Philippines Underscores ASEAN Priorities in Relation to Human Resource Management Issues of the United Nations

Philippine Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Leila Lora-Santos calls for diversification in the UN staffing process to ensure the effectiveness of the United Nations organization last February 26, 2024. (New York PM Photo)

NEW YORK 28 February 2024— Speaking on behalf of ASEAN, Philippine Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) Leila Lora-Santos addressed the Fifth Committee during its 27th Formal Meeting of the 78th UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York on 26 February 2024. 

At the beginning of the session, the Philippine Mission’s Deputy Permanent Representative acknowledged the work of the secretariat, in particular on the implementation of the Staff Selection 2.0 programme, the United Nation’s comprehensive recruitment and staffing process, which aims to uphold the selection of qualified and diverse staff to ensure the organization’s effectiveness in achieving its goals. The programme was adopted by the General Assembly at the 77th first resumed session of the Fifth Committee on 31 March 2023, after six (6) years of no consensus on the matter. 

Deputy Permanent Representative Lora-Santos underscored ASEAN’s priorities for the current session, which include a discussion on the progress regarding the new approach to staff selection covering all phases of the recruitment process, including implementation plans and timelines and information on additional resources that may be required. And a

She also noted the Secretary General’s (SG’s) report on the Composition of the Secretariat and Staff Demographics, through which she emphasized the need to see further progress in terms of improving the organization’s equitable geographical representation and gender parity at all levels within the United Nations secretariat and field stations.  

According to her, ASEAN encourages strengthened rejuvenation of the United Nations; and called for greater initiatives for the UN to foster a culture of staff mobility within the secretariat. “We look forward to engaging in discussions on this matter, including with regard to the Young Professionals Programme (YPP). We agree that an expanded talent pool would be beneficial in strengthening the secretariat’s efforts to promote geographical representation and gender parity,” DPR Lora-Santos said. YPP is a recruitment initiative by the UN, which aims to attract talented and highly-qualified professionals, who begin as international civil servants within the UN. 

ASEAN also agrees that a strategic workforce planning across the organization could be useful to facilitate effective response to current and future challenges of all stages of staff recruitment and retention with the United Nations. In line with this, ASEAN also supports a “simplified and streamlined” human resources policy framework, which can substantially contribute towards the enhancement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the UN and its staff in delivering the Organization’s mandate. 

As regards to ethics and disciplinary matters, ASEAN noted the ongoing efforts of the Secretariat to underscore the importance of fostering a culture of ethics, integrity, transparency and accountability within the United Nations organization, including efforts on prevention and protection from retaliation. As such, the Group reiterates the importance of accountability and welcomes the “victim-centered approach” to dealing with cases of misconduct, in particular sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), to which there should be zero tolerance in order to promote trust and accountability within the UN-wide system. END

For more information, visit https://www.newyorkpm.dfa.gov.ph