Composition of Staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

A/HRC/RES/31/1No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 2Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, published in 2016.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 2010–2019

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/42/1

2019A/HRC/RES/42/1Composition of staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human RightsLatestCompare with previous version
2017A/HRC/RES/36/1Composition of staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human RightsCompare with previous version
2016A/HRC/RES/31/1Composition of staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human RightsCompare with previous version
2015A/HRC/RES/28/1Composition of staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human RightsCompare with previous version
2013A/HRC/RES/22/2Composition of staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human RightsCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 topics

Cultural Pluralism Geographical Distribution Personnel Management Professional Staff Staffing

What does this mandate say?

14 operative paragraphs

Expresses serious concern at the fact that the imbalance in the geographical representation in the composition of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights continues to be prominent, particularly at the senior management level;

Requests the High Commissioner, within his administrative responsibilities, to redouble his efforts with a view to redress the current imbalance in the geographical composition of the staff of the Office, despite the budgetary contingency, and to establish specific and public targets and deadlines to be achieved;

Also requests the High Commissioner to work on attaining the broadest geographical diversity of his staff by strengthening the measures aimed at achieving better representation of countries and regions that are unrepresented or underrepresented, particularly from the developing world, while considering applying a cap on the representation of countries and regions already overrepresented in the Office of the High Commissioner;

Further requests the High Commissioner to implement and promote further measures to eliminate the current imbalance in the geographical composition of the staff of the Office of the High Commissioner, taking particular measures to tackle the imbalance in the number of posts not subject to geographical distribution;

Welcomes the efforts made towards the achievement of a gender balance in the composition of the staff, and the decision to continue to pay special attention to this issue;

Underlines the importance of continuing to promote geographical diversity in recruitment and promotion in the Professional category and, in particular, in senior management positions as a principle of the staffing policies of the Office of the High Commissioner;

Recognizes that efforts to achieve savings and the efficient utilization of resources should not adversely affect the full implementation of mandated programmes and activities and the measures taken for improving the geographical composition of the staff;

Reaffirms the vital importance of geographical balance in the composition of the staff of the Office of the High Commissioner, taking into account the significance of national and regional specificities and various historic, cultural and religious backgrounds and of different political, economic and legal systems to the promotion and protection of the universality of human rights;

Recalls the provisions contained in section IX, paragraph 2 of General Assembly resolution 63/250 of 24 December 2008, on human resources management, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to ensure as wide a geographical distribution of staff as possible in all departments, offices and levels, including the Director level and higher levels, of the Secretariat;

Underlines the priority importance with which the General Assembly should continue to provide support and guidance to the High Commissioner in the ongoing process of improving the geographical balance in the composition of the staff of the Office of the High Commissioner;

Stresses that extrabudgetary resources, in particular when they are related to the establishment of new posts, shall be used in a manner consistent with the mandates, programmes and activities of the Organization, including the principle of equitable geographical distribution of the staff, and in compliance with the existing budgetary rules and regulations;

Requests the High Commissioner to continue to improve his interaction with Member States, including within the framework of President’s statements PRST/15/2 of 1 October 2010, PRST/18/2 of 30 September 2011 and PRST/19/1 of 22 March 2012, and giving particular attention to the composition of the staff;

Also requests the High Commissioner to submit a comprehensive and updated report to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-sixth session, with a special focus on further measures taken to correct the imbalance in the geographical composition of the staff of the Office of the High Commissioner;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

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