carry out the task of the ongoing field and Headquarters staffing review. However, the question rose of whether that was the end of the process, whether the purpose of the exercise was to reduce the number of posts to 2,074 or whether it was intended to determine operational requirements for protecting and assisting refugees according to the High Commissioner's mandate or to produce administrative saving. The magnitude of the task of implementing a massive retrenchment exercise within a very short period of time called for the understanding and support of the Executive Committee in order to enable the High Commissioner to minimize the effects of retrenchment on the staff. The Staff Council therefore proposed that the necessary financial support should be given to the High Commissioner to implement the most humane measures, where separation of staff was inevitable. The Staff Council also requested the Executive Committee's support to ensure that former UNHCR staff were given the preference for appointment to posts within the United Nations system and the specialized agencies and that they would enjoy priority in filling future contingency posts within UNHCR. The Staff Council would also A/AC.96/SR.450 page 15 welcome suggestions in that context from the Executive Committee, particularly in respect of staff locally recruited in country-specific programmes and projects in the field. 76. He asked how the three key principles that governed government retrenchment exercises, namely, attrition, redeplojmient and an implementation time-frame that minimized the effect of post reductions on staff, applied to UNHCR. The scope for attrition was limited, as UNHCR was a relatively young organization. Redeplo3mient possibilities in the field, particularly for local staff, were more difficult and often non-existent. The norm of a three-year time-frame was significantly different from that facing UNHCR. He hoped that the Executive Committee would give due consideration to the scale and 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing a restructuring exercise within an international organization, specifically the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The language used suggests a focus on staff reductions, relocation, and support for affected employees. The context is likely related to humanitarian aid and relief, as UNHCR is an organization primarily concerned with protecting and assisting refugees.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief