EU Statement – United Nations 5th Committee: UN Common System
Mr. Chairman,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Member States of the European Union.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia, align themselves with this statement.
I would like to thank Mr. Kingston Rhodes, Chair of the International Civil Service Commission, for introducing the Commission’s report for 2017, and Mr. Jan Huisman, Director of the Programme Planning and Budget Division, for his remarks on the statement of the Secretary-General on the administrative and financial implications of the decisions and recommendations contained in the report of the ICSC. We would also like to thank the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, for his introductory remarks on the related report of that Committee.
Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, I would like to underline the continued appreciation of the Member States of the European Union for the crucial role of the International Civil Service Commission. We highly value its work and we believe the Commission is essential to enhancing the effective functioning of the organisations of the common system.
Mr. Chairman,
It is the EU Member States’ strong conviction that the staff are the main asset of the Organisation. Our common goal is to make sure the UN staff are able to achieve the organization’s mandates and are capable of adapting to new challenges or new working environment. We therefore remain fully committed to equipping the personnel of the United Nations with the appropriate and necessary support in order to enable them to work effectively and safely, particularly those working under the most dangerous circumstances. We are also aware that costs related to the Organisation’s staff constitute the largest part of the United Nations’ budget and play a major role in budget increases. In this context, may we recall that UN staff cannot be insulated from current economic realities, including comparison with the condition of civil services within the Member States in accordance with longstanding principles.
Mr. Chairman,
We have studied closely the report of the International Civil Service Commission for 2017 and the related reports of the Secretary-General and the ACABQ.
We have read carefully the background given regarding the question of the post adjustment in Geneva following the ICSC surveys. The post adjustment system is designed to provide all staff within the Common System with the same purchasing power at all duty stations and constitutes one of the cornerstones of the Common System. Implementing consistent policies and common standards that avoid discrepancies in the terms and conditions of employment across the UN Common System is essential to maintaining a level playing field for staff doing similar work of equal value at different duty stations. It is important for the morale of staff who are expected to work collaboratively with others across the UN system. Furthermore, an uneven implementation of the ICSC decision would be contrary to the spirit in which the ICSC mandate was established and would pose a challenge to the future of the Common System.
The EU Member States will continue to follow carefully the discussions in Geneva and expect to see ICSC decisions implemented in full and within the timelines, for new and existing staff.
Mr. Chairman,
We note with concern that gender imbalance remains a persistent issue in the UN workforce, especially at the senior level and in the field operations. We welcome the commitment of the Secretary-General towards gender parity in his senior appointments and efforts to reach it system-wide. As stated in the report, gender parity is not only a right but also necessary to the efficiency, impact and credibility of the UN. The Member States of the European Union will continue to closely follow progress and efforts towards enhancing gender parity across the UN.
We will also be looking closely into other important issues under this agenda item, including the guidelines for employment of National Professional Officers, the Study on Performance management and proposals on performance incentives, the base/floor salary scale of the Remuneration of the Professionals and higher categories, the survey of best prevailing condition in Vienna and the danger pay for General Service in the field.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, let me assure you of the EU Member States’ commitment to engage constructively with all colleagues in negotiations on the addressed issues in the upcoming informal consultations.
I thank you, Mr. Chairman
* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.