As Budget Committee Considers Human Resources Management Reports, Concerns Aired over Recruitment, Staff Mobility, Performance Evaluation
As part of the ongoing efforts to overhaul the management of the Organization’s global staff and produce a more efficient workforce, delegates of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today tackled a wide range of thorny issues from mobility to recruitment to performance management.
Yukio Takasu, Under-Secretary-General for Management, presented the Secretary-General’s reports on human resources and management issues as he introduced the new Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, Carole Wamuyu Wainaina from Kenya. Ms. Wainaina told the Committee she looked forward to working with them on human resources reform.
“The goal of all of the Secretary-General’s reform efforts is improved delivery of mandates,” said Mr. Takasu, as he introduced the Secretary-General’s overview report and four accompanying reports that focused on mobility, performance management, the Young Professionals Programme (YPP) and desirable ranges.
“The reforms, to date, have strengthened our power as an Organization in ensuring that we have the right people in the right place at the right time,” said Mr. Takasu, adding that the Organization had to attract, support and retain a global, dynamic and adaptable workforce to remain relevant.
Singapore’s representative, speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and aligning with the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, reaffirmed its support for the mobility programme. A well-designed mobility framework and performance management system could shape and deploy the Organization’s workforce to serve its growing needs and diverse requirements, especially in hardship duty stations.
Bolivia’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said reforms had to be carried out in a way that did not discriminate and reflected the input of Member States. The Group urged the Secretariat to increase the number of staff from developing countries, including women, particularly at the senior level. Additional transparency in the recruitment process and workforce planning was also needed. The Group was unhappy that the Secretary-General still had not responded to the Assembly’s request for a comprehensive review of the system of desirable ranges, and that the developing countries were under-represented at the Professional levels and above.
The performance management report laid out the key elements of an improved performance management system: increasing accountability; simplifying the policy and appraisal process; improving the management culture; and addressing underperformance more effectively. “In the UN, the main impediments to timely assessment and to dealing with under-performance are the unclear and complicated systems, lack of guidance and lack of managers’ commitment and engagement,” Mr. Takasu said.
The representative of the United States said comprehensive workforce and succession planning would align the Organization’s human capital with its current and future mandate requirements and urged the Secretariat to begin developing a process to achieve that as soon as possible. “Without comprehensive workforce and succession planning, the UN cannot fulfil critical HR policy objectives, such as enhancing diversity and gender balance or managing seniority creep at the Organization,” he urged.
Algeria’s representative agreed that there was an urgent need to create a workforce planning system. Any current progress was inadequate and the Secretariat’s staffing composition was not balanced. Gender equality had to be addressed, particularly at the senior level, where the number of African women occupying posts remained insufficient and no achievement had been made in equitable geographical representation.
Speaking on behalf of 70,000 colleagues from around the world, Ian Richards, Vice-President of the Staff-Management Committee, said staff members were doing more for less and risked their lives in more dangerous places. He called for an urgent review of the United Nations Ethics Office and was concerned about whistle-blower protection. Research had shown that less than 1 per cent of the 343 staff members who had turned to the Ethics Office for help had been protected. The Ethics Office should be made independent from the Organization and he urged that retaliators against whistle-blowers should be disciplined.
Joan Elise Dubinsky, Director of the United Nations Ethics Office, introduced the Secretary-General’s report on the Office’s activities, which covered the 12 months ending 31 July 2014. She said the Office had received 924 requests for its services and provided other highlights from the report.
Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), introduced that body’s related report on human resources management and noted that the number of high-level positions in the Secretariat had significantly increased since 2009, even as overall staffing levels had declined. The Advisory Committee believed a comprehensive strategy was needed to pinpoint suitable candidates from unrepresented and under-represented countries.
The ACABQ felt that the Secretary-General’s latest report on equitable geographical distribution did not respond adequately to delegates’ request for a comprehensive review. So it was not worthwhile to make minor changes to the calculations without a comprehensive review. He regretted that sufficient information was not given on the development of a workforce planning system, which the ACABQ considered essential to optimize staff placement decisions.
Progress in increasing the ranks of women in the Secretariat, particularly at senior levels, was unsatisfactory and too slow. The Secretary-General should undertake intensified and targeted outreach efforts in the area.
Also speaking today were representatives of Switzerland (also on behalf of Liechtenstein), Bangladesh, Kuwait, Japan, Russian Federation, Republic of Korea, Pakistan and Senegal, as well as the European Union.
The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 19 November, to discuss the agenda item, Review of efficiency: Budget outline 2016-2017.
Introduction of Reports: Human Resources Management
YUKIO TAKASU, Under-Secretary-General for Management, presented the Secretary-General’s reports on human resources and introduced the new Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, Carole Wamuyu Wainaina from Kenya. He said she brought global experience gained from senior leadership levels in the areas of human resources strategy, leadership development, change management and driving organizational transformation.
Mr. Takasu first introduced the Secretary-General’s report titled “Overview of human resources management reform: towards a global, dynamic and adaptable workforce for the United Nations” (document A/69/190). “The goal of all of the Secretary-General’s reform efforts is improved delivery of mandates,” he said, pointing to progress made in the harmonization of conditions of services in the field and the streamlining of the contractual system. Barriers to moving throughout the Organization had been removed, which had given the Secretariat the ability to manage talent more deliberately to respond to complex and rapidly evolving mandates. “The reforms, to date, have strengthened our power as an Organization in ensuring that we have the right people in the right place at the right time,” he said. To maintain its effectiveness and relevance, the Organization had to attract, engage, support and retain a global, dynamic and adaptable workforce.
The report contained an update on workforce planning, highlighting the ongoing efforts to develop and institutionalize effective workforce planning in the Secretariat, he said. Regarding staff selection and recruiting, it provided an update on efforts to reduce hiring timelines. The Secretariat had developed a new, harmonized Global General Service Test and the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) was piloting an online test to help hiring managers reduce the time needed to manually review applicants. The Secretariat had increased the ratio of female staff to total staff over the last five years from 32.9 percent to 34.1 per cent. Yet gaps remained, particularly at senior levels, and the Secretariat was continuing to promote a system-wide strategy to increase representation of women at senior levels. It had also undertaken significant outreach activities to target and attract candidates from unrepresented and under-represented countries.
Mobility
The overview report included four addenda to the Secretary-General’s report. The first addendum, titled “Overview of human resources management reform: mobility” (document A/69/190/Add.1), provided an update on planning for the phased implementation of the new mobility and career development framework. Since the General Assembly had approved the refined managed mobility framework, the Secretariat had intensified its efforts to put the framework in place and planned to begin its phased implementation in January 2016, starting with POLNET (political, peace and security.) A dedicated mobility placement team had been created within OHRM. Annual reports would be submitted in the coming years to provide updates, including a five-year comprehensive review of the framework at the Assembly’s seventy-third session.
Performance Management System
The second addendum, titled “Overview of human resources management reform: performance management” (document A/69/190/Add.2), provided a proposal to strengthen the Organization’s performance management system. The report addressed the key challenges of the Secretariat’s system and its key elements: increasing accountability; simplifying the policy and appraisal process; improving the management culture; and addressing underperformance more effectively. “In the UN, the main impediments to timely assessment and to dealing with underperformance are the unclear and complicated systems, lack of guidance and lack of managers’ commitment and engagement,” Mr. Takasu said.
Based on comprehensive analysis and extensive research of best practices, the Secretariat had proposed several reforms, including greater engagement by senior managers to increase their accountability; establishing a fair and credible system; handling underperformance effectively; and simplifying the tools and policies needed to ensure compliance. He hoped that, with the Committee’s endorsement during its current session, the new performance management system would be introduced in the next cycle starting in April 2015. That would support the launch of the mobility framework.
Young Professionals Programme (YPP)
The third addendum, titled “Overview of human resources management reform: the Young Professionals Programme” (document A/69/190/Add.3), provided an update on the programme since 2011 and ways to reduce the timeline for the Young Professionals Programme, or YPP, exam and its costs.
Desirable Ranges
The fourth addendum report, “Overview of human resources management reform: assessment of the system of desirable ranges” (document A/69/190/Add.4), reviewed the system of desirable ranges. The report invited the Assembly to approve the Secretariat’s recommendation to update the calculation used to determine the lower and the upper limits of the desirable range.
Assembly resolution 67/255 had asked the Secretary-General for a comprehensive review of the system of desirable ranges as it wanted to create a more effective tool for ensuring equitable geographical distribution in relation to the posts financed through the regular budget.
Mr. Takasu also presented the Secretary-General’s report titled “Amendments to the Staff Rules” (document A/69/117), which contained the full text of amendments that the Secretary-General proposed to implement on 1 January 2015. The report also provided the rationale for the amendments.
He also presented the report titled “Composition of the Secretariat: staff demographics” (document A/69/292), which contained a demographic analysis of the composition of the staff of the Secretariat from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014. The Secretary-General invited the Assembly to endorse the recommendation that the reporting period of future composition reports be changed in order to comply with Assembly resolution 68/252. He presented that report’s addendum, titled “Composition of the Secretariat: gratis personnel, retired staff and consultants and individual contractors” (document A/69/292/Add.1), which gave a demographic analysis of the engagement of gratis personnel (4,531), retired staff (3,051) and consultants and individual contractors (40,655) during the biennium 2012-2013.
Also presented to the Committee was the Secretary-General’s report titled “Practice of the Secretary-General in disciplinary matters and cases of possible criminal behaviour, 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014” (document A/69/283).
Ms. Wainaina said she was pleased to join the United Nations and looked forward to working with all Committee members on an important agenda item: human resources reform. She said she had completed a month of work with the Organization.
JOAN ELISE DUBINSKY, Director, United Nations Ethics Office, introduced the Secretary-General’s report on the Office’s activities (document A/69/332) covering the period from 1 August 2013 to 31 July 2014. Noting that the Office had received 924 requests for its services, she said the report’s highlights included: responding to 476 confidential requests for ethics advice; managing the financial disclosure programme, which required review of 4,573 disclosure files; providing 152 outreach, training and educational activities; administering the Secretariat’s first-ever leadership dialogue series; enhancing the coherent application of ethics among United Nations entities; and receiving 55 inquiries relating to the Organization’s protection against retaliation policy.
In addition, she said that a direct correlation had been found between investment in outreach and increased use by staff of the Office’s confidential advisory services. In its initial year, 67 per cent of all Secretariat staff had participated in the Leadership Dialogue programme. Furthermore, the financial disclosure programme had a compliance rate of 99.9 per cent for the 2013 cycle, and areas for its enhancement had been identified. The Office had made recommendations to improve the focus and operation of the protection against retaliation policy, even as management had implemented its remedial recommendations on the four matters where the Office had determined that retaliation had occurred.
CARLOS RUIZ MASSIEU, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), introduced that body’s related report on human resources management (document A/69/572). He highlighted the importance of data to analyse trends and possible reasons behind certain trends. While supporting the Secretary-General’s proposal for changes to the reporting cycle and the cut-off date, the Advisory Committee felt that those changes alone would not improve the analytical quality of the report.
The number of high-level positions had significantly increased since 2009, despite a decrease in the overall number of staff over the same period, he noted. The majority of United Nations entities had seen an opposite trend. A comprehensive strategy was needed for identifying suitable candidates from unrepresented and under-represented countries, and for an analysis of the effectiveness of the different outreach activities. As for the representation of women in the Secretariat, particularly at senior levels, the Advisory Committee considered that the progress made was unsatisfactory and too slow. The Secretary-General should undertake intensified and targeted outreach efforts in that regard.
Turning to the mobility framework, he stressed the importance of establishing the criteria for determining a viable, comparative baseline against which future mobility trends could be measured. He also reaffirmed the need for complete and accurate cost data to be included in future reports of the Secretary-General, reiterating that any efforts to encourage internal mobility should not negatively affect efforts to engage fresh talent from outside. Performance management was fundamental for the fair treatment of staff. High-performance must be rewarded and underperformance must be addressed. The Secretary-General put forward a number of measures targeting change in some critical areas. The ACABQ had no objection to those proposals. It supported all efforts to ensure greater consistency in performance ratings.
He said that the Advisory Committee regretted that recent reductions in staffing levels had led to fewer opportunities for junior professionals, which in turn reduced the effectiveness of the YPP. The General Assembly should broaden the pool of available posts to include P-2 positions funded from the budget for general temporary assistance for more than one year and consider further possibilities of broadening the pool.
As for the equitable geographical distribution, ACABQ felt that the Secretary-General’s latest report did not respond adequately to the request for a comprehensive review, he said. The Advisory Committee, therefore, did not see a merit in making minor changes to the calculations, in the absence of the comprehensive review. He regretted that sufficient information was not provided regarding the development of a workforce planning system, which his Committee considered essential to optimize staff placement decisions. It also voiced concern that average selection times exceeded current targets by 50 per cent. The Assembly should also reconsider the requirement for staff members to renounce permanent resident status in a country other than the country of their nationality.
Turning to the Ethics Office’s activities, he noted the 15-per-cent increase in requests to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. The Advisory Committee recommended that the Office, in collaboration with the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and OHRM, make extra efforts to clarify the reporting and advisory mechanisms used to address such cases and that the Assembly ask the Secretary-General to finalize his consultations on post-employment restrictions.
IAN RICHARDS, Vice-President, Staff-Management Committee, said he spoke on behalf of 70,000 colleagues in the United Nations, from the Secretariat, tribunals, funds and programmes. Following last year’s decision to reduce headcount and staff costs, they were now doing more for less, risking their lives in more dangerous places, bringing their expertize to where it mattered. In return, they requested proper safety and security, not to be stigmatized when returning from the frontline against Ebola, and to receive a fair wage, a secure contract and a decent and just environment in which to work.
In that context, he expressed concern at the manner in which more than 100 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) colleagues had been laid off, some with little time to move out of New York with their families, pull their children out of school and return to their home countries. “The cuts have been brutal and unprecedented, and we strongly condemn them,” he said. He also questioned the basis for the 2.5 per cent budget cut in 2016 for administrative service. Justified as redundancy created by the new Umoja software, he pointed out that Umoja, the United Nations enterprise resource planning system, was still being rolled out and had yet to reach much of the Organization.
On performance management, he said that the one tool used elsewhere to reward good performance — promotion — was excluded at the United Nations. In addition, current staff had no preference over outsiders in being considered for new posts, and past performance was not taken into consideration. Staff selection needed to be improved. Furthermore, most staff who had lost their continuing appointments following its first review were women. The review process had taken two and a half years, during which time many of them had extended their maternity leave without pay and thus become ineligible. That should be addressed in an organization seeking to retain women.
He then turned to “hot-desking”, whereby café worktables, common workspaces and designer sofas replaced traditional office structure, and each employee sought out a workspace upon arrival every morning. There was a pilot hot-desking project underway on the eighteenth floor. Evidence showed that staff worked best when they had their own space and didn’t have to worry every morning about where they would sit. “In an organization that demands so much of its staff, is a personal workspace, which studies show enhances productivity, too much to ask?” he queried. Noting that the “pilot” had been expanded to the nineteenth floor and that office modifications in the rest of the building were prohibited unless they conformed to the hot-desking model, he wondered what mandate had been given to convert the rest of the United Nations to hot-desking.
Expressing concerns about whistle-blower protections, he pointed out that research had shown that less than 1 per cent of the 343 staff members who had turned to the Ethics Office for help had been protected and called for an urgent review of that Office. He also said that it should be made independent from the Organization and that retaliators against whistle-blowers should be disciplined.
Statements
DAYANA ANGELA RIOS REQUENA (Bolivia), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said the Group was committed to consider reforms that would help the Organization meet global challenges and produce a highly motivated, diverse and dynamic workforce. Reforms and changes had to be done in a way that was consultative and non-discriminatory and reflected the Member State-driven nature of the Organization. Equitable geographical representation in the Secretariat was a key issue for the Group. She repeated the need to increase the representation of developing countries and women from developing countries, particularly at the senior level. Additional transparency in the recruitment process and workforce planning was also needed.
The Secretary-General once again had not adequately responded to the Assembly’s request for a comprehensive review of the system of desirable ranges, she said, noting with concern that he had not provided any new, concrete proposals to enhance the system’s effectiveness, including for peacekeeping and extra-budgetary posts. The Group remained disappointed that developing countries remained under-represented at the Professional levels and above. It would consider the Secretary-General’s proposal to revise the performance management system, considering the need for transparent and quantifiable benchmarks that encouraged performance, skill development and talent retention. The Group would request additional clarification on the changes to the YPP and their impact on the representation of developing countries. The Group was concerned with the continuous increase in senior level positions and the apparent upward shift in the Secretariat’s grade structure. Efforts were needed to address the proliferation of high-level positions in order to avoid duplication and overlap.
KAREN TAN (Singapore), speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), associated herself with the Group of 77 and China. She supported the Secretary-General’s efforts to reform the United Nations human resources system, adopt best employment practices and streamline processes. Pointing out that Assembly resolution 68/265 requested the Secretary-General to give equal treatment to internal and external candidates, she said that “while such an approach may be prima facie less efficient than prioritizing internal candidates, it is necessary in order not to limit the ability of the Organization to select the best candidates on as wide a geographical basis as possible.”
She said that staff motivation, professional development and talent retention were also essential. Reaffirming support for implementation of the mobility framework, she pointed out that a well-designed framework and performance management system could shape and deploy the Organization’s workforce to serve its growing needs and diverse requirements, especially in hardship duty stations. United Nations officers should exemplify the highest professional ethics. Thus, financial disclosure requirements should be applied uniformly and any irregularities should be dealt with expeditiously throughout the United Nations system.
CARMEL POWER, a representative of the European Union Delegation, said that an ongoing effort to implement and consolidate past reforms and build on them was key to creating a modern human resources system and fostering an organizational culture that enabled staff, at all levels, to contribute to their greatest potential. Highlighting performance management, she expressed concern that staff and managers, in practice, were not yet embracing new approaches. A more comprehensive approach, combined with serious engagement by managers, was needed to shift what appeared to be an ingrained culture of inertia in that respect. The Secretary-General should ensure that a robust performance management system was put in place and implemented at all levels.
Proper workforce planning was also essential for the Organization’s effectiveness, she continued. Thus, she shared the Advisory Committee report’s regret that, as yet, there was no fully developed workforce planning system before the Fifth Committee. She also expressed concern at the slow rate of improvement in the gender imbalance in the Secretariat and looked to the Secretary-General to make every effort to address “this seemingly intractable problem”. She welcomed the approval earlier in the year of the refined mobility framework and, noting positive developments in the work of the Ethics Office, underlined the importance of maintaining its independence.
ADRIAN MICHAEL SOLLBERGER (Switzerland), speaking also for Liechtenstein, shared the concern of ACABQ that a strategic workforce management system was still lacking. Even so, the mobility framework approved earlier this year by the Assembly would improve strategic management of United Nations human resources and provide staff with the opportunity to serve different functions at different duty stations over the course of their careers. It was crucial for staff to have a thorough understanding of the Organization’s functioning both at Headquarters and in the field. He also trusted that the proposed enhancements to the performance management system reflected the Organization’s working culture and would increase its overall performance.
ABDELHAKIM MIHOUBI (Algeria), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, said the success of the United Nations hinged on its staff and effective human resources management that would allow staff to provide high-quality services. While supporting human resources management reforms by the Organization, his delegation was concerned that certain issues were adversely affecting those reform initiatives. There was an urgent need to devise workforce planning. Progress made so far was inadequate. The composition of the Secretariat was not balanced. Entry-level posts were few, compared to higher-level posts, creating a highly competitive recruitment environment for youth. Gender equality must be addressed, particularly at the senior level, where the number of African women occupying posts remained inadequate. No achievement had been made in equitable geographical representation. Many Algerian staff members were retiring. The YPP had not realized its aim. The rate of passing the YPP exam was low for African candidates. Even if they passed, they remained unemployed by the United Nations due to the scarcity of entry-level posts.
MUSTAFIZUR RAHMAN (Bangladesh), associating with the Group of 77 and China, said that the mobility framework would allow staff to share the burden of service in the most difficult duty stations, but it should not hinder efforts to improve conditions of service in the field missions. The lack of progress in ensuring equitable and fair representation of all Member States in the Secretariat and the field was dismaying. His delegation had carefully studied the recent reports by the Secretariat but had yet to find any proposals to establish a more effective tool to ensure equitable geographical distribution and increase the representation of developing countries in the Secretariat. Insufficient and unfair representation of nationals of troop- and police-contributing countries in policy decisions violated the legislative mandates previously accorded by the Assembly to the Secretariat.
NASSER ALRAMZI (Kuwait), aligned with Bolivia’s statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said his Government attached great importance to human resources. The human element was the most valuable asset of an organization. Kuwait agreed with the Secretary-General’s report on human resources reform and welcomed the progress achieved so far. Yet, more human resources development was needed in the areas of education and career development. Equal employment was important, as was the participation of all Member States. It was necessary to increase the efficiency of the Organization. The YPP programme needed to be strengthened. This would help ensure the Organization’s future. There needed to be equal participation of all Member States at all levels.
ERIKO YAJIMA KOYAMA (Japan) welcomed the Secretary-General’s first report on staff mobility, noting, however, the need to elaborate on the provisional list of non-rotational posts because an increase in such positions could limit career opportunities for staff and undermine the achievement of mobility policy goals. Although her delegation agreed with the Advisory Committee that forecasting additional costs was difficult, more accurate data should be provided, with the understanding that the future implementation of the Umoja enterprise resource planning system would enable more accurate tracking of expenditures. The mobility framework would be more effective when it was considered in conjunction with performance management, she continued, commending the Secretary-General for tabling a proposal in that regard. The YPP played an important role in improving the geographical representation of under-represented and unrepresented countries. She welcomed the comprehensive review of the Programme, in particular, efforts to address challenges in conducting exams simultaneously in multiple time zones and reduce the costs of processing and marking them.
SERGEY V. KHALIZOV (Russian Federation) noted with regret that answers to a number of questions posed to the Secretariat regarding the implementation of the mobility framework were incomplete, with some going completely unanswered. Those questions concerned calculation of the direct and indirect costs of implementing the initiative as well as the criteria for moving staff during the 2016-2017 period and its legal implications. He also expressed concern about a drop in the recruitment rate of external candidates from 2010 to 2013, stressing that the mobility initiative should not cause a further deterioration in that regard. The Secretary-General’s administrative bulletin ST/SGB/2004/13/Rev.1, which recognized marital status in countries other than staff’s home country, ran counter to Assembly Resolution 58/285 and could be abused by staff members to receive dependency benefits.
AMIT UPADHYAY (United States) said three human resources issues were particularly important: mobility, performance management and workforce planning. The United Nations needed a robust mobility policy to move staff to different posts or duty stations as demand dictated, and let staff acquire diverse skills and experiences. The United States was confident that the mobility policy under development would help, and it looked forward to its implementation starting in 2016. The United Nations needed strong performance management that motivated staff to keep working at a consistently high level. Effective performance management had two effective parts: reliable performance appraisals to measure good performance; and effective tools to reward and encourage good performance or, as necessary, sanction underperformance. The United States looked forward to considering the Secretariat’s proposals on the issue. The Organization also needed comprehensive workforce and succession planning to align its human capital to current and future mandate requirements. “Without comprehensive workforce and succession planning, the UN cannot fulfil critical HR policy objectives, such as enhancing diversity and gender balance or managing seniority creep at the Organization,” he said. He urged the Secretariat to begin developing a comprehensive workforce and succession planning process as soon as possible.
PAIK JI-AH (Republic of Korea) said that, despite progress made to date towards an effective performance management system, significant improvements still needed to be made. In order to have a credible system, subjectivity in performance evaluations must be checked during the process. Noting that the ratings on core values and work-related competencies were not counted towards the overall performance rating, he stressed that the overall rating must be the result of a comprehensive reflection of ratings on different jobs performed and different competencies. A team performance evaluation should also be considered, since performance evaluation was a continuous process that transformed the performance of each individual into that of a team and eventually that of an organization. It would look at the collective achievements of a team as a whole and could be effective in inspiring a manager and staff members to achieve the team’s shared goals and ideals.
MASOOD KHAN (Pakistan), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, said that more specificity was needed on the mobility framework’s impact on the current staff selection system, treatment of external candidates, advertisement of positions, geographical representation and gender balance. Also, greater clarity was needed on how the proposed staffing processes and mechanisms would mitigate the risks of the “time-consuming system of recruitment”. Although the principle of equitable geographical representation was a Charter obligation, disparities in the representation of Member States in the Secretariat continued to persist, despite a clear direction provided by the Assembly for a comprehensive review of the system of desirable ranges. Noting the Secretary-General’s latest report on desirable ranges, he said the recommendations therein were modest and did not address the systemic issue of inadequate representation of Member States in the Organization. In that regard, he looked forward to the additional scenarios for calculating the desirable ranges.
CHEIKH TIDIANE DEME (Senegal), endorsing Bolivia’s statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said the implementation of human resources reform measures would make the Organization more effective, as it operated in an increasingly complex financial environment. The modernization of the Organization depended upon those reforms and the success of its activities on the quality of its staff. He asked for more information on staffing levels, especially on staff retirements. He urged reform of the appointment system to make the review process surrounding permanent appointments more transparent. Senegal supported the use of Inspira, which had helped speed up recruitment, and technological improvements that had improved the YPP. It was important to achieve coherence of the various reforms to avoid duplication and provide transparency. The workforce planning system must be based on a global, solid system that provided for mobility and careers. It was regrettable that many developed countries were still under-represented in the Organization and Senegal supported a review of the range of desirable ranges. Countries that contributed troops for peacekeeping activities needed to be adequately represented in the peacekeeping departments. Regarding gender parity, the Organization had to make greater efforts to ensure more women held greater areas of responsibility.