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Mr Chairman,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. I would like to thank Mr. Kingston Rhodes for introducing the report of the International Civil Service Commission for the year 2007, Ms. Katrina Nowlan for introducing the Statement submitted by the Secretary-General in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedures of the General Assembly, and Mr. Rajat Saha for introducing the corresponding ACABQ report.
Mr Chairman,
Our delegations commence by underscoring the importance of the responsibilities of the ICSC and the direct connection between its work and the effective functioning of the organizations of the common system. In this light, we would like to first of all acknowledge the contributions of the Commission in providing guidance on two key human resources issues.
First, the conclusions of the Commission on the proposals of the Secretary General on contractual arrangements and entitlements for internationally recruited staff will provide an important basis for the General Assembly to make decisions on new contractual arrangements and benefits for staff. Further, the advice offered on the issue of conditions of service in non-family duty stations helps to clarify the options before the General Assembly.
Second, Member States have for some time now been endeavouring to find the most effective means of retaining staff to complete the work of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia. Our delegations appreciate the comments and recommendations of the Commission, in particular its helpful identification of non-monetary incentives.
Mr. Chairman,
In order for organizations in the United Nations system to remain effective and progressive, the relevance of strengthening the capacity of managers cannot be understated. In this regard, our delegations welcome the work being done
on a Senior Management Network. We believe it is significant that the Commission sees the value of this initiative. We note that the Commission’s secretariat has four staff members who are eligible to participate in professional development in the framework of the Senior Management Network.
With regards to the pilot study on broad-banding and reward for contribution, CANZ delegations continue to view this as a step towards strengthening performance-based human resource management. We are disappointed at the lack of feedback that has been provided to Member States thus far on the pilot study. However, we note the decision to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot study and look forward to learning the outcomes of this.
Mr. Chairman,
The Commission occupies a strategic position in the UN system. In this regard we are encouraged by the efforts of the Commission to strengthen and streamline its working methods. We will watch with interest the outcomes of these improvements on the work of the Commission and the critical guidance it provides to the operation of the organizations of the UN common system.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
