of good management, the Secretary-General could well be granted a little more flexibility so that in exceptional cases the extension could be for one or even two years. The Office of Personnel Services had established a strict procedure under which a special advisory committee reviewed all applications for extensions, and the same procedure could be applied equally strictly to the period of one or two years if the General Assembly gave the Secretary-General greater latitude. He hoped his suggestion might be taken up by those delegations which were preparing the draft resolution or resolutions on the item. 5. Mr. MERIEUX (France) said that the statements of the Chairman of ICSC and of the Under-Secretary-General on the language incentive had made the position clearer. Nevertheless, his delegation remained in favour of the system instituted by General Assembly resolution 2480 B (XXIII), although it would not oppose such improvements as the extension of the system to UNDP, which would help to remedy the anomalies referred to by ICSC. The linguistic situation in the Secretariat had improved somewhat in recent years, but the figures still showed that the system was not operating perfectly, particularly in respect of promotion. More effective measure could be envisaged for improving the situation still further, including greater attention to language requirements at the time of recruitment. His delegation would welcome any constructive proposal for improving the linguistic balance in the Secretariat. The question could not be reduced, however, to a matter of good personnel management. It was a delicate political problem, and he recalled that resolution 2480 B (XXIII) had been adopted at the initiative of Member States rather than of ICSC. The Secretary-General was in the best position to evaluate the results of the existing system and in due course to present proposals for its improvement. 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the linguistic balance in the United Nations Secretariat and the extension of the system for promoting language skills. It highlights the need for improvement in the current system and the importance of considering the political implications of the issue. The language used is formal and official, indicating that the topic is related to the functioning of the United Nations.

**Category**
Employment, International relations