A limited number of continuing appointments will be granted each year, reflecting the ongoing needs of the Organization. On 1 August 2013 the first annual review for granting continuing appointments will begin, in accordance with the relevant Secretary-General’s Bulletin, Administrative Instruction and recently-issued Information Circular.
The process will involve two stages: an initial eligibility review, which this year will last until 16 December 2013, and a points allocation review, whose length will be determined once it is known how many staff are eligible to be considered for a continuing appointment.
How many continuing appointments will be awarded?
The number of continuing appointments to be awarded will be determined annually. For this year’s review, the maximum number of continuing appointments that can be issued to UN Secretariat staff will be 3,342 for the Professional and higher categories and Field Service category and 429 for the General Service and related categories. Check paragraphs 3 and 4 of the continuing appointments Information Circular for more on how the maximum number of continuing appointments is calculated.
Who is eligible?
All staff in the Professional and higher categories, the Field Service category and the General Service and other related categories who meet the criteria below are eligible to be considered for a continuing appointment, except a) staff in any category currently serving in the ICTY and ICTR and b) locally recruited staff members in the General Service or related categories (including National Professional Officers) currently serving in peacekeeping and special political missions.
In order to be eligible for consideration for a continuing appointment, you must have met the following criteria, as at the eligibility date of 1 July 2012:
- Appointed through a competitive process, including review by a UN Secretariat central review body;
- Completed five years of continuous service under a fixed-term appointment in the UN Secretariat and/ or in another organization of the UN common system governed by the UN Staff Regulations and Rules;
- A performance rating of “meets expectations” or equivalent in the four most recent performance appraisal reports;
- No disciplinary measures in the last five years;
- At least seven years of service remaining before reaching the mandatory age of retirement.
Do you have questions regarding your potential eligibility? Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available on the it’s for real website, and full details regarding eligibility criteria are outlined in Section 2 of ST/SGB/2011/9 and Section 2 of ST/AI/2012/3. You can also contact your Executive Office or local HR office for guidance.
How will the review be conducted?
The review will be conducted through inspira so it is vital that you have a staff inspira account (with your UN index number as the username). If you do not yet have access to your staff inspira account, read this article for guidance.
The Information Circular on continuing appointments provides full details of the review process, and the steps and key dates are also summarized in the one page guide below.
Click to access a step-by-step guide to the first annual continuing appointments review
Looking for more information?
In addition to the Secretary-General’s Bulletin, Administrative Instruction and Information Circular on continuing appointments, a Quick Guide is available to help you navigate inspira.