Composition of the staff of the Centre for Human Rights.

Composition of the staff of the Centre for Human Rights

Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/61

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, which states that the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff and in the determination of the conditions of service shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, and that due regard shall be paid to the importance of recruiting staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible, Also recalling part II, paragraph 11 of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.157/23) in which the World Conference on Human Rights requested the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to provide sufficient human, financial and other resources to the Centre for Human Rights to enable it effectively, efficiently and expeditiously to carry out its activities, Taking into account the need to pay particular attention to the recruitment to the Centre for Human Rights of personnel from developing countries and in this regard to improve the current composition of the staff of the Centre on the basis of a more equitable geographical distribution, Reaffirming its resolution 1994/56 of 4 March 1994, Taking note of the report on the distribution of posts of the Centre for Human Rights submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, pursuant to its resolution 1994/56 (A/49/545), Concerned by the underrepresentation of the developing countries on the staff of the Centre for Human Rights, in particular in Professional posts, as shown in the above-mentioned report,

1. Reaffirms that Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations should guide the Secretary-General in his policy for the recruitment of the staff of the Organization, in particular taking into account the criteria of equitable geographical distribution;

2. Considers that it is necessary to take urgent, concrete and immediate steps to change the prevailing distribution of posts of the staff of the Centre for Human Rights in favour of an equitable geographical distribution of those posts in accordance with Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations, particularly by recruiting personnel from developing countries, including to key posts;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to adopt the necessary measures to pay particular attention to the recruitment for the Centre for Human Rights of personnel from developing countries, for the existing vacancies as well as for additional ones, to ensure equitable geographical distribution, giving priority in particular in this regard to recruitment to high-level and Professional posts and to the recruitment of women;

4. Also requests the Secretary-General, in signing agreements with countries as a result of which junior professional officers are provided to the Centre for Human Rights, to urge those countries to ensure financial resources to guarantee that personnel from developing countries are able to work as junior professional officers, with a view to conforming to the principle of equitable geographical distribution;

5. Urges the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive report to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session on the geographical composition and functions of the staff of the Centre for Human Rights and other categories of officers involved in its activities, including measures adopted, and their results, and recommendations for improving the present situation;

6. Decides to consider this matter at its fifty-second session.

59th meeting, 7 March 1995 [Adopted by a roll-call vote of 35 votes to 16, with 1 abstention]