AG/RES. 1647 (XXIX-O/99)

PERSONNEL POLICY REFORM

(Resolution adopted at the first plenary session, held on June 7, 1999)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

BEARING IN MIND the need to consider the documents "Personnel Policy Reform with comments from the Staff Association" (GETC/FORMOEA-29/98); "Report of the Working Group on the Career Service in the OAS General Secretariat" (CP/doc.3187/99); "Personnel Policy" (CP/doc.3198/99); "Comparative Grid on Personnel Policy (CP/CAAP-2470/99); and (CP/CAAP-2470/99 add. 1); "Comparative Study on the Life and Health Insurance Benefits offered by the General Secretariat and other International Organizations" (CP/doc.3183/99); and "Pensions for Retired Executives and Health and Life Insurance for Retired Employees" (CP/doc.2981/97);

CONSIDERING:

That by resolution AG/RES. 1596 (XXVIII-O/98) the General Assembly instructed the General Secretariat "to improve the Organization's existing employment mechanisms where necessary, focusing in particular on increasing transparency and simplifying the various hiring mechanisms" and to assist the Permanent Council in preparing "a study with recommendations on the career service policy of the General Secretariat for review by the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth regular session;" and

That by resolution AG/RES. 1 (XXV-E/98), the General Assembly instructed the Secretary General "to present a study on the distribution of personnel across all levels and to present recommendations to be adopted by the twenty-ninth regular session of the General Assembly on restructuring that distribution with a view to building a workforce more appropriate to the changing needs of the Organization and to establishing an appropriate personnel policy, taking into account geographical representation in accordance with Article 120 of the Charter;"

RESOLVES:

1. To instruct the Permanent Council, to continue its study of the General Secretariat’s career service policy and other personnel policy matters, and to adopt such measures as may be appropriate, ad referendum of the General Assembly.

2. To extend the mandate to the Secretary General to improve the General Secretariat’s existing employment mechanisms where necessary, focusing in particular on increasing transparency and simplifying the various hiring mechanisms of the General Secretariat, and to inform the Permanent Council of the changes effected within his authority, so that it may report to the next General Assembly.

3. To extend the mandate to the Secretary General to keep the Permanent Council updated on the implementation of the new performance evaluation system; and to request the Permanent Council to report to the next General Assembly on the results.

4. To instruct the Secretary General to maintain, without prejudice to the future of the career service, the freeze on all vacant slots in the career service until such time as the General Assembly takes a definitive decision.