text: toUnitedStatesfederal civilservice employees, itwouldbeessential foritto address theconcerns expressed bytheGeneral Assembly andreportthereon tothe Assembly atitsforty-first session. Apreliminary consideration ofthoseconcerns wasundertaken bytheCommission andisreported below. Reflection oftheexpatriate margin intheamounts ofpensionable remuneration 25.Aviewwasexpressed in1984intheFifthCommittee oftheUnitedNations General Assembly that,since pensioner~ wereinprinciple notsupposed tobe expatriates likeserving officials, noexpatriate element should bereflected in thepensionable remuneration. Thefollowing threefactors weretakenintoaccount tojustify amargin: (a)Therelatively betterposition ofnational, ascompared with international, services toguarantee stability andsecurity ofemployment; (b)Themorelimited prospects ofpromotion tothehighest post3inan international secretariat compared withsuchprospects inmostnational services; (c)Thefactthatalargeproportion ofqnyinternational staffwasrequired toincuradditional expense andtomakecertain sacrifices byliving awayfrom theirhomecountry. 26.WhiletheCommission anditspredecessor bodies haveusedthesethreefactors together withtherecognition ofaneedtoprovide anincentive torecruit and retain employees fromthehighest paidcivilservice, asthebasisforamargin on theUnitedNations side,aquantification oftheindividual factors hasneverbeen attempted asthiswouldbeanextremely complex exercise. Some,orall,ofthese factors, perhaps withachangeintheirrelative importance, mustalsobereflected inthedetermination oftheamounts ofpensionable remuneration. Ithad"been found tobepractically impossible toassignspecific valuestoeachoneofthefactors inthedefinition ofanetremuneration margin. Therefore, quantification ofthe factors inthecontext ofpensionable remuneration amounts promised tobean equally difficult task. TheCommission willnevertheless reverttothisissuein 1986. -7-:;Reflection ofthecost-of-living differential between NewYorkandWashington, D.C. 27.Thecost-of-living differential between NewYorkandWashington, D.C.,is takenintoaccount inthedetermination ofthenetremuneration margin. Aviewwas expressed intheFifthCommittee thatthatparticular factorcouldnotbejustified inthedetermination ofpensionable remuneration amounts. TheCommission wasof theviewthat,asthesalaries ofUnitedNations officials inNewYorkwere determined fromthepointofviewoftheiradeauacy atthebaseoftheUnited Nations system, i.e.NewYork,thenthosesalaries, ifdetermined bycomparison to UnitedStatesfederal civilservice salaries applicable inWashington, D.C.,must takeintoaccount thecost-of-living differential between thetwocitiesin accordance withtheprinciple ofeaualization ofpurchasing power. TheCommission wasfurthermore oftheviewthatthesalaries applicable atthebaseofthesystem, NewYork,should formthebasisforthedetermination ofthelevelsofpensionable remuneration amounts fortheProfessional andhighercategories. Itcouldnot therefore findarationale toreducetheremuneration inNewYorkbytheeauivalent ofthecost-of-living differential between NewYorkandWashington, D.C.,andusing theresulting amounts forthedetermination ofpensionable remuneration ofsuch staff. Somemembers couldnotagreewiththeaboverationale andwereoftheview thatthecost-of-living differential shouldnotbereflected inpensionable remuneration amounts. TheCommission decideditwouldconsider thematter whennext reporting onthenetremunerati'"m margin andthatwouldbecomethebasisfor addressing theconcern oftheGeneral Assembly inthecontext ofpensionable remuneration. Application ofextrapolated ratiosattheAssistant Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General levels 28.Somemembers oftheFifthCommittee hadpointed outthatthegrosspension to netincomeratiosobtained forgradesP-ltoD-2usinggradeeauiva1encies between theUnitedStatesfederal civilservice andtheUnitedNations hadbeen extrapolated arbitrarily andapplied toobtainpensionable remuneration amounts at theAssistant Secretary-General (ASG)andUnder-Secretary-General (USG)levels. Theyconsidered thatthatprocedure resulted inpensionable remuneration amounts at thoselevelsthatweretoohigh. TheCommission notedthatithadusedthat procedure toarriveattheamounts ofpensionable remuneration forASG/USG levels sinceithadnotbeenpossible toestablish gradeeauiva1encies atthetwolevels.
analysis: This text appears to be related to the remuneration and pension benefits of United States federal civil service employees who work for the United Nations. It discusses the calculation of pensionable remuneration amounts, including the reflection of the expatriate margin, cost-of-living differential, and extrapolated ratios. The text suggests that the Commission is addressing concerns expressed by the General Assembly and reporting on its findings.