Sixty-first General Assembly

Fifth Committee

14^th Meeting (AM)

SHORTENING RECRUITMENT TIME, STAFF MOBILITY, SIMPLIFYING CONTRACTS

AMONG ISSUES AS BUDGET COMMITTEE DEBATES MANAGEMENT REFORM

 

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning resumed its detailed examination of the Secretary-General’s proposals to improve the management of human resources within the Organization, including the initiatives related to shortening recruitment time, implementing managed mobility, simplifying contractual arrangements and ensuring equitable geographical representation and gender balance in the Secretariat.

The representative of New Zealand, also speaking on behalf of Australia and Canada, said merit was the bedrock principle guiding recruitment and staff development.  The barriers to accessing the unified and mobile pool of talent were self-imposed, and the Secretary-General could amend the staff-selection system to remove them, such as allowing General Service staff to apply for non-geographic posts.  She also saw merit in the envisaged recruitment centre, and said all measures to improve recruitment would benefit from specific and measurable benchmarks of progress.

She also saw the creation of a cadre of 2,500 career civilian peacekeepers as an important idea, but said it needed care in the areas of conditions of service and cost implications, as noted by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).  In that connection, she looked forward to the report of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) on harmonization of conditions of service, and wanted to carefully examine the costs and administration of improvements to the system.

However, the representatives of the Russian Federation and Japan questioned that proposal, which Russia believed had not been sufficiently justified in the Secretary-General’s reports.  From his point of view, the concept ran counter to today’s trends in human resources management and the need to ensure flexible and effective human resources management, taking account of the needs of the Organization.  One point was entirely clear, however: it was a very costly project, whose dividends were not quite clear to Member States, he said.

Since the proposal was being advanced together with the proposals on contractual arrangements and harmonization of conditions of service in the field, Japan’s representative wanted to know what it aimed to achieve for the staff members concerned.  He also wondered about the basis for the number 2,500.  It was necessary to evaluate the idea from a holistic perspective, taking into account the fact that current field missions were maintained by a combination of international and local staff.

Ghana’s representative agreed with the Secretary-General that the United Nations had evolved from a conference services delivery Organization into a field-oriented one.  With more staff now in the field than at Headquarters, it was necessary for that field staff, who often worked under difficult conditions, to be properly remunerated.  To that end, Ghana took note of the Secretary-General’s proposal to introduce one United Nations staff contract under one set of rules.  While agreeing it was a plausible recommendation, Ghana needed to know more about the implications, however, before it took a decision on such an important issue.

India’s representative welcomed the Secretary-General’s emphasis on strategic workforce planning to meet the emerging needs of the Organization, but called for a fair, transparent and rule-based selection process, based on equitable geographical representation, with due regard for gender balance.  Ensuring equitable geographical representation must not be cosmetic.  He welcomed the incoming Secretary-General’s assurances that he would work to address that problem, and was confident that his emphasis on merit would not become an impediment to equitable geographical distribution, which had contributed to his own election.

Nigeria’s representative, speaking on behalf of the African Group, stressed the need to ensure targeted recruitment so that African countries would not be underrepresented in the Secretariat, particularly as many African countries would lose staff members through attrition and retirement between now and 2010.  Africa remained largely underrepresented in senior positions and, while the African Group was in support of expedited recruitment, it should not be conducted at the expense of finding candidates from Africa and other developing countries, where access to the Internet was limited and unpredictable.  Suggestions to reduce the advertising time allotted to fill positions from 60 to 30 days could be counterproductive, in that regard.

The representative of China was among the speakers who warned that implementing managed mobility would give rise to other issues, including financial implications, policy adjustments and the necessary strengthening of the administration of justice.  In that connection, he suggested first carrying a pilot project on mobility at the level of senior management, so as to share inter-agency experience and enhance the leadership capacity of senior managers.

Regarding the proposal to eliminate qualification restrictions on the applications by General Service staff for junior Professional posts, he said that it should be evaluated from the perspective of optimizing both the overall quality and the age structure of the staff.  As of June 2006, 521 candidates on the national competitive examination roster were still waiting to be recruited.  The desire of those young talents to serve the United Nations should not be neglected.  The current average age of 45.9 years in the Secretariat was not conducive to future sustainability.  China believed that the current practice of G to P examinations should be maintained, and that the conditions were not yet there for eliminating qualification restrictions in that regard.

Also participating in the debate were representatives of Bangladesh, Croatia, Republic of Korea, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Algeria, Viet Nam, Malawi, Morocco, Iran and Angola.  The views of the New York Staff Union were presented by its President, Stephen Kisambira.

The Committee will hear a presentation on the financial situation of the United Nations at 10 a.m. Thursday, 2 November.

Background

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to conclude its debate on human resources management reform.  For background information, see Press Release GA/AB/3763 of 30 October.

Statements

STEPHEN KISAMBIRA, President of the New York Staff Union, said that the Union had prepared a report that provided the views of the Union, as well as specific proposals on numerous human resources issues.

Explaining the reason why the New York Staff Union had not attended the Staff Management Coordination Committee (SMCC) XXVII last June, he said that the decision to withdraw from those consultations had been made by staff at large in 2003.  The New York Union had identified 127 outstanding SMCC agreements that had not been implemented by the administration.  The new leadership of the Staff Union had assumed office on 1 June this year and had met with the Secretary-General on 7 June.  A request had been made for implementation of a very important outstanding agreement for the staff that had been addressed at SMCC in 2002.  That request had been rebuffed and the Union was left with no alternative but to retain its boycott of SMCC, as mandated by the staff at large.  Staff representatives at SMCC had been presented with finished products that left no room for negotiation.  It appeared that mere presence at the negotiation table was all that was required for the management to meet the obligation under the Staff Rules to consult with staff.   There was no accountability and, therefore, management implemented only those agreements that it wished.  The role of staff representatives was meaningless.  Clearly, the existing mechanisms and procedures for negotiations between staff and management were obsolete.

“We have heard many times that staff is the principal asset of the Organization,” he continued.  The Union took that assertion very seriously.  It considered that a comprehensive and genuine human resources management reform was of utmost importance to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the United Nations, so as to better meet the expectations of Member States and the entire international community.  Success rested, to a great extent, on the active support and participation of all stakeholders.  Unfortunately, the current climate, mindset and organizational culture of the Secretariat did not provide any constructive basis for achieving ambitious goals and priorities within the framework of the human resources management reform.  There were no credible mechanisms and instruments to enforce and strengthen accountability.

The New York Staff Union agreed with the findings of the Redesign Panel on the United Nations system of administration of justice that “a large part of the current management culture in the Organization exists because it is not underpinned by accountability” and that “accountability can be guaranteed only by an independent, professional and efficient internal justice system”.

On mobility, he said that the New York Staff Union welcomed the benefits that it represented for staff and the Organization.  But, he asked, was that being proposed for mobility’s sake, without any systematic framework that connected the mobility to career development, as well as the required skill sets of the Organization’s future needs?  He was concerned that there were no safeguards, in the absence of a justice system, to ensure that mobility was not used in a punitive manner.  There were also no safeguards for staff with family, medical or other work or life issues.  It was too early to impose a new system of mandatory mobility when the current system that would go into effect in May 2007 had not yet been evaluated.  The Union would await the forthcoming Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) report on mobility before it pronounced itself further on that issue.

Turning to contractual arrangements, he disagreed emphatically with other members of the Coordinating Committee for International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA) that giving up the permanent contract was an acceptable compromise.  The Union still considered the permanent contract vital to ensure the independence of the international civil service and was guided in that belief by the views of the former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, expressed in his definition of the international civil service before the Oxford Union in 1961.  Permanent appointments should be maintained in adequate numbers to form a core staff of international civil servants, whose independence and impartiality were assured and who were thus able to act in accordance with the Charter.  Career assurance was integral to ethics and meaningful discussions on how to better achieve the goals of the Organization.

The new staff selection and placement system had given authority to individual programme managers to select staff.  It had reduced the role of central review bodies.  The role of staff representatives was, thus, meaningless.  Since those reforms were aimed at creating a global integrated Secretariat, the decision to select a staff member for a post was too important to leave to one individual, particularly without effective accountability and a justice system.  The central review bodies now consisted only of management representatives.  The current staff selection and placement system needed to be looked at again.  On harmonization of conditions of staff, the Union still awaited the proposals of the working group on entitlements of internationally recruited staff serving in non-family duty stations.

While a number of reform proposals were positive, he said in conclusion, the reforms could not be successfully implemented unless there was a robust and independent internal justice system in place.  SMCC had recommended an extraordinary meeting be convened in early 2007 to submit joint comments on the Redesign Panel’s report on that matter.  That presented a dilemma, because not only did the Panel widely consult in accordance with the terms of reference given by the Assembly, but their report had since been fully endorsed by CCISUA and the Federation of International Civil Servants Associations (FICSA).

ROSEMARY BANKS (New Zealand), also on behalf of Australia and Canada (CANZ), welcomed the overall direction of human resource management reform proposals, and noted that the there was a strong need to nurture and make the best use of the United Nations’ investment in people, due to the increasing challenges it faced, especially in the field.  She particularly encouraged the Secretary-General to implement initiatives that required no further General Assembly involvement.

She said merit was the bedrock principle guiding recruitment and staff development, and she sought clarification on specific measures to strengthen that principle through tools that ensured consequences for good and bad performance.   The barriers to accessing the unified and mobile pool of talent were self-imposed, and the Secretary-General could amend the staff selection system to remove them, such as allowing General Service staff to apply for non-geographic posts.  She also saw merit in the envisaged recruitment centre, and said all measures to improve recruitment would benefit from specific and measurable benchmarks of progress.

She called the creation of a cadre of 2,500 career civilian positions in United Nations peace operations an important idea, but said it needed care in the areas of conditions of service and cost implications, as noted by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).  She looked forward to the report of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) on harmonization of conditions of service, and wanted to carefully examine the costs and administration of improvements to the system.  She supported the idea of streamlining contractual arrangements, especially the administration of contracts, and the move to continuing contracts.  She could not agree more with the Secretary-General and ACABQ’s position that training was needed for career and professional development.  She expressed CANZ’s commitment to equipping the Secretariat with high-quality, responsive and integrated needs-based information technology, and looked forward to ensuring that new information technology systems for human resources management would be compatible with wider such proposals for the United Nations.  Finally, she looked forward to considering the report of the Redesign Panel on Internal Justice.

NONYE UDO (Nigeria), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said the Group aligned its statement with that delivered by the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, and would continue giving its active support to the Secretary-General’s initiatives to transform the United Nations into a truly international civil service, of which all Member States would feel part owners.  The Organization’s staff was its biggest asset, and there should be no shortcuts in providing adequate training to help create a vibrant and dynamic workforce that could best implement the mandates of the Organization.  He commended the strides made in reforming human resources management, and said that part of achieving good results would depend on timely and regular updates on the implementation of all proposals made to the Assembly.

Given the comprehensive statement by the developing countries, the African Group had chosen to limit itself to comment on a few elements of the reports, she continued.  On recruitment, the Fifth Committee should hold programme managers accountable when they failed to meet set targets.  Many African countries would lose many staff members through attrition and retirement between now and 2010, and there was a need for targeted recruitment, so African countries were not underrepresented in the Secretariat.  Africa remained largely underrepresented in senior positions and, while the African Group was in support of expedited recruitment, it should not be conducted at the expense of finding candidates from Africa and other developing countries, where access to the Internet is limited and unpredictable.  Suggestions to reduce the advertising time allotted to fill positions from 60 to 30 days could be counterproductive, she stated.

The Group awaited further clarification on the parameters of the recommendation to create a dedicated unit that would assist programme managers in the selection and recruitment of staff.  Unmet gender targets also deserved attention.  The comments of the Management Performance Board on the issue of gender and geographical distribution were pertinent, particularly where they drew attention to the fact that most departments had not met the targets.  The Group was also concerned about the high vacancy rates in United Nations offices in Africa, and she suggested that appropriate incentives and allowances should be introduced.  The African Group would seek proper consideration of the concerns mentioned by the Group of 77 in informal consultations, including the treatment of senior posts reserved for some Member States, the function of the central review bodies, the harmonization of contracts and the proposal that 2,500 civilian posts be designated career posts for peacekeeping positions.

LIU ZHENMIN (China) associated himself with the position of the Group of 77 and said that he was concerned that the proportion of nationals of developing countries in posts at the senior and policy-making levels continued to decline, and that there remained an overall imbalance in the distribution of staff from developing countries among various departments of the Secretariat.  In the coming five years, 1,759 staff members would retire, of whom 8.6 per cent were at or above D-1 level.  That presented a rare opportunity to improve the geographical representation of developing countries in senior-level posts.  He called on the Secretariat to undertake careful planning and take effective measures to implement resolution 57/305, thus ensuring equitable representation of developing countries in posts at senior and policy-making levels.

He noted with regret that, in the past year, 22.4 per cent of recruitments under the system of desirable ranges had been from over-represented States.  Recruitment from national competitive examination rosters had been going slowly, with many candidates remaining on the roster for many years.  The Office of Human Resources Management must enhance transparency in recruitment and in allocation of posts subject to geographical distribution, monitor the actual recruitment situation and keep Member States informed.

He welcomed the “fast-track” project initiated for under- and unrepresented countries.  In view of such elements as attrition and reform in the scale of assessments, he proposed that the “fast-track” project also cover those Member States that were already below the midpoint in terms of their representation and were likely to fall into the category of underrepresented in the future.  A special roster of internal and external candidates from such countries should be established.  He expected the Management Performance Board to play a substantive role in performance review, by formulating clear, transparent and feasible policies and rules, and by monitoring the implementation by various departments of the principles of equitable geographical distribution and gender balance.

The objective of the proposal to shorten the recruitment process was to cut the present recruitment time of 174 days by half, he continued.  For candidates from countries with relatively underdeveloped information technology systems and from regions that were lagging behind in that regard, the cut in advertising time would obviously make it difficult to participate in the competition.  That was, therefore, unfair to them.  In the absence of well-defined improvement goals in other links of the recruitment chain, the cut in advertising time alone would not significantly shorten the process.  Instead, it might well deprive some qualified candidates of opportunities.  Thus, he was not in favour of shorting the advertising time.  Other measures should be taken to speed up the processing of applications; for example, formulating a multifaceted recruitment strategy and starting the vacancy filing process well in advance.

On contracts, he said that, since the proposal to replace the existing three categories of contracts with a single category would have a direct bearing on the common system, ICSC should consider the matter first.  Implementing managed mobility, particularly on the cross-regional level, would give rise to new issues, such as financial implications, policy adjustments and necessary strengthening of the administration of justice.  The issue should also be studied by ICSC before any decision was made.  A pilot project on mobility could be first carried out at the level of senior management, so as to share inter-agency experience and enhance the leadership capacity of senior managers.

Regarding the proposal to eliminate qualification restrictions on the applications by staff in General Service and related categories for junior professional posts, he said that it should be evaluated from the perspective of optimizing both the overall quality and the age structure of the staff.  As of June 2006, there were still 521 candidates on the national competitive examination roster waiting to be recruited.  The desire of those young talents to serve the United Nations should not be neglected.  The current average age of 45.9 years in the Secretariat was not conducive to future sustainability.  China believed that the current practice of G to P examinations should be maintained, and that the conditions were not there yet for eliminating qualification restrictions in that regard.  His country also wanted transparency in the implementation of staff buyout and was concerned about its financial implications.

China paid great attention to the benefits offered to peacekeeping staff, he added.  As ICSC had proposed to set up a working group to re-examine the issue of harmonizing the conditions of service in conjunction with contractual arrangements, he suggested that the issue be taken up under the common system item.  As for the proposal to establish 2,500 permanent civilian peacekeeping posts, his delegation needed to learn more about the relationship between that proposal and other human resource reform measures.  It was also necessary to consider the financial implications of the proposal and whether it would lead to new problems of inequality, due to difference of treatment given to the permanent team and other peacekeeping staff.

NANA EFFAH-APENTENG ( Ghana) said the Secretary-General’s relevant report had rightly identified the need to align the Organization’s human resource capacity with its mission structures and culture.  It also rightly called for significant investment in the United Nations most important resource -- its people.  Ghana was, therefore, pleased to note the Office of Human Resources Management’s commitment to strengthening its efforts to create a highly motivated workforce that would be better able to meet the Organization’s increasingly complex and interrelated mandates in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

He also agreed that the United Nations had evolved from a conference services delivery Organization into a field-oriented one.  With more staff now in the field than at Headquarters, it was necessary for that field staff, who often worked under difficult conditions, to be properly remunerated.  To that end, Ghana took note of the Secretary-General’s proposal to introduce one United Nations staff contract under one set of rules.  While agreeing it was a plausible recommendation, Ghana also needed to know more about the implications before it took a decision on such an important issue.

On another matter, his delegation believed that the Secretary-General’s progress towards meeting staffing targets for under- or unrepresented Member States had regressed, and he hoped that further efforts would be made to facilitate better representation of those groups.  Ghana would, likewise, urge improvement in the recruitment levels of women from developing countries.  He went on to say that, while Ghana recognized that the Galaxy e-staffing system was an important human resource management tool, it would be important to know how that mechanism had contributed to improving recruitment of competent staff.  On staff mobility, he said Ghana valued the Secretary-General’s proposal that horizontal and vertical mobility must be part of a comprehensive career development system.

MUHAMMAD MUHITH ( Bangladesh) said the United Nations had undergone dramatic expansion in a wide range of fields, ranging from human rights to development.  The magnitude and complexity of such activities required a versatile, multi-skilled international civil service built on professionalism, integrity, accountability and transparency.  The Organization required a modern and efficient human resources system that was fully capable of coping with growing challenges.  Effective human resources management reform could only happen with the support of a robust administration of justice system.  He looked forward to discussing, among other things, the review of the internal justice system in light of the guidance outlined in resolution 59/283.  Resolution 59/266 requested the Secretary-General to enhance managerial accountability with respect to human resources management decisions, including imposing sanctions in cases of demonstrated mismanagement of staff and wilful neglect of, or disregard for, established rules of procedure, while safeguarding the due process of all staff members, including managers.

Regarding the issue of geographical distribution, he noted with deep concern that the situation, despite repeated calls to ensure equitable geographical distribution, had actually worsened.  Between 2002 and 2006, only 6 appointments had been made from unrepresented countries and 114 from underrepresented countries, while 196 recruitments had been made from the over-represented Member States.  In the last year, 39 staff members had been selected from already over-represented countries.  The current situation presented a bleak picture of laxity in implementing vital Assembly directives.  As geographical distribution was one of 10 key areas of human resources management, he wanted to know what actions had been taken for the wilful negligence on the issue.

Turning to recruitment at the higher levels, he noted that resolutions 41/206 A, 53/221, 55/258 and 59/266 called for measures to ensure equitable representation of Member States, in particular developing countries, at the senior and policy-making levels.  In that connection, he wanted to know whether the provisions of those resolutions had been complied with regarding senior and policy-making level appointments.  Taking note of the rationale behind the proposals on reforming the Field Service category, he said the proposals with regard to a framework of 2,500 career civilian positions in United Nations peace operations merited serious consideration.  Given the invaluable experience and commitment of the troop-contributing countries in the field of peace operations, priority should be given to manning the Field Service with personnel from those countries.

JASMINKA DINIĆ ( Croatia) said that her Government fully supported the Secretary-General’s reform efforts.  The ability to retain and acquire highly qualified United Nations staff was of the utmost importance, in particular when more than half the staff was serving in field locations.  All staff deserved to live and work in equal conditions.  National competitive examinations were the best method for recruiting young, qualified people at the entrance level.  The United Nations should work harder on creating methods to attract, rather than discourage, such candidates.  The reality was that the recruitment process was still slow. 

She said all Member States should be represented in the Secretariat.  Equitable geographical and gender distribution, as well as the quality of candidates, all represented crucial, complementary elements that must be considered in the recruitment, placement and promotion of staff.  Much more needed to be done regarding gender distribution within the Secretariat, in particular at the professional and higher level positions.  More women were needed at higher levels across the United Nations, not only because they would fulfil gender balance requirements, but because they were qualified.

She said that, although the overall representation of women in Professional posts assigned to peace support operations had risen in the last two years, women’s representation was only 10 per cent at the D-1 level and above.  So far, very few women had performed as Secretary-General’s Envoys or Special Representatives.  The responsibility lay not only with the Secretariat, but with the Member States, who should present more qualified candidates for senior posts.  The Secretariat must also improve the environment, so that the representation of women at higher levels would be feasible.

A. VIJAYARAGHAVAN (India) said that he disagreed with ACABQ’s observation on the blurring of lines between the policy-setting role of the General Assembly and the administrative responsibilities of the Secretary-General due to the latter’s solicitation of support for his administrative initiatives.   Those moves would promote greater understanding and support among Member States, improving the chance of success for such policies.  He reiterated that the highest level of accountability must be demanded within the Organization at senior management levels, and said it was logical to have an operative system of incentives and sanctions, as well as a reformed internal justice system.  He expressed concern over the establishment of an internal United Nations Oversight Committee comprising three senior officials, in contravention to Member States’ demand that it be external to the Secretariat and report directly to the General Assembly.

He welcomed the Secretary-General’s emphasis on strategic workforce planning to meet the emerging needs of the Organization, but called for a fair, transparent and rule-based selection process in the United Nations, based on equitable geographical representation, with due regard for gender balance.  He said ensuring equitable geographical representation must not be cosmetic.  He noted that developing countries only occupied 40 per cent of the senior and policy-making level posts subject to geographical distribution.  He called the mathematical formula for appointing high-level staff inane, and said it gave greater weight to the budget-contribution factor of Member States, which went against the principle of “capacity to pay”.  He also called the gender balance of the Secretariat dismal, and highlighted the presence of a large number of outstanding women candidates from developing countries who would excel in whatever responsibilities were given to them.

He welcomed the incoming Secretary-General’s assurances that he would work to address that problem, and was confident that the next Secretary-General’s emphasis on merit would not become an impediment to equitable geographical distribution, which had contributed to his own election.

He endorsed the use of rosters of pre-screened candidates as the primary instrument of recruitment, placement and promotion, and called for strict monitoring of central review bodies whose functioning had been questioned by the Staff Union.  He looked forward to constructive discussions of the establishment of a recruitment and staffing centre; mobility; contractual arrangements; harmonization of conditions of services; and staff buyout.  He agreed with ACABQ that it was essential to complete a comprehensive analysis of the administrative requirements and financial implications of the proposal to establish 2,500 career civilian posts in peace operations.  When such a proposal was approved by the General Assembly, some preference in recruitment should be given to candidates from troop-contributing countries who had recurrently demonstrated their commitment to United Nations peace missions, he said.

SUL KYUNG-HOON ( Republic of Korea) endorsed the Secretary-General’s vision of a workforce that was integrated, field-oriented, global, multi-skilled and versatile.  He agreed that the Secretary-General should use his existing authority to carry out the mandates set by the General Assembly according to the means best suited to each task, and that the General Assembly should set mandates and hold the Secretary-General accountable for their execution as the chief administrative officer.  He concurred with ACABQ on the need for clear lines of authority, with all Secretariat staff members aware of their responsibilities, goals and benchmarks for implementing approved programmes of work.  That required the Secretariat’s creation of an appropriate performance appraisal system with meaningful incentives and sanctions.  He believed that improvement of staff morale with reforms was a linchpin of effective performance.

He shared the view that the current recruitment process was too slow and not proactive.  He was encouraged by the emphasis on strategic workforce planning, which he hoped would enable the attraction and retention of a world-class staff.  For such planning to be meaningful, it must be reflected in a relatively rapid recruitment and placement process, so that staffing needs were met while they were relevant.  The long decision times for placement were caused by managers, and that was unacceptable.  He attached great importance to geographic and gender balance, and said the Office of Human Resources Management should play a more proactive role in monitoring and addressing the related mandates from the General Assembly.

He welcomed the success of the management reassignment programme for P-2 staff, and supported development of a meaningful system of incentives for mobility.  But, he shared ACABQ’s concerns over the administrative and management implications of greater staff mobility, and agreed on the need to report on productivity and financial projections for future phases.  He supported training as a crucial element of staff development, but noted that ACABQ had said it was premature to approve significant additional funds prior to receiving the analysis of the priorities, results and timetables for career development, and existing unspent balances needed to be accounted for by the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management.  Also, there was an urgent need to improve human resources information technology.

Finally, he said that a truly integrated, field-oriented workforce required simplified and streamlined contractual arrangements for fair treatment of staff.  He sought details of the proposed contract, including the financial implications beyond 2007, and added that it needed to be discussed in the context of conditions of service, particularly next March in conjunction with the report of the ICSC working group on compensation packages for internationally recruited staff serving at non-family duty stations.  He said a clear methodology was needed for the apportionment of costs related to creation of 2,500 career civilian positions in United Nations peace operations, as well as clarification of the mix of skills required, the expected grade distribution, the selection process, application of staff mobility measures and the management of the expanded capacity.

SULEIMAN KAMKUM ( Libya) supported the position of the Group of 77 and supported human resources management reform, particularly the importance of fair geographical representation within the United Nations.  Some departments had failed to take that into account.  A number of Member States were un- or underrepresented in posts subject to equitable geographical distribution, and Libya was among those countries.  That was a cause for concern, particularly in view of the fact that the country’s contribution to the Organization had significantly grown in recent years.

The procedures for selection and recruitment of staff should guarantee the independent nature of the international civil service, but the current recruitment system did not guarantee transparency and accountability, he continued.  Therefore, it needed to be reformed.  He understood that human resources management reform required, among other things, a global and fair recruitment system and greater equity in geographical distribution.  The Office of Human Resources Management needed to take measures to improve representation of under- or unrepresented Member States to ensure that all States fell within the desirable range.  Special arrangements were needed in that regard, including national competitive examinations.

ABDULFATAH AHMED SALEH EMAM ( Saudi Arabia) said he was disappointed with the failure to realize fair and equitable geographical distribution within the Secretariat, and noted the increase in recent years of under- and unrepresented countries.  He noted that Saudi Arabia had worked to provide candidates for jobs from among its subjects, but had only placed its people in five posts, despite its tireless efforts and the fact that its subjects were highly qualified.  He said that issue must be given the seriousness it deserved, so that fairness and equality among States could be realized.  He supported continued maintenance of the roster to improve geographic distribution, and did not favour shortening the advertisement of vacancies from 60 to 30 days, as that might harm candidates from developing States.

He stressed the importance of training in human resources management, which must be mandatory and accessible for all staff, including senior management.  He said staff mobility must be voluntary and not coercive.  But, should it be necessary to implement in an obligatory manner, it should apply to all staff members and provide incentives in accordance with rules that guarantee justice and equality.  He believed that proposals for new contractual arrangements needed further discussion to assess the resulting financial requirements.  He hoped that a new system would lead to a decrease in turnover rates related to peacekeeping and attract better candidates.  He said any buyouts must be consensual, fair and transparent, and pursued only when termination was in the interest of the Organization.  He added that all management and staff must be accountable, and that sanctions should be imposed on those who were in breach of financial rules and regulations.

Finally, he agreed with ACABQ that large rosters of candidates had become difficult to manage, and called on the Secretary-General to set forth a policy for managing the rosters and put an end to any abuses, such as appointments without vacancy announcements.  He welcomed the new Enterprise Resource Planning system, after studying the financial implications.  It gave the Organization the means to improve effectiveness, transparency and accountability, although he was concerned that it did not address all shortcomings.  He was also concerned that the information and communication technology dimension was not reflected properly in such a system.

MOHAMMAD TAL ( Jordan) associated himself with the position of the Group of 77.  He said that it would not be easy to achieve a delicate balance among recruitment and retention of staff of the highest calibre, meeting the gender and geographic representation goals, offering a competitive pay and benefits packages, consolidating the highest standards of accountability, and transparency and ethics conduct at all levels.  Such a task could not be accomplished with a quick-fix approach.  It was essential to follow a methodical, gradual and well-thought approach in order to reform management of human resources beyond declarations of good intentions.

His delegation appreciated the efforts by the Office of Human Resources Management to streamline the rules and procedures, better utilize available information technology systems, improve the utilization of action plans to enhance accountability and transparency, expedite recruitment and enhance the retention rate of staff.  Such steps were the foundation of a sustainable and successful management of human resources.  Numerous proposals before the Committee were rather complex, and their implementation, if not properly done, could come at the expense of achievements in other areas.  Some areas of concern included expedited or targeted recruitment versus gender and geography goals; mobility versus preserving expertise and institutional memory; and unifying contractual arrangements versus ensuring the ability of the Organization to recruit in an expedited manner.  He hoped there would be complementarity –- and not a contradiction -- of interests in the implementation of the decisions, once they were adopted by the Assembly.

He also warned against losing sight of long-term goals.  Such elements of the reform as improvements in contractual arrangements, the mobility policy, geographic and gender representation and staff buyouts were tools and means to enhance performance, improve efficiency, better utilize financial resources and consolidate a new culture of accountability.  While a change in the culture was a must to successfully implement the reform proposals, change would take time.  It would also require constant communication among all stakeholders.  The need to change the culture was not limited to staff, but also extended to management, oversight bodies and even to how Member States defined the role of the Organization and the evolving role they wanted to play in achieving its future goals or setting future policy guidelines.

As was the cause with all reform proposals, resistance to change could be expected, he continued.  Perseverance was a virtue in that respect, and the only priority should be to ensure that, in adopting some of the proposed reforms, Member States not only reached consensus on a piece of paper, but made giant leaps in improving the overall management of human resources in the United Nations.  In conclusion, he noted that none of the reports before the Committee alluded to the employment of people with special needs.  That was an issue of paramount importance to his delegation, and he would appreciate further information in that regard.

ABDELATIF DEBABECHE ( Algeria) said human resources management was a sensitive subject, especially since cultural issues must also be considered.  Proposals made for mobility of staff in the field continued to be symptomatic of the Secretariat’s lag in drawing on the existing pool of experience.  He was concerned that, when proposals from the Secretariat had been drafted, they had not involved ICSC.  That body’s mandate should no longer be limited to revising remuneration, as it could help devise reforms for the international civil service that helped attract the best available staff.  Currently, the staff was managed by an array of texts that were fragmented and not user-friendly.  He welcomed the long-awaited revision of certain contracts, with the hope that it could end major distortions of salary, although the proposal of using continuing contracts to replace permanent contracting required clarification.

He said the reduction of the advertising period to permit emergency recruiting and the establishment of a targeted waiting list were proactive, but transparency was required, as well as attention to equitable geographical distribution, to ensure that the best individuals were recruited and that subjective elements were not taken into account.  Also, remedies needed to be available if some candidates felt their rights were not upheld.  At the same time, it was difficult to agree to the reduction of advertising time to one month, as it punished candidates from developing countries where information and communication technology was not available.  People must be informed that they were on the rosters and he needed more details, as no information had been provided on maintenance of the waiting lists and rosters.

He raised a point that also came up during the discussion on procurement about the need to rotate staff, and called it the central question that reform must deal with, or the changes would be only cosmetic.  Discussing the recruitment of senior staff, he pointed to the case of the hiring of the Chef de Cabinet, which the Secretariat had said evasively was within the purview of the Secretary-General, although no document demonstrated that argument.  He said that vacancies at all levels must be made public in the future and that the General Assembly must be involved in the appointment process, although the Secretary-General had leeway to appoint advisers to special political missions.  He also said that no post could be occupied exclusively under the purview of one Member State or a group of States, including at senior levels.  He said that, technically, geographical equitability was not hard to implement and that the General Assembly must thoroughly consider a structure to hold officials responsible, and consider temporary measures to respond to serious failures.

He sought to know more about the varying salaries given to different civil servants in the United Nations, and was concerned that some practices punished developing countries twice.  He added that no reform was possible without dialogue between management and staff.  He was satisfied with the staff unions’ initial involvement in the discussions, but said the later absence of representatives from New York mitigated the earlier approach.  He welcomed the protection of whistleblowers, despite the limited resources available to the Ombudsperson, and believed those themes should be returned to when the administration of justice was taken up.

VUONG DINH VAN ( Viet Nam), associating his statement with that of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, expressed appreciation for the modest reforms so far achieved in the United Nations and looked forward to system-wide coherence.  Reform was imperative, but in the area of human resource management it must be conducted in a way that allowed staff to meet the highest standards.

He said that working conditions for staff must be improved, with more training opportunities available, and mobility must be applied equitably, without affecting operations negatively.  In addition, developing countries must be equitably represented; right now his country was filling only four of the eight posts to which it was entitled.  To remedy that situation, recruitment procedures must be further simplified and national officers should be given more opportunities to work at Headquarters and other duty stations.

ROSELYN MAKHUMULA ( Malawi) aligned her delegation’s position with that of the Group of 77 and the African Group and said that her country applauded the Secretary-General’s comprehensive reform programme, which was aimed at producing a productive, flexible and results-oriented Organization.  She supported the adoption of the career development and support policy, as outlined by the Secretary-General.  She hoped that much-needed resources would be provided for that critical investment.

She said she also noted the achievements in recruitment, placement and promotion of staff.  However, she was concerned that, to date, the targets of equitable geographical distribution and gender balance remained elusive.  Malawi urged that the agreed benchmarks in that regard be met.

On mobility, she said that, while her delegation appreciated that the policy would lead to the development of a more integrated approach to the work of the United Nations, mobility should not be performed at the expense of institutional memory.  The Secretariat should actively develop knowledge management practices that would ensure continuity, quality of service and institutional memory.  Her delegation supported the need to address existing inequalities through the adoption of the three types of appointments, including short-term, fixed-term and continuing.  The merits and shortcomings of pursuing such a system needed to be seriously considered by Member States before action was taken, however, to avoid creating further inequalities.

ANDREY V. KOVALENKO ( Russian Federation) said that the Secretary-General’s proposals required thorough analysis by Member States.  The gist of those proposals related to further development and strengthening of career development within the United Nations and, furthermore -– and that was the new element -– applying it to peacekeeping operations, as well.  Was that approach warranted?  Was it to the detriment of attracting fresh blood?  Was that the best approach from the standpoint of costs, and was it in keeping with today’s realities and the nature of the Organization?  He did not see a serious analysis of those issues in the Secretary-General’s reports.

His delegation had serious misgivings concerning the justification of such a categorical choice of strengthening the career nature of service within the Organization, he said.  From his point of view, that ran counter to today’s trends in human resources management and the concept of ensuring flexible and effective human resources management, taking account of the needs of the Organization.  In particular, that applied to peacekeeping operations.  One thing was entirely clear, however: it was a very costly project, whose dividends were not quite clear to Member States.  In taking a decision on creating a core of career peacekeeping personnel, it was necessary to take into account the study of ICSC on the harmonization of conditions of service in the field with those within the funds and programmes of the United Nations.

He seriously feared that introduction of mandatory and essentially haphazard mobility, including moving among professional categories, and the lack of a clear vision of the very concept of mobility within the Secretariat would hamper the effectiveness of the Organization and lead to unwarranted and high costs.   At the same time, he supported the need to consider the readiness to move as one of contractual conditions for staff.  He also supported the Secretary-General’s right to move personnel, depending on the needs of the United Nations.

While he saw some logic in the Secretary-General’s proposal to lift restrictions on moving among categories of staff, as well as restrictions on moving General Service staff from Headquarters to the field, he did not fully agree with that logic.  On the one hand, it would lead to unjustified filling of international posts by staff recruited locally at Headquarters.  On the other, it would also lead to significant additional costs.  It was also necessary to thoroughly analyse the new system of recruitment that had been introduced in 2002.  That system did not fully contribute to ensuring an influx of fresh blood to the Organization.  His delegation proposed undertaking a review of the functioning of the new system, based on its almost five-year application.

He also had difficulty in seeing the proposal to tighten the application of geographical quotas as a reform proposal, he continued.  The Secretariat seemed to be forgetting that it was talking about a system of “desired” quotas in that case, which were already being applied.  While supporting, on the whole, the proposal on streamlining the contractual arrangements, he wanted to receive assurances that new continuing contracts would not be transformed into semi-permanent ones, which would displace fixed-term contracts –- the best tool for staff management.

JIRO KODERA ( Japan) said that good human resources management formed the foundation of any organization.  It was true that, as pointed out by the Secretary-General, in the context of changing mandates and needs, the current human resources management system was being challenged.  But, given all the difficulties that had to be addressed, it was also true that, on the whole, the current system had worked well, with modifications being made as needed along the way.  The functions of the current system needed to be carefully reviewed before deciding on the action to be taken on the Secretary-General’s proposals.  Also, while appreciating the tremendous efforts made by the Secretariat to consult with staff representatives and staff at large in formulating the proposals, he was deeply concerned that the New York Staff Union had not participated in the deliberations.  He hoped that the discussions between that staff group and management would commence and work would begin towards a constructive outcome.

On speeding up the recruitment process, he said that his delegation would like further clarification on how the pre-screened roster would match the specific posts in terms of competency and qualifications.  The eligibility requirements set out in the current staff selection system had had its own substantive function.  His delegation would have strong concerns if it was the intention of the Secretary-General to remove the geographic status, which had contributed to the improvement of geographical representation as one of the important elements of staff selection.

That concern would be deepened by the proposal on contractual arrangements, he continued.  That proposal had been presented, no doubt, with a view to making the contractual structure less complicated, but he believed the simplification was not meant to eliminate an important part of the recruitment system.  He was not certain how the methodology of current desirable ranges would be applied under the proposed “one United Nations staff contract under one set of Staff Rules”.  The effect of the proposal also entailed improvements in the conditions of service of international staff in the field, but the idea of the 2005 report of ICSC had not been based on the “one United Nations staff contract under one set of Staff Rules”.  As the current proposal on contractual arrangements was new, it needed to be scrutinized to ensure an appropriate balance with respect to the remuneration among the common system entities.

Harmonization of conditions of service in the field required further analysis and clarification before any conclusion could be reached, he continued.  It was necessary to wait for the ICSC report next spring before that important issue could be addressed.  On the proposal to form a framework of 2,500 career civilian positions in United Nations peacekeeping, he said that the necessity of the concept was not immediately apparent to his delegation.  Since the proposal was being advanced together with the proposals on contractual arrangements and harmonization of conditions of service in the field, he would like to know what it aimed to achieve for the staff members concerned.  He also wondered about the basis for the number 2,500.  It was necessary to evaluate the idea from a holistic perspective, taking into account the fact that current field missions were maintained by a combination of international and local staff.

Turning to un- and underrepresentation of Member States, he said that the measures to improve the situation so far had been unsatisfactory.  The managers in the Secretariat needed to have a common standpoint and strong determination to achieve geographic targets, while the Office of Human Resources Management needed to play a stronger role in ensuring that decisions on recruitment and promotion were made with geographical distribution in mind.  He welcomed the proposal to mainstream the fast-track recruitment procedure and strengthen the authority of the Office of Human Resources Management in that regard.  Mobility and career development were related.  The prospect of a substantial percentage of international staff reaching the retirement age in the next few years should hasten the formulation and execution of a policy to enhance organizational management.  However, the idea of investing heavily in career development was a dramatic policy shift.  Mobility and career development, without a doubt, should be coordinated.  The targets and work plans should be clearly defined and preparations should be organized in advance to avoid any confusion and problems.

NORDINE SADOUK ( Morocco) said the operational activities of the United Nations had expanded in a spectacular fashion, but the human resources management system was not in step with those demands.  He said recruitment was too complex, procedures needed to be simplified and there was a need for an increase in transparency both internally and externally.  He said that expanded training in the areas of ethics, accountability and transparency was required.  He supported mobility between Headquarters and the field, but added that it must be voluntary and not arbitrary, and applicable to the whole of the staff.  He added that there should be incentives for mobility, whether financial or for promotion to a more senior post.

He said the rate of recruitment from developing countries was not sufficient within the overall architecture of the United Nations system, and called for further measures to be taken to broaden equitable distribution.  He was concerned with the absence of gender parity at higher levels, and called for steps to enable women from developing countries to be represented.  No reform could be sufficiently carried out unless the conditions for success were in place, it was very useful to lay emphasis on enhancing accountability of the Organization and its mechanisms, he said.

JAVAD SAFAEI ( Iran) supported the position of the Group of 77 and said that he also supported the efforts of the Secretary-General to prepare the Organization for the challenges ahead.  The reform process was, indeed, a unique opportunity for the Secretary-General to respond to the requests of Member States for a dynamic, balanced and rejuvenated Secretariat, and to genuinely improve the quality and international character of the United Nations.  He wanted to add his voice to those numerous delegations who had expressed their serious concern over the persistent failure of the Organization to attain geographical and gender balance in the Secretariat, especially at senior levels.  In that regard, he noted the proposal to establish a dedicated unit, within the Office of Human Resources Management, to oversee and eventually help the recruitment process to get onto the right track.  One of the prerequisites for such action would be accountability of the new unit vis-à-vis Member States, through the General Assembly.  Designing a consultative process between the unit and Member States, on a regular basis, could improve transparency and accountability in recruitment.

On the shortening of the recruitment process, he agreed with the argument of the Secretary-General that the present time of 174 days was too long and could be shortened considerably.  At the same time, he believed that the reduction in advertising time would systematically prevent competent and interested candidates from developing countries from participation on an equal footing, due to some practical impediments they faced.  Time could be saved through improved coordination and planning among departments and in other phases of the recruitment process.

While welcoming the mobility programme as an appropriate approach to transferring the experience and skills to new staff, he also emphasized the principle that mobility should be applied to all staff, at all levels and with no discrimination.  The three elements that were needed and requested by Member States at all phases and in all aspects of the human resources management reform were transparency, clear-cut lines of responsibility and accountability.

ELSA CRISTINA DE JESUS PATACA ( Angola) expressed appreciation for the introduction of a new human resources framework that held managers and staff accountable to the principles of merit-based recruitment and career development, compliance with geographical distribution and gender balance mandates, and ethical standards.  She agreed that recruitment and the selection process needed to be monitored, and that candidates on the roster should not experience long delays when posts were already identified.  She believed the Galaxy system did not have the features to effectively handle the large volume of applicants.

She said that the problem of unrepresented and underrepresented countries persisted, and measures needed to be taken to prevent preferential treatment of candidates.  She envisaged more opportunity for un- and underrepresented countries from 2006 through 2009, considering the foreseen retirement rates.  She said that, because of the difficulties of some developing countries regarding technology and timely circulation of information, she opposed reducing advertising time, as longer advertising improved recruitment.

She favoured the Secretary-General’s proposal to develop a gender mainstreaming programme at all levels, including middle-management, as well as proposals aimed at promoting gender sensitivity, diversity awareness, and cross-cultural sensitivity among the general service staff.  She was concerned that clear guidelines to hold programme managers accountable for failures had not been implemented, and said those were critical before more authority could be delegated to that level.

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For information media • not an official record