STATEMENT BY MR MARK SEAH DELEGATE TO THE 68TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 139: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ON BEHALF OF ASEAN MEMBER STATES AT THE FIFTH COMMITTEE (New York, 21 October 2013)

1       Thank you, Mr Chairman.  It is a real pleasure to have you chairing our meetings with punctuality and efficiency.  This is an example of good resource management.  We also thank our esteemed colleagues from the Ethics Office, JIU, ACABQ, and UN Secretariat for their briefings.

2       I make this statement on behalf of the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).  These are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Mr Chairman,

3       We align ourselves with the statement made by Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.  We also thank the Secretary-General for his reports A/68/358 “Towards a global, dynamic and adaptable workforce” and A/68/356 “Composition of the Secretariat: staff demographics”.  ASEAN and the UN share a common view on the importance of our people, as they are an invaluable resource.  To quote UNGA Resolution 67/255, we “emphasise the fundamental importance of human resources management reform in the United Nations”.  We therefore commend the efforts of the Secretary-General to reform outdated practices and to streamline processes. 

4       ASEAN takes note that there are many UN resolutions and reports from the Secretary General which highlight the need for gender and geographic representation.  We are concerned that developing countries and women remain under-represented at the USG to D-1 levels[1].  The UN is diverse and international in representation and therefore must embody this character.  The composition of its staff should reflect this. 

5       We are aware that UNGA Resolution A/67/255 states that the principle of equitable distribution should not conflict with ensuring the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity.  We recognise the need to uphold the highest standards in recruitment and appointment.  At the same time, we reiterate that the Secretary-General should present proposals to ensure a more equitable gender and geographic distribution to the General Assembly.

Mr Chairman,

6       ASEAN is of the view that the UN needs the best talent in its service. However, motivation and management are also equally important.  In this regard, the UN needs to better review its performance management system.  This is especially important given the proposed framework for mobility and career development which will be deliberated by the Committee in this session.

Mr Chairman,

7       Last but not least, a word on ethics.  The work of the UN and its agencies is complex.  Report A/68/348 paints an encouraging picture that the Secretariat and other UN entities are increasing their financial disclosure filings.  However, we are particularly concerned that financial disclosure participation by PKOs seems to have decreased.  This needs to be addressed.  We hope that disclosure requirements will be uniformly applied and any irregularities be dealt with expeditiously and in a timely manner.

8       Thank you, Mr Chairman.

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[1]               Ref. Table 8 of SG’s report A/68/356 and A/68/337 (Part 1, Add I)