theunprecedented increase inmission assignments. abacklog hasbeencreated with regardtothoseregular examinations. Health-enhancing anddisease preventive programmes should beincreased. AttheSaffletime.activities relat(\iJ(l t,Q(f,mp assistance willhavetobestrengthened inordertoaddr.ms thelncrm••ingn••dto provide guidance andcounselling tostaff. -3- Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library41.11 Theprogr2l:lrorM,' willcontinue tobei~{pleme!1ted bytheOffice ofHuman lMe$ource~ Ha.nagement atHeadquarters, andbythevariOllspersonnel services ofthe Divisions ofAdministration attheUnit.ed Mations Office atGeneva and1J'ier-na, the r~·gio:n.81 c4jft~ig;gions, a.nootherUnited Nations affic-ss a'¥fayfro;mHeadquarters. T'he fu.n£:ti(j!l~ andorganizational structure oftheOffice ofHill11anResources ~~anagemen't ale",deocribed inthe 5ecretary~Gene;ral' isBulletins (ST/SGB/Orga!lization, lflEWt. P(II)ofJuri€1975andST/S{;B/224 of13February 1987). TheOffice ofHtL'!lan Re~ource§ Managel:l\u~nt atHeadquarten. willcontinue todevelop policies a.ndprovide ov",ral1 gui.dance tooverseas offices. 41.12 Int...'1i'1 d@cC\d~ ahead, <J1'ftidst rapidshifts ininternational relations, the cocnte'}l:t;. hiwhichtheOrganization l.o'il1opcerate isoneofchange andreorientation. Tll{iJ' focu~ofth@progratl'!l'l:;6 onhumanresources rl'.anagement willaccordingly movefrom t~ohnlcal ~ervicing toactive support forthechanging substantive functions ofthe undertheC'narter . 4,1.13 Underthttdirect supervision oftheAssistant Secretary-General forHuman R€H~bUrCtU Hanagtl'lllent, planning andinformation activities willbecentralized to eaGUrethattheshort-term andlong-term staffing needscanbeforecast andmet Gale(lU,a~ely andthatthehumanresources oftheOrganization areutilized optimally. 41.14 Inthelastthreeyears, theresources oftheprogramme inthefieldof n;:cruiUl'Cl1lnt andplCicement havebeenfullycommitted totheimplementation ofthe vac~nay management and ~taffredeployment planasaninitial module leading toa cOtFlpre'!1wl'i(dve career development plan,theretrenc:b.ment planandthestaffing of p~ac@~kCil1lping oI?eration(~ andpeace-keeping missions. During theperiod 1992-1997 ofthe medium~tI.H·m plan,waysandmeanswillbeexplored formaintaining allMember gtate~ ~ithin theirdesirable ranges inpostssubject togeographical di~tribution. Widerandmoreaggressive campaigns toidentify recruitment sources andqualified candidates, especially female candidates, willbeundertaken. Atthe ~anletime, 11comprehensive andorderly career development system forstaffinall c~teg6ri~$ willbacompleted andimplemented. Inordertostrengthen further mobility, whichhasnoticeably increased underthevacancy management system, a planned ~ndcentralized scheme torotatestaffintheProfessional category will b8come anintegral partofhumanresources management. 41,15 Theprinciple ofcureer appointments hasnowbeenmorewidely accepted by mo~t I~tlmber Governments, whichhelpsinenhancing thecohesiveness andmobility of the ~3tCl1'f. I tistheintention oftheOffice ofHumanResources Management to ro~ttlrthattrendduring themedium-term planperiod. Inthatcontext, competitive ellaminations willbeusedmoreextensively torecruit newstaffmembers atthe juniorProressional level an~theapplication ofcompetitive examinations willbe extended selectively during 1992~1997 topostsattheP-3level. 41.16 Inarapidly changing workenvironment, career counselling becomes critical and~illbestrengthened forstaffinboththeProfessional andGeneral Service categories. Inmeeting thatgoal, a"Career Development Handbook" forstaffinthe Goneral Service category atHeadquarters hasbeenprepared bytheOffice ofHuman n••ourc••Management, introducing theconcept ofcareer pathsbasedontheconcept ofoccupational groups. Iti.envisaged thatahandbook forstaffinthe