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 1996/65

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling that in its report to the Special Commission of the Economic and Social Council (E/CN.4/1988/85 and Corr.1), the Commission on Human Rights reaffirmed that the paramount consideration in the employment of staff at every level was the need for the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, and that it was convinced that that was compatible with the principle of equitable geographical distribution, and bearing in mind Article 101, paragraph 3 of the Charter of the United Nations, Recalling also Part II, paragraphs 11 and 17 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 the sufficient human, financial and other resources to the Centre for Human Rights to enable it effectively, efficiently and expeditiously to carry out its activities, and at the same time recognized the necessity for an adaptation of the United Nations human rights machinery in accordance with its real needs, 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 1995/61 of 7 March 1995, Taking note of the note by the Secretary-General on the geographical composition and functions of the staff of the Centre for Human Rights (A/50/682) submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to Commission resolution 1995/61 , Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the programme and administrative practices of the Centre for Human Rights (A/49/892, annex) in which the Office recognized the necessity of restructuring the secretariat of the Centre, Expressing its concern once again at the underrepresentation of the developing countries on the staff of the Centre for Human Rights, in particular taking into account the criteria of equitable geographical distribution,

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, within the ongoing process of the restructuring of the Centre for Human Rights, 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, 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. Requests once again 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 additional 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 and, in this regard, to establish a permanent mechanism by virtue of which, for each junior professional officer from a donor country joining the Centre, another junior professional officer from a developing country would also join the Centre;

5. Urges the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive report to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session and to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-third session on the implementation of the present resolution, including measures adopted and their results, and recommendations for improving the present situation;

6. Decides to consider this matter under the same agenda item at its fifty-third session.

58th meeting 23 April 1996 [Adopted by a roll-call vote of 33 votes to 16, with 4 abstentions]