Frequently Asked Questions

The timeline and any updates can be found on the HR Portal Continuing Appointments page

In order to be eligible for consideration for the granting of a continuing appointment, staff members must have five years of continuous service on fixed-term appointment(s) under the United Nations Staff Rules and Regulations. Thus, periods of service on fixed-term appointments in another entity governed by the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules prior to joining the United Nations Secretariat shall be counted towards the qualifying service provided the service has been continuous.

Permanent appointments were linked to the concept of a career service, and thus subject to satisfactory performance. A staff member granted a permanent appointment had a reasonable expectation of continued employment until his/her mandatory age of separation.

Continuing appointments are open-ended appointments. However, unlike the permanent appointment, the Secretary-General may terminate the appointment without the consent of the staff member if, in the opinion of the Secretary-General, such action would be in the interest of the good administration of the Organization.

Yes, absolutely. No distinction is made between YPP participants in terms of development opportunities offered.

The marking of the written examination is usually completed within 3-4 months of the examination. The status of each job family is updated on the UN Careers Portal. All examinees are notified via email to their last updated email address. Please inform us of any change in your email address during the examination process so that a notification can be sent to your current email. The application numbers of examinees invited to the interview are also published. The interview usually takes place 1-2 months after the written examination has been marked.

If you are a temporary contract holder in the General Service and related categories and would like to apply for the G to N examination, you will be allowed to apply as an internal applicant in inspira on an exceptional basis. If your contract is currently not valid until six months after the examination date (date noted in the job opening), you MUST attach a letter to your online application from your Executive Office stating the intent to renew your contract until at least that date.

If staff members notice any discrepancies in their data in Umoja, they must contact HR Partners (i.e. HR Assistants or Officers) of their Department/Office.  The relevant HR Partner will find out where issues are and make arrangements to have the discrepancies corrected. 

Leave Balances:  On Day 1, staff members are able to check all leave balances, with the exception of Annual Leave, and apply for various leave, again with the exception of Annual Leave, from the Portal.

Annual Leave balances as of 31 May will be loaded in Umoja on 4 June 2015.  Therefore, staff members must note that their Annual Leave balances and the ability to request Annual Leave will not be available until 5 June 2015.

Prior to Day 1, staff members are encouraged to activate their Unite Identity Account and set up a permanent password.  They are also strongly encouraged (and sometimes required) to familiarize themselves with Umoja Self-Service functionality by taking Umoja Self-Service tutorials, which are available on Umoja website.