The new staff selection policy (ST/AI/2025/2) was issued on 1 August 2025. The revised policy includes a new section on roster management and a fundamentally new concept of roster expiration timelines that might affect you directly.
What is new on roster expiration and discontinuation?
What is the impact on current roster memberships?
Management had planned for years to introduce expiration dates for rosters, despite in 2021 waiving all roster expiration dates to be consistent with the staff selection policy in force, ST/AI/2010/3. By 2023, management again claimed that the “sheer number” of rostered candidates required discontinuing existing roster memberships. They claimed it was impossible to manage the data, with all rosters at roughly 60,000 members, which included staff in their current posts.
We strongly disagreed with the management proposal and lack of rationale and still do. Additionally, we raised concerns about the retroactive application of the new policy, and about the inclusion of a blanket provision that differentiates between genders without a timeframe or clear targets.
Why are rosters being discontinued in the UN80 context?
We are deeply concerned about the impact of removing roster memberships from staff given the current crises. At this year’s Staff-Management Committee Meeting, all unions reiterated the request for management not to proceed with the implementation of roster expirations.
We argued that at a time of downsizing and workforce reductions, retaining roster memberships, including lower-level ones, is crucial to safeguarding staff employment prospects.
We have also argued that it would be in the interest of the Organization to be able to quickly re-employ qualified and experienced staff if funding situations improved. The administration refused the request and declined to delay issuance of the new staff selection policy until the financial situation of the Organization improved.
What can you do now?
If you have questions, concerns, or would like to better understand your options regarding these changes to roster management, we recommend that you contact the UNOV/UNODC Staff Council and the Office of Staff Legal Assistance (OSLA).
Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Staff Council if you need further information or assistance. We are here to support you!