The U.S. Congress has continuing concerns about U.S. underrepresentation in United Nations (UN) organizations. Some UN organizations establish targets for member state representation, and such positions are classified as geographic positions. GAO's 2006 report found that the State Department (State) could take additional steps to increase U.S. representation. This report examines (1) U.S. representation at five UN organizations; (2) issues affecting the employment of professional staff, including Americans at these organizations; and (3) efforts State has undertaken to increase U.S. representation. GAO analyzed employment data from five UN organizations that comprise over 50 percent of total UN professional staff and interviewed U.S. and UN officials, including 63 Americans employed at the five organizations.

In 2009, the United States was underrepresented, based on formal and informal targets, at all five of the UN organizations GAO reviewed--the Secretariat, World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This follows general U.S. underrepresentation at most of these organizations from 2006 to 2009. At the four UN organizations that distinguish geographic and nongeographic positions, there was an increase in the percentage of nongeographic professional positions during 2006 to 2009. The United States is not as well represented in nongeographic as geographic positions at FAO and the Secretariat, which could affect future overall U.S. representation. In addition, U.S. representation in policymaking and senior-level positions generally decreased at these UN organizations from 2006 to 2009. The five UN organizations GAO reviewed have challenges that affect the recruitment, hiring, and retention of professional staff, including Americans. Challenges include Americans' lack of proficiency in UN languages, difficulty for spouses to obtain employment in some locations, lengthy hiring processes, and limited opportunities for promotion and professional growth. For example, 45 out of 63 Americans we interviewed identified the lengthy hiring process as a challenge to recruiting and hiring. While these UN organizations have initiated human resource reforms that may address some of the issues, such as efforts to decrease hiring time, it is too early to determine their impact. Since 2006, State has made efforts to increase U.S. representation in the UN, including implementing some of GAO's 2006 recommendations. State has improved its Web site; increased outreach initiatives; begun developing a Web-based database, so interested UN job applicants can receive automatic vacancy announcements; and conducted an informal review of funding JPOs, but it continues to allocate JPOs at only a few UN organizations. State has not assessed the effectiveness of most of its current efforts to increase U.S. representation. Despite State's efforts, many Americans employed at the five organizations learned about UN job opportunities through their own networks, not through State. GAO recommends that the Secretary of State (1) include data on U.S. representation in all professional positions in its annual report to Congress, (2) evaluate its ongoing activities to increase U.S. representation, and (3) consider a pilot program to fund Junior Professional Officers (JPO), who are entry-level employees funded by member states, at UN organizations where the United States currently does not have any JPOs. In commenting on a draft of this report, State concurred with GAO's recommendations.

Status Legend:

Review Pending-GAO has not yet assessed implementation status.

Open-Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned, or actions that partially satisfy the intent of the recommendation have been taken.

Closed-implemented-Actions that satisfy the intent of the recommendation have been taken.

Closed-not implemented-While the intent of the recommendation has not been satisfied, time or circumstances have rendered the recommendation invalid.

• Review Pending
• Open
• Closed - implemented
• Closed - not implemented

Recommendations for Executive Action

Recommendation: To provide more complete information on the level of U.S. representation at UN organizations, the Secretary of State should include data on U.S. representation in all professional positions, similar to the information it currently provides on staff in geographic positions, in State's annual report to Congress on U.S. representation in UN organizations.

Agency Affected: Department of State

Status: Open

Comments: State concurred with our recommendations. State noted the challenges in obtaining employment data from the various UN organizations, but said that it plans to seek additional information on non-geographic positions to include in its annual report to Congress. GAO continues to monitor State's efforts to implement the recommendations.

Recommendation: To improve U.S. efforts to increase the employment of Americans at UN organizations, the Secretary of State should develop a means to evaluate the effectiveness of State's efforts to increase U.S. representation. The evaluation should include an assessment of State's ongoing efforts such as its Web-based database for sending UN vacancy announcements to interested job candidates.

Agency Affected: Department of State

Status: Open

Comments: State concurred with our recommendations. State noted the challenges in obtaining employment data from the various UN organizations, but said that it plans to seek additional information on non-geographic positions to include in its annual report to Congress. In concurring with this particular recommendation to evaluate the effectiveness of State's efforts to increase U.S. representation at UN organizations, State said that a key tool for making decisions on priorities and directions for some its approaches will be its new Web-based tool, designed to enhance outreach to Americans on opportunities in the UN system. GAO continues to monitor State's efforts to implement the recommendations.

Recommendation: The Secretary of State should consider implementing a pilot program to fund JPOs at UN organizations where the United States currently does not have JPOs such as the Secretariat.

Agency Affected: Department of State

Status: Open

Comments: State concurred with our recommendations. State noted the challenges in obtaining employment data from the various UN organizations, but said that it plans to seek additional information on non-geographic positions to include in its annual report to Congress. In concurring with this particular recommendation, State agreed to consider funding for JPOs at UN organizations in conjunction with other funding priorities. GAO continues to monitor State's efforts to implement the recommendations.