RES/7/2 Composition of the staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Human Rights Council

Resolution 7/2. Composition of the staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling paragraph 5 (g) of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March

2006, in which the Assembly decided that the Council should assume the role and

responsibilities of the Commission on Human Rights relating to the work of the Office of

the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as decided by the Assembly

in its resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993,

Taking note of all relevant resolutions on this issue adopted by the General

Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and the Council,

Taking note also of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights on the composition of the staff of the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/7/57),

Taking note further of the reports of the Joint Inspection Unit on the follow-up to

the management review of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights (A/59/65-E/2004/48 and Add.1) and on the funding and staffing of the

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (JIU/REP/2007/8),

Bearing in mind that an imbalance in the composition of the staff could diminish

the effectiveness of the work of the Office of the High Commissioner if it is perceived to

be culturally biased and unrepresentative of the United Nations as a whole,

Reaffirming the importance of continuing the ongoing efforts to address the

imbalance regarding the regional representation of the staff of the Office of the High

Commissioner,

Underlining that the paramount consideration for employing staff at every level is

the need for the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, and taking into

account Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, expressing its

conviction that this objective is compatible with the principle of equitable geographical

distribution,

Reaffirming that the Fifth Committee is the appropriate Main Committee of the

General Assembly entrusted with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary

matters,

1. Takes note with interest of the statement made by the High Commissioner in

her report that achieving geographical balance in the staff of the Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will remain one of her priorities, and

requests the High Commissioner and her successors to undertake all measures needed to

redress the current imbalance in geographical distribution of the staff of the Office of the

High Commissioner;

2. Takes note of the various measures proposed and already taken to address the

imbalance in geographical distribution of the staff, while stressing that the imbalance in

geographical distribution is still prominent;

3. Also takes note of the commitment of the High Commissioner to develop

additional measures to improve the geographical balance of the Office of the High

Commissioner, as stated in the conclusion of her report;

4. Requests future High Commissioners to continue enhancing the ongoing efforts

in the fulfilment of the goal of a geographical balance in the composition of the staff of

the Office;

5. Underlines the importance of continuing promoting geographical diversity in

the recruitment of high-level and Professional posts, including senior managers, as a

principle of the staffing policies of the Office of the High Commissioner;

6. Affirms the vital importance of geographical balance in the composition of the

staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, taking

into account the significance of national and regional specificities and various historic,

cultural and religious backgrounds, as well as of different political, economic and legal

systems, to the promotion and protection of the universality of human rights;

7. Recalls the provisions contained in section X, paragraph 3, of General

Assembly resolution 55/258 of 14 June 2001 on human resources management, in which

the Assembly reiterated its request to the Secretary-General to increase further his efforts

to improve the composition of the Secretariat by ensuring a wide and equitable

geographical distribution of staff in all departments;

8. Encourages the General Assembly to consider further measures for promoting

desirable ranges of geographical balance in the staff of the Office of the High

Commissioner representing national and regional specificities, various historic, cultural

and religious backgrounds, as well as the diversity of political, economic and legal

systems;

9. Welcomes the significant increase in the human and financial resources

allocated to the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner;

10. Recognizes the importance of the follow-up to and implementation of

General Assembly resolution 61/159 of 19 December 2006 and underlines the

priority importance that the Assembly continue providing support and guidance to the

High Commissioner in the ongoing process of improvement of the geographical balance

in the composition of the staff of the Office of the High Commissioner;

11. Requests the High Commissioner to submit a comprehensive and updated

report to the Council in 2009 in accordance with its annual programme of work,

following the structure and scope of her report and with a special focus on further

measures taken to correct the imbalance in geographical composition of the staff of the

Office.

39th meeting 27 March 2008

Adopted by a recorded vote of 34 to 10, with 3 abstentions. The voting was as follows:

In favour: Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Cuba,

Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar,

Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru,

Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa,

Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Zambia.

Against: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania,

Slovenia, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Abstaining: Japan, Republic of Korea, Switzerland.