CP/RES. 854 (1392/03)

AMENDMENT OF ARTICLE 19(a)(iii) OF THE GENERAL STANDARDS
ON THE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT
FOR CONTINUING CONTRACT ELIGIBILITY

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

CONSIDERING,

That Article 19(a)(iii) of the General Standards requires every candidate for a continuing contract in the General Secretariat to pass language proficiency exams "in at least two of the following languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish";

That the General Assembly, by Section IV(A)(1)(d) of resolution AG/RES. 1974 (XXXIII-O/03), instructed the Permanent Council's Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs "to determine the advisability of applying it [the language proficiency requirement] to lower level general services posts away from headquarters;"

That insistence in the language requirement as a condition for continuing contracts for lower-level general services staff away from headquarters may unduly restrict the recruitment of otherwise qualified staff members looking to make a career in the General Secretariat in those duty stations where training in a second language is not easily accessible;

That although there is a recognized need for proficiency in at least two official languages for all staff members stationed at Headquarters, as well as for all professionals and the G-6 administrative technicians in the Offices of the General Secretariat away from Headquarters, that need is less compelling for the G-3 level driver/clerk positions in those Offices;

That the General Secretariat's experience in testing proficiency in languages for the first group of candidates for continuing contracts during 2003 has demonstrated that testing candidates in their own native language could sometimes be unnecessary and potentially wasteful,

RESOLVES:

To recommend that the General Assembly, at its next regular meeting, amend Article 19(a)(iii) of the General Standards by adding to it the text in italics below:

iii The staff member has passed language proficiency exams administered by the appropriate dependency of the Secretariat for Management in at least two of the following languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish --- provided, however,

(a) Any staff member whose native language is one of those four languages shall only be required to demonstrate proficiency on an exam in one of the others; and

(b) Staff members currently occupying G-3 driver/clerk positions in those Offices of the General Secretariat away from headquarters where the language requirement unduly restricts the recruitment of otherwise qualified staff shall be exempt from this language proficiency requirement for as long as they occupy those positions. Subsequently, in order to be eligible to compete for a higher level position while retaining continuing contract benefits, any staff member who has benefited from this exemption to acquire the continuing contract benefits while occupying G-3 driver/clerk positions in the Offices of the General Secretariat away from headquarters must demonstrate proficiency in a second official language of the Organization.