education grant, the ICSC reports that the 1992 method used to determine its level had worked well. But some modifications would be required. For example, it suggests that the United Nations bodies and staff would share the cost of the one-time capital assessment fees levied by schools on the same basis as allowable expenses. If such an arrangement resulted in staff expenditures beyond the maximum allowable expenses, the ICSC Chairman could increase the level of those expenses at the request of an organization for a duty station in question. Subsidized loans should be considered where the capital assessment fee would be refunded by the school upon departure or graduation. The ICSC also proposes modifications related to the flat rates for boarding. The modifications would be taken into account as from the 1998 biennial review.
Expressing its views on appointments of limited duration, the ICSC agreed, in principle, that they were appropriate as long as their scope did not impinge
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on the existence of the international civil service. It stressed the need to ensure that such arrangements were used for their intended purposes and that their overall four-year time limits be strictly observed.
Then, the ICSC endorsed the principles and guidelines for such appointments. According to the principles, the independence and international character of the international civil service should be preserved; the appointments do not carry any expectancy of automatic conversion to other types of employment; they should neither be used abusively to extend the employment of staff nor at the expense of the core civil service; due regard should be paid to recruiting staff on wide geographical bases; and policies towards gender balance should not be compromised. The appointments should support the concept of the United Nations system as a good employer; hence, they should incorporate adequate social security coverage.
On travel expenses, the ICSC says it would require more time to consider the matter, given the complexity of the issues involved. Since it is not feasible to impose a uniform approach, overall travel policy should be left to the legislative/governing bodies of the organizations in the common system. However, broad guidance could be provided to ensure greater uniformity of travel standards. In that context, the ICSC felt that upgrades from economy to business class could be considered for official travel for flights of six or more hours. If organizations wanted to change their time thresholds for business class travel, they should move towards a threshold of six hours. The organizations' practice regarding stopovers for journeys of more than 10 or 12 hours should be stopped on the understanding that staff would be allowed rest stops of at least 24 hours upon reaching their destinations.
On performance awards, the ICSC amends the recommendations on cash awards in its 1994 annual report. It says cash awards to individuals for given periods should not exceed 10 per cent of the mid-point of their base salaries. Awards and bonuses should not be paid to more than 30 per cent of the workforce. While there should be a sufficiently broad coverage to provide staff realistic expectations of receiving awards, it should not be tantamount to an overall pay hike. The cost of recognition and reward programmes should not exceed 1.5 per cent of an organization's projected remuneration costs. The performance appraisal system should be used to determine award recipients in order to enhance the perception of objectivity. Any pay-based awards should be introduced on a pilot basis to be developed in consultation with the ICSC.
The Secretary-General's report on the system of performance awards and bonuses (document A/52/439) emphasizes that the performance appraisal system should be the only mechanism for evaluating staff performance and serve as the basis for the consideration of any cash awards and bonuses. The report proposes that the Organization adopt a step-by-step approach to the issue of cash awards. In the first stage, the Organization could introduce a range of
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non-monetary awards, both for individuals and teams, in line with those recommended by the ICSC. Performance recognition can take the form of awards in which a staff member may be recognized for consistent superior performance over a given period of time or in the form of merit awards for a singular outstanding achievement. Examples of non-monetary awards include formal commendations and letters of appreciation; provision of extra professional development opportunities; visits to the field for Headquarters staff; extra study leave and travel awards.
As a second stage, the possibility of introducing cash awards or bonuses might be considered, according to the Secretary-General. But, he stresses, the development of such awards should not be seen as a substitute to adequate compensation and salary levels that would ensure competitive conditions of service, enabling the Organization to attract and keep top-class staff.
Underperformance should be addressed in an effective way, with a more proactive approach by management to provide remedial training, coaching, counselling and developmental assignments, the Secretary-General continues. Continued underperformance should result in sanctions.
Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General's report on amendments to staff rules (document A/52/574), which proposed amendments to rules concerning staff in the 100 series (all staff except technical assistance project personnel and those engaged for limited duration) and the 200 series (all staff recruited for service with technical cooperation projects). If approved by the Assembly, the amendments would take effect as of 1 January 1998.
Among the proposed amendments for 100 series staff contained in the report is a change to special leave policy which would allow such leave to be taken, without pay, for up to two years, with guarantees for re-absorption, after the birth or adoption of a child. Another change would enable staff to use uncertified sick leave, up to a maximum of seven days a year, to attend to family-related emergencies.
For the 200 series, the amendments would include a change by which such staff would participate in the group life insurance scheme of the United Nations on the same basis as the 100 series staff. On medical care, the amendments would remove the Secretary-General's discretionary authority to establish conditions under which project personnel may not be reimbursed for medical expenses not covered in full by medical insurance.
For both categories of staff, the proposed amendments would enable maternity leave to be converted to paternity leave in dual career families, where both spouses work for the United Nations.
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An annex to the report contains the text of the proposed amendments.
Statements on Auditors' Reports
ISABELLE BEAUVAIS (Canada), also speaking for Australia and New Zealand, said the delegations she spoke for generally supported the recommendations of the Board of Auditors and would like the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to implement them.
The United Nations accounting standards should be followed consistently throughout the system, she said. She would like to hear the views of UNHCR officials on the matter during informal consultations. Once again, the Board had highlighted problems regarding the use of consultants. There were problems with the persistent and widespread lack of proper control over the engagement, use and evaluation of consultants. The UNHCR should indicate how it intended to address the deficiencies identified by the Board. Lack of preparation of work plans, including performance indicators, was among them. More information should be provided on the new operations management system to be implemented soon. The UNHCR should consider the high cost for programme delivery and administrative support.
On the UNITAR, she said she agreed with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) that the views of the Office of Legal Affairs should be sought to resolve disputed debts and charges between UNITAR and the United Nations.
HENRY HANSON-HALL (Ghana) said his delegation had noted that as of 30 June, financial reports on the UNHCR for a total of $442.6 million had not been received. Of the total, $213 million had been accounted for as programme expenditure for 1996, and $229.6 million for 1994 and 1995. Those reports should be provided quickly. His delegation shared the concern of the ACABQ and the Board on the non-assessment of capabilities of the UNHCR's implementing partners to carry out major projects, on delays in the submission of project monitoring reports, the practice of preparing work plans on selective basis and the failure of implementing partners to maintain UNHCR funds in separate accounts.
He welcomed the fact that the UNHCR was making audit certification mandatory for projects financed from voluntary funds for the period 1996-1998. All issues relating to audit certification of projects should be resolved. He expressed support for the Board's recommendation that the UNHCR review the programme delivery and administrative costs, and strengthen the preparation of work plans. Guidance should be provided on the preparation of terms of reference on the use of consultants and to ensure that an up-to-date central roster of consultants was maintained.
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He expressed disappointment that UNITAR had not fully implemented the recommendations made by the Board in its reports for 1993, 1994 and 1995. The UNITAR should draw and implement an appropriate strategy for dealing with the deficit in a number of special purpose grant funds. Regarding shortfalls in income over expenditure, he said he agreed with the Board of Auditors that there was a need to secure sufficient income to meet costs.
On the terms of the office of the members of the Board, he said he agreed with the Board that a six-year term would bring the period of appointment into alignment with the biennial accounting cycle of the Organization, and ensure a smooth pattern of rotation. That would also give the members of the Board time to become familiar with the audited organizations and make effective contributions.
AMJAD HUSSAIN B. SIAL (Pakistan) associated himself with the statement made for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China at a previous Committee meeting. In the context of the United Nations current financial crisis, caused by the non-payment of arrears, the recommendations of the Board of Auditors and other oversight bodies must be implemented as a priority. The Organization should devise rules for accountability in cases of losses related to mismanagement, as had been recommended by both the ACABQ and the Office of Internal Oversight Services. He looked forward to the Board's proposals to improve the implementation of its recommendations.
The report on UNITAR raised concerns about the lack of funds to secure the long-term future of the general fund, he said. The special purpose grants fund also had deficit balances. The Institute should consider the Board's observations on the need to secure sufficient income to meet the costs of its increased activities. It should ensure clearer linkages between its training activities and its objectives, as recommended by the Auditors. Since the differences between the United Nations Headquarters and UNITAR on certain outstanding charges had not yet been resolved, advice should be sought from the Organization's Office of Legal Affairs.
Pakistan attached great importance to the role of the UNHCR, he said. Among the issues identified by the Board for immediate attention was the UNHCR's deficiencies in programme planning, monitoring and evaluation; procurement planning and vendor selection; and irregularities in its use of consultants. In terms of the latter, it seemed to choose consultants based on personal contacts. Regarding procurement, the UNHCR must discontinue its trend to disproportionately award contracts to developed countries. It should broaden its supplier base and purchase goods from those developing countries where its activities were concentrated. Asset management should also be improved, with physical verification of assets undertaken as a matter of priority.
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The terms of office for the Board's members should be extended to four years, with the possibility of re-election for a second consecutive term only, he said. The terms would therefore align with the Organization's biennial accounting cycle. He hoped the negotiations on the draft resolution on strengthening external oversight mechanisms would be concluded soon.
ZHOU QIANGWU (China) associated himself with the statement made for the Group of 77 and China. He expressed concern about the delay in the submission of financial reports by UNHCR's implementing partners. The UNHCR had been unable to confirm how its implementing partners utilized funds. Its practice of recording cash advances as programme expenditure at the time the funds were advanced did not ensure accountability. Implementing partners should be screened with greater care.
The UNHCR's efforts to increase its procurement from developing countries had not yielded substantial results, he noted. The United Nations procurement practices should emphasize cost-effectiveness and wide geographical distribution. He endorsed the Board's recommendation that UNHCR programme delivery and administrative support costs should be reviewed and norms should be established. Its work plans and objectives should be clearly defined and quantified.
He expressed deep concern about human resources management. In some cases, the UNHCR had engaged consultants without establishing that the needed skills were not available in-house. Many consultants had been engaged for the same job repeatedly -- in one case, a consultant had been engaged for over 14 years. The consultants roster was seldom used in the selection process. The UNHCR must take more effective measures to ensure that the hiring of consultants was done on a broader and more competitive basis.
Turning to UNITAR, he said he was concerned about its shortage of funds. An agreement should be reached between UNITAR and United Nations Headquarters on outstanding charges. Such an agreement would enable UNITAR to conclude its restructuring exercise and raise more contributions. He concluded by commending the Board on the high quality of its reports.
Sir JOHN BOURN, Comptroller and Auditor General of the United Kingdom and Chairman of the United Nations Board of Auditors, welcomed the expressions of support he had received from the various Member States and groupings of States in the Committee, adding that the Board would improve both its work and the quality of its reporting. While pointing out the problems in the organizations it audited, the Board would explore whether there was scope for positive comments in its reports. He welcomed the statements of support from Member States to its suggestions that the UNHCR should ensure timely submission of audit certificates from implementing partners. That and a review of the present system of recording of expenditure by implementing
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partners would strengthen the UNHCR's accountability and the transparency of its financial statements.
Turning to UNITAR, he said he agreed with the ACABQ that the dispute over debts between UNITAR and the United Nations should be settled without further delay; the ACABQ had suggested that the views of the Office of Legal Affairs be sought. On the selection of implementing partners, he said the Board considered that there was a scope for improvement in all areas such as the choosing of such partners, monitoring of the delivery of activities and assessing pilot projects.
ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh), Committee Chairman, said the debate on the question of the reports of the Board of Auditors and audited financial statements would be closed, since there were no further statements to be made.
Statement on Common System
MOHSEN BEL HADJ AMOR, Chairman of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), introduced the report of the Commission. The ICSC had been engaged in a continuous process of self-examination and self-criticism, which led to improvements in the way it worked. Despite its efforts, the representatives of staff had proposed that the ICSC go beyond what was possible under its statute, and had been absent from the proceedings of the ICSC for some time.
At its spring 1997 session, he said, the ICSC -- at the request of the Coordinating Committee for International Staff Unions and Associations of the United Nations System (CCISUA) -- agreed to establish a working group on the consultative process and working arrangements. That group had been scheduled to meet in July. However, the Federation of International Civil Servants' Associations (FICSA) and the CCISUA called for a postponement which was subsequently agreed to by the ICSC. Preparations for the meeting, which had been rescheduled for mid-January 1998, were under way. A resumed dialogue depended on the goodwill of all concerned; as such, the ICSC would leave no stone unturned in its effort to resolve the present impasse.
Reviewing the recommendations and decisions contained in the ICSC report, he said the post adjustment index for Geneva needed very careful consideration by the Assembly as it had legal implications. On the General Service salary survey methods, the ICSC had adjusted its programme of salary surveys for headquarters duty stations, pending the Assembly's discussion on the application of the Flemming principle. The Assembly was being asked to note that the revised methodologies had an implementation date of 1 January 1998 and that the Commission and organizations would proceed in their respective survey programmes as from that date. [Note: Under the application
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of the Flemming principle, General Service conditions of employment are based on best prevailing local conditions.]
Continuing, he stated that the Commission's report contained information on the education grant methodology, standards of travel, performance management and appointments of limited duration.
The ICSC had not been consulted, either officially or unofficially on the United Nations reforms in general or on specific proposals, including those that advanced arguments for a re-examination of the ICSC's mandate, the Chairman said. In the present climate, no one could shy away from self-study and even self-criticism. Last year, in resolution 51/216, the Assembly had asked the ICSC to take the lead in analysing new approaches in the human resources management field, so as to respond to the specific needs of the various organizations. The ICSC had already taken the initiative in that regard through its work on performance management and appointments of limited duration. At the same time, it was clear that the strengthening of the staff could not be carried out by casting doubt among Member States as to the competence of the expert bodies that had direct responsibility for personnel matters.
He expressed his conviction that there were ways in which the ICSC could contribute to the reform process and it was ready to do so. The ICSC was reassessing the continued relevance of its earlier work in personnel policy, in a number of areas, producing an "updated, flexible human resources policy framework for the common system".
WALTER P. SCHERZER, President of FICSA, said the decision not to participate in the working group on the consultative process that was to have met last July was not the result of a sudden whim. Rather, it had been governed by two factors beyond the control of staff -- modalities and timing. The meeting had lacked an impartial facilitator, and the Federation had not been informed of that fact even five days before the meeting date. Such shortcomings had been among the root causes of the Federation's withdrawal from the Commission. If allowed to perpetuate, they would scarcely contribute to an improvement of the consultative process that the Federation had sought and still did.
Member States should not have chosen to have the ICSC represent them in a group set up to review the Commission's work, he said. Still, staff would attempt to improve the consultative process. He called for an effective and equitable consultative process. Staff had been denied an equal right to raise questions, advance proposals and negotiate outcomes. Provision had not been made for a truly equitable body whose technical competence and political impartiality were universally recognized. In cases of disputes, the sole recourse open to staff was litigation. Member States should appeal to all parties -- States, administrations and staff -- to study the consultative
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process anew and propose a more equitable system in keeping with modern administrative principles.
The new code of conduct, presently under consideration, implied that all members of the international civil service were capable of wrongdoing, he said. It violated the right of staff to associate. Staff must be accorded the right to freedom of action, expression and criticism. The code infringed on staff members' right to privacy and personal freedom. "The code could not be allowed to stand", he said. Further, the Noblemaire and Flemming principles must be upheld.
The Federation attached particular importance to extending security measures accorded to internationally recruited staff to locally recruited staff who were nationals of the host country, he said. Implementation of that proposal would eliminate a major inequality. The United Nations could not be seen as a two-class society, which stigmatized certain categories of staff.
ROSEMARIE WATERS, President of the CCISUA, said accountability and responsibility should emanate from Member States, as the staff's employers. Neither Professional nor General Service salaries were competitive. The latest revisions in the General Service salary, to take effect on 1 January 1998, eroded salaries in contravention of the Fleming principle. In addition, the comparator was not the highest paid civil service, and professional level salaries should be adjusted accordingly.
The CCISUA urged the Assembly to defer implementation of the revised salary survey methodology for General Service staff until after the January meeting of the working group on the consultative process of the ICSC, she said. The current post adjustment structure in Geneva should be maintained. The views of the staff must be an integral part of the Organization's reform process. However, departments had effectively eluded meaningful consultation on the reforms, in defiance of the Secretary-General. Departments had also manipulated posts, so that some staff members were switched from established posts to those funded by extrabudgetary sources, which then jeopardized their job security. She stressed the need for guidelines for management, including sanctions for abuse of delegated authority.
An inter-agency monitoring mechanism, with full staff participation, was urgently needed, in order to ensure transparency and fairness in the merger of various entities in the field, she said. The Organization's justice system was in serious trouble, and merited an independent review without delay. The staff-management consultative machinery had completed consideration of the proposed code of conduct. Consideration should be given to adding to the code, to ensure due process rights and that staff representatives enjoyed the freedom to carry out their mandates, even when their positions were not attractive to management.
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The Assembly had requested that staff-management be strengthened, and term limits be placed on staff representation, she said. While staff appreciated concern for their career development, the constant turnover of staff representatives would result in loss of institutional memory. The CCISUA appealed to Member States to repeal that limitation in order to allow staff unions their basic right to freedom of association.
Member States should improve the career development of all staff by monitoring the establishment of a career development system, she continued. Member States should limit their candidates to entry level and political level appointees. In light of the limited prospects for promotion within the international civil service, it was important that career positions be filled through promotion of internal career staff. The use of gratis personnel should be phased out, and P-2 and P-3 posts should be protected from abolition.
BERNARDINO HUGO SAGUIER CABALLERO (Paraguay), speaking for the Rio Group -- Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Honduras (for Central America) and Guyana (for the Caribbean) -- said there had been intergovernmental concern regarding the participation of the CCISUA and FICSA in the work of the ICSC. He expressed the hope that the meetings the two sides had scheduled for January or February would lead to the solutions they desired. He welcomed the information that data from the adjacent areas of France could be taken into account in determining the post adjustments for Geneva. An in-depth cost/benefit study of any modification to the post adjustments for Geneva was necessary in order to avoid the possibility of a split in the common system. The issue of travel and related expenses should continue to be considered.
The members of the Rio Group did not believe that it was necessary to state their views on the margin, the scale of maximum and minimum salaries or the assessments of personnel, he said. That was because they were the results of the application of the agreed method for comparing the common system with conditions in the relevant national public administration. The Group did not have observations on adjustments to the methods for determining the subsidy for education, either. Since the method seemed to be working satisfactorily, it would require minimum adjustments. The forum on new proposals in human resources management, as contained in the ICSC report, had been brought up to make the common system flexible. The ICSC suggestions on temporary appointments showed that flexibility could be achieved within the common system.
Statements on Human Resources Management
RAFIAH SALIM, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, introduced the Secretary-General's report proposing some amendments to the United Nations staff rules. The bulk of the proposed
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amendments would allow for the implementation of the family leave programme which had already been introduced to the Fifth Committee in a separate document (A/52/438) and was applicable to staff governed by the 100 series of the staff rules and, to some extent, some of those under the 200 series.
AHMED DARWISH (Egypt) said the Secretariat should provide information on the issue of some duplication between the Office of Human Resources Management and the executive offices of the various departments. He supported the performance appraisal system as a device meant to implement results-based staffing. The appraisal system would enable staff to exert their utmost and respond to the changing needs of the Organization. He welcomed some of the progress made in the implementation of the system and noted some of the obstacles encountered in the process. The family leave proposals would boost staff morale and improve performance.
While expressing support for some parts of the Secretary-General's report on leaves, he expressed reservations regarding some aspects of the granting of leave without pay under certain circumstances. Those who took lengthy leaves without pay should be made to undergo reorientation training to ensure that they were able to keep up with the changes that might have been introduced in the Organization in their absence. The safety of United Nations staff should be ensured, he said, expressing regret that some of them had been subjected to harsh conditions in some parts of the world. The immunities and privileges of United Nations staff should be respected by all to ensure their ability to do their work. The implementation of the principle of gender equality should not come at the expense of the Organization's ability to hire the best candidates available for positions.
M. PATRICIA DURRANT (Jamaica) said that in light of the present reforms, increased financial constraints and associated reductions in staff, the United Nations must implement measures to motivate staff to perform at maximum potential. She welcomed the Secretary-General's reports on human resources management. Undertaking a comprehensive human resources management strategy to improve performance, promote competence and strengthen motivation must be a long-term endeavour.
An objective performance appraisal system was an integral element of that strategy, she said. There was need for simplification of the system, in light of the feedback from those who had used it during its first year. Material and other recognitions of superior achievements were vital, but should not substitute for improved remuneration and general conditions of service. She welcomed the fact that resources for training and staff development had been increased in the proposed budget for the upcoming 1998-1999 biennium. Such training should be multi-disciplinary and embrace all staff, particularly junior professionals, who would replace the 4,500 staff members anticipated to retire over the next decade.
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Issues related to the security and safety of staff should not be ignored because of budgetary constraints, she said. She called for improved gender representation at all levels in the Secretariat. She reaffirmed Jamaica's support for members of the Secretariat, who served with distinction and competence.
PETER MADDENS (Belgium) spoke for the European Union and the following associated States: Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Cyprus and Norway. He said he attached great importance to the role of the Secretariat, and had therefore supported the Secretary-General's strategy to revitalize human resources management. The objectives and the related means identified by the Secretary-General had been designed to develop an international civil service that was qualified and mobile.
He said he supported the use of a system of awards for superior performance. While the performance appraisal system was being improved, the Secretary-General should introduce non-monetary awards. Proposals for establishing a system of awards linked with the appraisal system, should be presented to the Assembly at the earliest possible date, without waiting for the report on the system's implementation to be submitted at the fifty-third session. He called for a closer link between the performance appraisal system, training programmes and career development. There should be greater recruitment of younger staff through national competitive examinations, as part of the Organization's rejuvenation. It was essential to strengthen cooperation between examination and recruitment services. Delays in recruitment were unacceptable.
On the report on respect of the privileges and immunities of United Nations personnel, he said many of the Organization's staff worked in dangerous conditions. Violations of the rights of staff should be considered as attacks on the Organization itself. Those responsible for the death of staff members must be brought to justice. For the twelfth time since 1985, he called for the immediate release of Alec Collett, who had been taken in an act of terrorism. He expressed his unconditional support for the Secretary- General's efforts to guarantee the security of United Nations system personnel.
ZERIHUN RETTA (Ethiopia), referring to the Secretary-General's report on respect for the privileges and immunities of United Nations officials, which stated that three international civil servants had been detained in his country, said they were arrested for their alleged roles in the gross violations of human rights and genocide, known as "Red Terror". A major crime trial was begun in 1991 against the background of the war crime of genocide and gross human rights abuses that had been committed in Ethiopia for nearly two decades, following the 1974 military junta. The magnitude and complication of the crimes were so immense that investigations were not easy
Fifth Committee - 15 - Press Release GA/AB/3193 30th Meeting (AM) 17 November 1997
to complete in a few months or years. Thousands of witnesses had been heard and forensic scientists had studied numerous killing fields. The investigations had led to the biggest public trial since those at Nuremberg, which followed the end of the second world war. The three persons mentioned in the report and thousands of others were detained in accordance with the country's laws, pending trial. The three were Ethiopians and had been detained for acts they had allegedly committed, not in their capacity as international personnel but as individual citizens, for which no functional immunity could be extended.
As for those mentioned in Annex II of the Secretary-General's report, he said two had died in an air crash caused by terrorists, on 23 November 1996, in the Comoros. Expressing sympathy to their families, he said his country had taken measures to ensure compensation as the two had died aboard an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft.
AHMED FARID (Saudi Arabia) expressed support for the provision of funds and other resources for the training of staff, and welcomed the principle of financial incentives and of personal promotions for staff who performed functions beyond their grades. He was concerned about "backdoor" policies, including conversions of posts. The terms of reference of consultants should be properly defined and a list of them should be provided to Member States. He welcomed the use of the performance appraisal system.
PRAYONO ATIYANTO (Indonesia) said the feedback from the use of the appraisal system was helping in the Organization's streamlining. Dialogue between management and staff was essential on the matter. He was looking forward to a strengthening of the links between the system and the staff development plans of the Organization.
Ms. SALIM, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, said that all departments would soon be taking part in the performance appraisal system, on which all managers and staff in the major duty stations had been trained. Training had also been extended to field missions and other bodies. Other types of training had been made available. For example, a training video on the system had been prepared to train those in small offices, those who had missed the initial training programmes, or staff who had joined the system after training had been conducted.
While the system would be maintained for the long term, in the initial period priority was given to ensuring that it gained acceptance, she said. The Office of Human Resources Management had monitored compliance and sought feedback on its implementation. Offices and departments were asked to send suggestions to enhance the system; some of the feedback had been used to modify the appraisal forms, for instance. Some delays in the implementation of the appraisal system had been due to special financial measures introduced in 1995. Its implementation had also been affected by the ongoing restructuring and reorganization in the United Nations.
The family leave programme, she said, would be extended only in exceptional circumstances, when for instance, children were born handicapped. Staff returning from lengthy leave were helped with some reorientation.
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