Mdm. Chair,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 144: Human Resources Management at the first part of the resumed 79th session of the Fifth Committee.

2. The Group wishes to thank Assistant Secretary-General Martha Helena López, and Ms Juliana Ruas, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for introducing their respective reports.

3. The Group would like to acknowledge the great efforts of the ACABQ in providing comprehensive technical and sound recommendations to the Committee on the agenda items before us during this part of the resumed session.

4. The Group recalls that the GA resolution 77/278 was adopted after a long time of having no consensus on the human resources management. The Group will be interested in hearing and understanding how the Secretariat is implementing the resolution which provides an important guidance to the human resources management reform.

Mdm. Chair,

5. With respect to the staff composition report, the Group notes that the total the number of staff decreased by 34 from 36,791 to 36,757 during the reporting period ending December 2023 with the reason being attributed to among others the temporary hiring restrictions against the regular budget in July 2023.

6. The Group also notes that during the reporting period, the temporary recruitment suspension reduced movement into regular budget posts and could hinder progress towards equitable geographical distribution due to the Organization's inability to fill vacant geographical posts. In this regard, the Group urges the Secretary-General to ensure that any implementation of liquidity management measures, the impact on the recruitment of staff in critical areas is mitigated.

7. The Group wishes to reiterate that the principles of equitable geographical representation and gender parity are a core concern of the Group of 77 and China and we will look forward to understanding the practical steps being taken by the Secretary-General in achieving equitable geographical representation within the Organization. While we note significant progress in achieving gender parity within the Organization, there is a lack of similar and complementary efforts and progress to ensure geographical representation in the Organization.

8. The Group notes with concern that 281 geographical posts are encumbered by staff without geographical status, and notes the slow pace of introducing Staff Selection 2.0, which should be at the core of the comprehensive human resources strategy. We expect that the Secretariat will intensify efforts to achieve equitable geographical representation of Member States among the staff at all levels, as well as efforts to achieve equitable geographical distribution, in particular for unrepresented and underrepresented Member States for posts subject to the desirable ranges.

9. We urge the Secretary-General to redouble his efforts towards achieving equitable geographical representation across the staff of the Organization, especially at senior levels of D1 level and above posts and to pay attention to the significant contribution of the TCCs and PCCs within the United Nations.

10. The Group also reiterates its concern over the discrepancies in the selection processes and recruitment of the Organization. We look forward to having an in-depth discussion on the factors and elements causing such great discrepancies in order to address and take corrective action on them.

11. Regarding the proposal on the movement of Secretariat staff from the General Service category to the Professional category (G to P), the Group reiterates its concern that the new proposal may create obstacles in achieving equitable geographical representation.

12. Regarding the proposal for internships, the Group would like to reiterate it is due to financial hardships, young people from our Group cannot do internships. We will study this proposal positively with the intention improving the quality of life and opportunities for interns from our region.

Mdm. Chair,

13. The Group also notes with concern the continued significant number of vacant posts subject to equitable geographical distribution, including at the P-2 level, and of geographical posts temporarily encumbered by staff without geographical status and with limited appointments, and encourages the Secretary-General to ensure that all posts subject to the system of desirable ranges are encumbered accordingly and vacant posts are filled expeditiously as requested by the General Assembly.

14. Relatedly, the Group notes with concern the uneven progress on the number of unrepresented and underrepresented member states. We urge the Secretary- General to hold accountable managers that fail to meet the performance target regarding recruitment against geographical posts.

15. On the other hand, the Group is keen to continue reviewing the Secretariat's efforts to improve the rejuvenation of the organization, including through the implementation of the young professionals programme among others.

16. The Group notes that in the biennium 2022-2023, 175,781 applicants applied for 2765 jobs in the internship programme. With an average of 63 applicants competing for one vacancy, the Group looks forward to having more information on how the refined internship programme, including the financial support from the UN, will help more applicants from all developing countries be successfully selected as interns.

17. The Group also acknowledges the intention to implement an enhanced approach to learning, while upholding the principle of mutual benefit for participants and the Organization, and believes it is important to ensure equal opportunities to all interns for networking, coaching and mentoring and other activities taking place regularly in the Secretariat.

Mdm. Chair,

18. Regarding monitoring staff attendance, the Group reiterates that managers are responsible and accountable for managing the performance, and productivity, of staff and for ensuring that work obligations and the delivery of the agreed outputs and that all managers and staff members who avail themselves of the flexible working arrangements must continue to be available and responsive to Member States' needs in a timely manner.

19. In conclusion, Mdm. Chair, the Group is committed to engaging constructively with the view to achieving a positive outcome on this agenda item.

I thank you!