United Nations Common System : Report of the International Civil Service Commission

A/RES/61/239View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 125 United Nations common system, published in 2007.

What other versions does this mandate have?

12 versions · 1989–2016

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/70/244

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2016	A/RES/70/244	United Nations common system : report of the International Civil Service Commission	3,128	19%Compare
2015	A/RES/69/251	United Nations common system : report of the International Civil Service Commission	1,265	50%Compare
2014	A/RES/68/253	United Nations common system : report of the International Civil Service Commission	1,306	33%Compare
2013	A/RES/67/257	United Nations common system : report of the International Civil Service Commission	899	—
2012	A/RES/66/235A	United Nations common system : report of the International Civil Service Commission	—	—

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

2 reports · 2004–2016

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2016	A/71/323	Overview of human resources management reform : towards a global, dynamic, adaptable and engaged workforce for the United Nations report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/70/244
2004	A/59/399	Report of the Panel on the Strengthening of the International Civil Service note		A/RES/57/285

What’s in this document?

34 operative paragraphs

Takes note of the reports of the International Civil Service Commission for 2005Error: Reference source not found and 2006;Error: Reference source not found

Invites the Secretary-General, in his capacity as Chairman of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, to urge the heads of the organizations of the United Nations common system to fully support the work of the Commission, including by providing the latter with relevant information in a timely manner for studies that it conducts under its statutory responsibilities for the common system;

I.Conditions of service applicable to both categories of staff

A.Review of the pay and benefits system

Recalling section I.E, paragraph 1, of its resolution 44/198, section VI of its resolution 51/216, section I.C of its resolution 55/223, section II.A, paragraph 7, of its resolution 57/285, section I.C of its resolution 59/268 and section XVII of its resolution 60/248,

A1 Pilot study of broad-banding/pay-for-performance

Takes note of the decisions of the Commission contained in paragraph 42 of its 2005 reportError: Reference source not found and paragraph 43 of its 2006 report;Error: Reference source not found

Notes with concern that a project manager has yet to be selected in accordance with the terms of reference of the pilot project as outlined in paragraph 86 (a) of the 2003 report of the Commission¹⁰ and of which note was taken by the General Assembly in section I.A, paragraph 2, of its resolution 58/251;

¹⁰Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 30 (A/58/30).

Requests the Commission to ensure the dedicated project leadership required for the successful completion of the pilot study;

A2 Spouse benefits

Takes note of the decision of the Commission contained in paragraph 63 of its 2005 report;Error: Reference source not found

A3 Mobility and hardship allowance

Commends the Working Group for developing the proposed changes in the mobility and hardship scheme;

Approves the definitions of hardship and mobility as outlined in paragraphs 76 and 77 of the 2005 report of the Commission;Error: Reference source not found

Also approves the proposed arrangements for mobility, hardship, non-removal and assignment grants as set out in annex II to the 2005 report of the Commission;Error: Reference source not found

Decides to implement the new system with effect from 1 January 2007;

A4 Education grant: review of the methodology for determining the level of the grant

Takes note of the decision of the Commission contained in paragraph 110 of its 2005 report;Error: Reference source not found

Approves, with effect from the school year in progress on 1 January 2007, the recommendation of the Commission in paragraph 63 of its 2006 reportError: Reference source not found modifying the eligibility period for the education grant;

A5 Education grant: review of the level

Approves, with effect from the school year in progress on 1 January 2007, the recommendations of the Commission contained in paragraph 62 of its 2006 reportError: Reference source not found and annex II thereto;

B.Contractual arrangements

Recalling section I.A, paragraph 4, of its resolution 57/285, section IX of its resolution 59/266 of 23 December 2004 and section I.B of its resolution 59/268,

Notes the decisions of the Commission contained in paragraph 129 of its 2005 report;Error: Reference source not found

Notes with appreciation the work of the Commission on the framework for contractual arrangements contained in annex IV to its 2005 report;Error: Reference source not found

C.Hazard pay: review of the level

Recalling sections I.D of its resolutions 57/285, 58/251, and 59/268,

Notes the decisions of the Commission contained in paragraph 147 of its 2005 reportError: Reference source not found and annex III thereto for implementation as of 1 January 2007;

D.Entitlements of internationally recruited staff serving in non-family duty stations

Recalling section X, paragraphs 5 and 6, of its resolution 59/266,

Decides to revert to consideration of the entitlements of internationally recruited staff serving in non-family duty stations at the second part of its resumed sixty-first session following receipt of the report of the Commission on this issue;

E.Other

Requests the Commission to consider the effectiveness and impact of measures designed to promote recruitment and retention, especially in difficult duty stations, and to report thereon to it at its sixty-third session;

II.Conditions of service of staff in the Professional and higher categories

A.Evolution of the margin

Recalling section I.B of its resolution 51/216 and the standing mandate from the General Assembly, in which the Commission is requested to continue its review of the relationship between the net remuneration of the United Nations staff in the Professional and higher categories in New York and that of the comparator civil service (the United States federal civil service) employees in comparable positions in Washington, D.C. (referred to as “the margin”),

Notes that the margin between net remuneration of the United Nations staff in grades P-1 to D-2 in New York and that of officials in comparable positions in the United States federal civil service in Washington, D.C., for the period 1 January to 31 December 2006, is 114.3;

Reaffirms that the range of 110 to 120 for the margin between the net remuneration of officials in the Professional and higher categories of the United Nations in New York and the officials in comparable positions in the comparator civil service should continue to apply, on the understanding that the margin would be maintained at a level around the desirable midpoint of 115 over a period of time;

B.Base/floor salary scale

Recalling its resolution 44/198, by which it established a floor net salary level for staff in the Professional and higher categories by reference to the corresponding base net salary levels of officials in comparable positions serving at the base city of the comparator civil service (the United States federal civil service),

Approves, with effect from 1 January 2007, as recommended by the Commission in paragraph 94 (a) of its 2006 report, Error: Reference source not found the revised base/floor scale of gross and net salaries for staff in the Professional and higher categories contained in annex IV to the report;

C.Senior Management Network

Takes note of the note by the Secretary-General on the Senior Management Network;Error: Reference source not found

Endorses the decision of the Commission contained in paragraph 211 of its 2006 report;Error: Reference source not found

Requests the Commission to continue to monitor the project regarding the improvement of management capacity and performance among senior staff by the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and to advise and make recommendations to the General Assembly as appropriate;

D.Gender balance

Takes note of the findings of the Commission contained in its 2006 report;Error: Reference source not found

Notes with disappointment the insufficient progress made with regard to the representation of women in the organizations of the United Nations common system, and in particular their significant underrepresentation at senior levels;

Notes with concern the findings of the Commission in paragraph 108 of its 2006 report;Error: Reference source not found

Urges the Commission to continue to make recommendations on practical steps that should be taken to improve the representation of women in the organizations of the United Nations common system;

E.Children’s and secondary dependants’ allowances: review of the level

Approves the revised amounts of children’s and secondary dependants’ allowances as outlined in paragraph 126 of the 2006 report of the CommissionError: Reference source not found and annex V thereto;

F.Identification of the highest paid national civil service

Takes note of the decision of the Commission to conclude its current total compensation study and to retain the current comparator;

G.Common scale of staff assessment

Takes note of the decisions of the Commission in paragraph 70 of its 2006 report;Error: Reference source not found

III.Strengthening of the international civil service

Reaffirming that the staff of the United Nations is an invaluable asset of the Organization, and commending its contribution to furthering the purposes and principles of the United Nations,

Emphasizes that the capacity of the Commission as a source of technical expertise and policy advice should be further strengthened;

Stresses that the work of the Commission shall be given the importance and attention it deserves by the governing bodies of the organizations of the common system;

Decides to institute a limit of two full terms for the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair of the Commission;

Also decides that the provision of paragraph 3 directly above shall apply to Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Commission appointed after 1 January 2008;

Encourages Member States to achieve a greater gender balance in the selection of members for the Commission;

Urges Member States when proposing candidates for membership in the Commission to take into account the qualifications and experience outlined in article 3 of its statute;8

Stresses the importance of ensuring that candidates have managerial, leadership or executive experience, which should include knowledge of at least one of the following fields:

Human resources management principles and practices;

Organizational design and change management concepts and practices;

Leadership and strategic planning concepts and practices;

International and global issues: political, social and economic;

Encourages the Commission to continue to consider its working methods in consultation, where appropriate, with representatives of the staff and the organizations of the common system.