United Nations Common System : Report of the International Civil Service Commission for 2009

A/RES/64/231View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 139 United Nations common system, published in 2010.

What subjects does this mandate have?

16 subjects

Civil Service Death Grant Gender Equality General Service Staff Geographical Distribution International Civil Service Performance Appraisal Professional Staff Repatriation Grant Retirement Salaries and Allowances Separation From Service Separation Payments Statistical Methodology Wage Surveys Washington, D.c. (United States)

What’s in this document?

19 operative paragraphs

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Takes note with appreciation of the work of the International Civil Service Commission;

Takes note of the report of the Commission for 2009;Error: Reference source not found

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

1.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 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 from 1 January to 31 December 2009 is estimated at 113.8 and that the average margin level for the past five years (2005–2009) stands at 113.6;

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 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;

2.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 2010, as recommended by the Commission in paragraph 66 of its 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;

3.Gender balance and geographical distribution

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 the decisions of the Commission contained in paragraph 88 of its report;Error: Reference source not found

Invites the Commission to continue to monitor future progress in achieving gender balance, including the aspect of regional representation if it deems it appropriate, and to make recommendations on practical steps that should be taken to improve the representation of women in the organizations of the common system;

Welcomes the decision of the Commission to encourage the organizations of the common system to promote and implement innovative approaches, such as outreach initiatives, to attract, develop and retain the most talented men and women;

Requests the Commission to review measures taken by organizations participating in the common system concerning the implementation of paragraph 3 of Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations and to report its findings, as appropriate;

Encourages the Commission to consider further issues relating to the retention of female staff;

B.Conditions of service applicable to both categories of staff

1.Separation payments

Takes note of the recommendation of the Commission to introduce end-of-service severance pay in the organizations of the common system for fixed-term staff involuntarily separating from the Organization upon the expiration of their contract after ten or more years of continuous service;

Decides to revert to the question of the proposed end-of-service severance pay at its sixty-fifth session;

Takes note of the recommendation of the Commission for governing bodies of the organizations of the common system to harmonize their termination indemnity schedule with that of the United Nations, and requests the Commission to review the application of the termination indemnity and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session;

Reaffirms that the repatriation grant should not be payable to staff living in their home country and working abroad or to staff with permanent resident status at the last duty station, and reiterates its call to the governing bodies of the organizations of the common system to align their provisions regarding repatriation grant eligibility with those applicable in the United Nations;

Reiterates that the death grant should not be payable to secondary dependants, and reiterates its call to the governing bodies of the organizations of the common system to align their provisions regarding the death grant with those applicable in the United Nations;

2.Mandatory age of separation

Notes paragraphs 17 and 20 of the report of the Commission,Error: Reference source not found and requests the Commission to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session on the results of the comprehensive analysis of the possibility of changing the mandatory age of separation, including the implications in the areas of human resources policies and pensions;

Requests the Commission to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session with advice and recommendations on succession planning within the organizations of the common system;

C.Other matters

1.Senior Management Network

Notes the decision of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination to discontinue work on the Senior Management Network;

Requests the Commission to monitor the adequacy and effectiveness of measures aimed at improving management capacity and performance within the common system and to report to the General Assembly on these matters, as appropriate;

2.General Service salary survey methodologies

Also requests the Commission, when reviewing the General Service salary survey methodologies under the Flemming principle, in accordance with the programme of work of the Commission for 2010–2011,⁴ to give higher consideration to the local national civil service among the retained employers, taking into account that the United Nations is a civil service organization.

⁴Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 30 and corrigendum (A/64/30 and Corr.2), annex I.