§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will publish the resolution or other instrument under which 326W the United Nations General Assembly ruled that the post of Under Secretary General responsible for the Department of Political and Security Council Affairs must be held by a citizen of a Communist country or of a country within the geographical area under Communist rule; and what other United Nations posts are similarly confined to the citizens of specified countries.
§ Mr. Goronwy RobertsThere is no resolution of the General Assembly, or any ruling of any other body of the United Nations, that the post of Under Secretary General responsible for the Department of Political and Security Council Affairs, or any other post, must be held by a person from any specific country or area. Posts are filled by the Secretary General in accordance with the principles laid down in Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations, and reiterated in Articles 4.1 and 4.2 of the Staff Regulations as established by General Assembly Resolution 590(VI) of 2nd February, 1952, namely: that the paramount consideration shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, and that due regard shall be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. In the case of posts in the top echelon it has been customary for successive Secretaries General, in conforming to these principles, to maintain the existing geographical balance.