United Nations Documents

DINF Web Posted on: December 19, 1997

A/RES/40/244

18 December 1985

121st plenary meeting

United Nations common system: report of the International Civil Service Commission

The General Assembly,

Having considered the eleventh annual report of the International Civil Service Commission and other reports related thereto,

Reaffirming the importance of maintaining and developing further a single unified international civil service through the application of common personnel standards, methods and arrangements,

I

1. Notes the action taken by the International Civil Service Commission in response to General Assembly resolutions 39/27 of 30 November 1984 and 39/69 of 13 December 1984;
2. Approves the range of 110 to 120, with a desirable mid-point of 115, for the margin between the net remuneration of officials in the Professional and higher categories of the United Nations in New York and that of officials in comparable positions in the United States federal civil service, on the understanding that the margin would be maintained at a level around the desirable mid-point of 115 over a period of time;
3. Requests the Commission:

(a) To develop further the methodology for calculating the margin based on net remuneration, taking into account the views expressed in the Fifth Committee at the current session, and to study the possibility of calculating the margin as specified in paragraph 2 above based on a comparison of net remuneration for both services in New York and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-first session;

(b) To further elaborate procedures for the operation of the post adjustment system within the approved range of the margin of net remuneration, which would enable the Commission to maintain the margin at a level around the desirable mid-point of 115 over a period of time, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its forty-first session;

4. Also requests the Commission to continue its studies of the post adjustment system as it relates to United Nations officials posted outside the base city of the system, the effects of exchange rate fluctuations and the possibility of eliminating post adjustment at the base city of the system, and to report thereon to the General Assembly no later than at its forty-second session;

II

Approves the recommendations of the International Civil Service Commission contained in paragraphs 180 and 181 of its report concerning support by organizations of the United Nations common system for staff with dependent disabled children;

III

1. Welcomes the recommendations of the International Civil Service Commission contained in paragraph 245 of its report concerning the introduction of special measures for the recruitment of women, is cognizant of the contents of paragraphs 246 and 247 of the same report and requests the Commission to report to the General Assembly at its forty-first session on the progress made in this regard;
2. Welcomes further the recommendations of the Commission contained in paragraph 252 of its report concerning the development of recruitment sources, including national recruitment services;
3. Requests the Commission:

(a) To undertake a study of the mobility of Professional staff in the United Nations common system, including the frequency and average length of their assignments at different duty stations;

(b) To re-examine the scope of the education grant in relation to the purpose for which it was originally approved;

4. Also requests the Commission to re-examine the question of the mandatory age of separation from service of staff of organizations of the common system and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-first session;

IV

1. Requests the Secretary-General in his capacity as Chairman of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination and, through him, the other executive heads of organizations participating in the United Nations common system, to promote endeavours to maintain and strengthen the common system for the regulation and co-ordination of the conditions of service;
2. Also requests the executive heads of participating organizations, through the Secretary-General, to inform their respective governing bodies of the present resolution;
3. Urges Member States to ensure that their representatives in organizations of the United Nations common system are informed about the positions taken by them in the General Assembly on matters relating to the conditions of service;
4. Expresses its concern over actions taken by some of the participating organizations which have led to disparities in the United Nations common system;
5. Requests the International Civil Service Commission to report in detail to the General Assembly at future sessions on the consideration and implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the Commission by organizations of the United Nations common system.