Ongoing Liquidity Crisis Hindering United Nations Ability to Retain Geographically Diverse, Skilled Workforce, Delegates Stress as Fifth Committee Resumes Session
Stressing that the Organization’s key asset is its staff, many delegates of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today emphasized the pressure that the ongoing liquidity crisis is having on efforts to rejuvenate the Organization and attract and retain talent from all parts of the world.
“The human resources policies and the liquidity situation of the United Nations are inextricably linked,” said Singapore’s representative, speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the opening day of the Committee first resumed session. “We note with concern from the Secretary-General’s report that temporary hiring restrictions imposed as a result of the dismal liquidity situation of the UN have constrained efforts to fill geographical posts that could have gone to un- and under-represented countries.”
She emphasized that staff training and development are key to building a United Nations that can respond to contemporary challenges. “While we are cognizant of the UN’s ongoing liquidity challenges, we hope that their training is not compromised to achieve short-term savings,” she said, adding that training locations should not be limited to UN Headquarters.
Echoing this sentiment, the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, said the Organization’s financial situation must be carefully considered when discussing the Organization’s most essential resources: its staff. “We strongly believe in the fundamental importance of a comprehensive and strategic workforce planning system,” she said, adding that planning and selection should be closely aligned with a recruitment process that ensures the Organization attracts and hires the most suitable candidates with the right skill sets. In addition, the 120-day target for staff selection should be met. “We repeat our call to rejuvenate the Organization and acquire and retain young talent,” she said, adding that talent outreach and well-structured internship programmes are key priorities that “we take very seriously”.
Speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, Iraq’s delegate said geographical representation and gender parity remain a core concern for the Group, which expects the Secretariat to intensify its efforts to achieve equal representation at all staff levels, with a focus on senior level staff at D-1 and above posts, as well as significant contributions from troop-contributing countries and police-contributing countries. He noted that the Secretary-General’s staff composition report showed that staff declined by 34 to 36,757 during the reporting period ending on December 2023, due in part to temporary hiring restrictions placed against the regular budget in July 2023.
Keen to review the Secretariat’s efforts to improve the Organizaton’s rejuvenation, including through the Young Professionals Programme, the Group notes that during the 2022-2023 biennium, 175,781 applications applied for 2,765 jobs in the internship programme. “With an average of 63 applicants competing for one vacancy, the Group looks forward to having more information on how the refined internship programme, including the financial support from the UN, will help more applicants from all developing countries be successfully selected as interns,” he added.
Kuwait’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, agreed that the Organizaton’s staff are its greatest asset and noted that data from Secretariat reports indicate that personnel from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries remain underrepresented. “Recruiting must be completed to ensure a balance,” he said. Recognizing the unprecedented loss of staff working with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), he called for the protection of staff and all relief workers.
The President of the UN Field Staff Union said the Organizaton’s severe liquidity and funding shortfall has created a crisis that threatens the foundation of the staff’s work. “UN staff — who are the backbone of this institution — are being forced to bear the brunt of these financial constraints. Workloads are increasing beyond sustainable levels,” he said, urging Member States to meet their financial commitments fully and on time. “The cost of inaction is measured in human lives. If we allow this crisis to continue, we are not just failing UN staff; we are failing the world.
“Fewer staff means fewer peacekeepers in conflict zones, fewer aid workers delivering food and medicine, fewer experts tackling global challenges. Every member of staff lost weakens our ability to respond to the world’s most pressing crises. Let me be clear — this is not just about jobs. It is about the UN’s ability to fulfill its mission,” he said.
The representative of Switzerland, speaking also for Liechtenstein, welcomed Secretariat efforts to improve mechanisms for recruiting young professionals, including modernizing job descriptions, removing artificial barriers to entry and enhancing digital and language skills. She also backed the Secretary-General’s proposal to structure and professionalize the UN internship programme. “We note with interest the recommendations to introduce financial support for interns to strengthen geographical diversity and to offer more structured learning,” she added.
The representative of the United States said Washington, D.C., will consider proposals using three criteria: whether the proposal promotes a transparent and accountable system; reflects actual or proposed cost-savings and efficiencies; and how it aligns with his Government’s national interests and priorities, including “making the US safer, stronger and more prosperous”. To this end, the delegation will defend against efforts to undermine the system of desirable ranges by advancing a vague, discriminatory and deeply flawed concept of equitable geographic representation.
Human Resources Management
Martha Helena Lopez, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources, presented the Secretary-General’s five reports on human resources management reform: Overview of human resources management reform for the period 2023–2024 (document A/79/566); Review of the United Nations Secretariat Internship Programme (document A/79/566/Add.1); Composition of the Secretariat: staff demographics (document A/79/584); Composition of the Secretariat: gratis personnel, retired staff, consultants, individual contractors and United Nations Volunteers (document A/79/581); and Practice of the Secretary-General in disciplinary matters and cases of possible criminal behaviour, from 1 January to 31 December 2023 (document A/79/615).
Regarding the redesigned internship programme, she said “it aligns with UN values of fairness and accessibility, upholds commitments to youth in the Pact for the Future, and ensures meaningful engagement of young people.” The proposal addresses the need for more structured learning and financial support for interns, including the cost of travel, health insurance, a monthly stipend and a technology allowance for remote interns. “This would remove a significant barrier to broader participation for individuals from all economic backgrounds,” she added. The Secretariat invites the Assembly to approve the removal of current restrictions and the principle of a centrally funded support scheme.
The Secretary-General report covering staff demographics offers a comprehensive view of Secretariat staff from 1 January to 31 December 2023 and during the 2019 to 2023 period, she noted. It gives a comprehensive analysis of the gratis personnel, retired staff, consultants, individual contractors, and United Nations Volunteers engaged across the Secretariat from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023 and highlights trends observed from 2014 to 2023, offering insights into the evolution of the Secretariat’s affiliated personnel. The final report provides comprehensive measures for the Secretary-General’s approach to misconduct cases and analysis of the data and trends in the Secretariat’s disciplinary practices.
Juliana Gaspar Ruas, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), presented that body’s related reports (documents A/79/745, A/79/746, A/79/747, A/79/748 and A/79/749).
After those presentations, Fifth Committee Vice-Chair Johanna Bischof (Austria) drew delegates’ attention to the relevant reports of the Joint Inspection Unit and related notes by the Secretary-General transmitting his comments and comments of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination on the respective reports: Review of the use of non-staff personnel and related contractual modalities in the United Nations system organizations - Note by the Secretary-General (documents A/79/694 and A/79/694/Add.1); Review of the quality, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of health insurance schemes in the United Nations system organizations (documents A/79/695 and A/79/695/Add.1); and Flexible working arrangements in United Nations system organizations (documents A/79/693 and A/79/693/Add.1).
Joint Inspection Unit
Carolina Fernández Opazo, Inspector and Chairperson of the Joint Inspection Unit, introduced the Report of the Joint Inspection Unit for 2024 and programme of work for 2025 (document A/79/34), and Federica Pietracci, Senior Programme Management Officer of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, introduced the Note by the Secretary-General on the Report of the Joint Inspection Unit for 2024 (document A/79/742).
Standards of Accommodation for Air Travel
Ms. Lopez also introduced the Secretary-General’s report on standards of accommodation for air travel (document A/79/628), and Ms. Gaspar Ruas presented the Advisory Committee’s related report (document A/79/7/Add.44).
Proposed Programme of Work
The Committee also approved its proposed programme of work for this session (document A/C.5/79/L.29).