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Statement by Ambassador Patrick Kennedy,
United States Representative to the United Nations for UN Management and
Reform, on Human Resources Management, Before the Fifth Committee of the
Fifty-seventh Session of the General Assembly, March 3, 2003
Mr. Chairman,
I would like to welcome the
Secretary-General’s Report on “Implementation of all
provisions of
General Assembly resolution 55/258 on human resources
management” (A/57/726).
The evaluation by the
Office of
Internal Oversight Services demonstrates that the Office
of Human Resources Management has made significant progress
in implementing the benchmark reform initiatives contained
in 55/258. We are pleased to see OHRM assuming a more
strategic role within the Organization and moving away from
the static administrative function it had fulfilled in the
past. We strongly support the effort to integrate
recruitment, selection, promotion and mobility within the
context of streamlined rules and regulations and modern
career development.
In particular, we note that the OIOS
report states the initiative to enhance mobility is one of
the five most successful elements of human resources
management reform. We strongly agree with that assessment
and are prepared to take steps that will expand the program
as suggested in the Report, including exchanges with other
UN funds and programs. We also want to look at ways to
improve conditions of service at different duty stations, to
address work/life issues more effectively, to cut red tape
in administrative procedures and to expand training
programs, especially managerial training. These steps will
make it easier and more attractive to staff members to
acquire new skills and seek new opportunities that will
broaden career development and will ultimately enhance the
productivity and satisfaction of all people working in the
Organization.
We note that the organizational culture
is already becoming more responsive and results-oriented,
more innovative and certainly more sensitive to issues of
accountability, transparency, and fairness in the global
Secretariat. However, there are remaining challenges that
still need to be addressed. One of those challenges
involves the question of the granting of extensions to staff
to work beyond their mandatory age of retirement. While it
is difficult to determine how pervasive the practice is, it
is clearly contrary to the whole concept of OHRM reform to
waive the rules for certain individuals. Therefore, I would
like to request the Secretariat to provide this committee
with information on the number of professional staff members
who have retired in the last three years and how many of
them have received extensions to continue working in their
jobs.
Another challenge reported by OIOS is
the vastly increased number of applications received through
the
Galaxy System. As the number of individuals seeking
employment with the Organization in professional categories
of jobs increases, we will need to review the current
practice that gives overwhelming preference to internal
candidates over external applicants for jobs. I would like
to ask the Secretariat to provide this committee with data
showing, over the last three years, how many professional
jobs have been advertised and how many in each P and D level
job, that is P-2 to D-2, have been offered to external
candidates. It is important for the UN to promote the
infusion of new blood and ideas at all levels while at the
same time offering current staff members fair and reasonable
opportunities for advancement. We also need to take
advantage of the record number of people applying for
professional jobs in the United Nations to promote gender
balance and more diverse geographic distribution of jobs,
especially for countries that are under-represented or that
are close to becoming under-represented.
My delegation raised this last issue in
my statement on this agenda item during the fall session. I
reiterate that there continues to be a dramatic decline in
the number of Americans employed in the Secretariat,
especially at the senior professional levels. In fact, the
U.S. is close to becoming under-represented among the
professional posts subject to equitable distribution. And
we are not the only ones. Therefore, it is an issue that
needs to be addressed in the near term.
Finally Mr. Chairman,
My delegation believes that the
innovative reform ideas introduced by the Secretary-General
and adopted in
General Assembly resolution 57/300 on December 20 of
last year comprise a major step forward in making the UN
more efficient and responsive. In order for this to happen,
however, the UN must have the best and brightest staff. We
thus believe that full and speedy implementation of 55/258
will make the Organization much more competitive in hiring
and retaining this talent from around the world. We look
forward to working with other delegates on a resolution that
will help make this happen.
Thank you.
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