Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 139 entitled "Human Resources Management".

2. The Group expresses its appreciation to the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, Ms. Catherine Pollard, and to the Director of the Ethics Office, Ms. Joan Elise Dubinsky, for their introductions of the relevant reports of the Secretary-General. The Group also thanks Inspector Cihan Terzi and Inspector Papa Louis Fall from the JIU for introducing the related reports of the Joint Inspection Unit as well as the Senior Adviser on Information Management Policy Coordination, Secretariat of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, Mr. Kenneth Herman, for introducing the notes by the Secretary-General transmitting his comments and those of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination on the reports of the Joint Inspection Unit, as well as the Chair of the ACABQ, Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, for introducing the related report of the Advisory Committee.

Mr. Chairman,

3. The Group of 77 and China support efforts by the Secretary-General to improve human resources management. We know that the efficient and effective delivery of the UN mandates hinges on the quality of its staff and the availability of resources. We therefore support reforms that contribute to a highly motivated, diverse and dynamic workforce for our Organization, with a view to making the Organization more effective, representative, transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the Member States.

4. While we pursue reform, staff welfare must remain a central consideration. This is not for its own sake but simply because motivated staff are loyal and productive. Hence reforms and changes must be done in a consultative and non-discriminatory manner and reflect the member-state driven nature of the Organization. We are confident that staff will understand that putting good policies in place today is crucial to ensuring that we have the Organization that we want and need ten or twenty years down the line.

5. To this end, there is room for improvement in Performance Management. Human resources must be managed according to the highest standards of accountability and transparency. The UN should develop a set of transparent and quantifiable benchmarks to encourage performance. There is no shortage of external references.

Mr. Chairman,

6. The Group reiterates the need to increase the representation of developing countries and the representation of women from developing countries, in particular at the senior levels; to improve geographic distribution in the Secretariat; and for more transparency in the recruitment process. Equitable representation in the Secretariat, especially at the senior level, is a key issue for the Group of 77 and China. Diversity is not merely a question of implementing the relevant provisions of the Charter and of General Assembly resolutions or an end to be pursued for its own sake. It is key to the Organization's effectiveness. If the UN is to succeed in implementing its global mandates, it must have a truly global Secretariat, and a truly international staff. Bearing in mind the integrated nature of human resources issues, it may be difficult to achieve progress in other areas if this critical dimension is not addressed.

7. The Group regrets to note that developing countries continue to be under-represented at the Professional level and above. We urge the Secretary-General to take remedial action. We are not asking that recruitment standards be compromised. We are asking that the net be cast wider to recruit the best candidates from as wide a catchment as possible, so as to ensure that the staff of the United Nations truly represents the diversity of its Member States.

8. Human Resource Management remains a priority for the Group. We reaffirm our commitment to engage in a constructive debate to foster substantive progress on this issue.

Thank you.