10 Global Geographical Mobility (hereinafter referred to as Mobility) aims to contribute to the fulfillment of WHO's mandate and strategic goals
[1]. It is a mechanism to enhance and facilitate culture change
[2], which strengthens the Organization’s ability to respond effectively and efficiently to delivering on its mandate in a changing environment. Mobility also serves to enrich professional development through enhancing staff member’s knowledge, skills and competencies at different levels of the Organization.
20 Mobility is a global adaptive response to the Organization's need for growth, recognizing that a diversified and empowered workforce is the Organization’s most important resource. The value of Mobility is to assign a staff member in the function where the staff member best serves the programmatic capacity of the Organization. WHO's cultural identity embraces Mobility and the staff member’s proactive attitude towards work opportunities in different hardship categories of duty stations across headquarters, regional and country offices. A fair and transparent process and continued dialogue are fundamental to the success of Mobility as well as support mechanisms for the wellbeing of staff and their families.
30 The authority of the Director-General to appoint, transfer, reassign and promote staff members upholds the principle of non-discrimination with regards to race, sex or religion
[3], while bearing in mind the need to secure the highest standards of efficiency and competence. Further, WHO embraces the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”
40 In implementing Mobility, WHO will ensure that its staff members enjoy such privileges and immunities necessary for the exercise of their functions in connection with the corporate objectives of the Organization
[4].
50 Mobility, in the context of this policy, is the geographic reassignment of a staff member for a period of one year or more from one duty station to another. An assignment corresponds to a period of at least one year for the purpose of the Mobility count and other relevant entitlements
[5]. The duration of assignment in the said duty station has a limit in principle, which is the Standard Duration of Assignment (SDA), following which the staff member will be reassigned under the terms of this policy to another duty station, in alignment with the programmatic needs of the Organization.
60 Mobility is mandatory, meaning that staff members are expected to embrace the mission of the Organization by accepting assignments to any duty station where their services are required and for which they are qualified.
70 Career management, workforce and succession planning, performance management, etc. are separate and distinct human resources processes, and are not covered by this policy.
Cross-references to relevant Staff Regulations and Staff Rules:
Staff Regulation 1.2: All staff members are subject to the authority of the Director-General and to assignment by him to any of the activities or offices of the World Health Organization. They are responsible to him in the exercise of their functions. In principle, the whole time of staff members shall be at the disposal of the Director-General.
Staff Rule 510.1: Staff members in the professional category are subject to assignment by the Director-General to any activity or office of the Organization throughout the world. Those in the general service category are not subject to assignment, except by mutual agreement, to a duty station other than that for which they have been recruited. Initial recruitment for a specific assignment does not, therefore, relieve the staff member of the obligation to serve in any other designated assignment. In determining the initial and any subsequent assignment, consideration shall be given, to the extent possible, to the staff member’s particular abilities and interests.
Staff Rule 565.2: A staff member with a continuing or fixed-term appointment may be reassigned whenever it is in the interest of the Organization to do so.
Staff Regulation 4.1: The Director-General shall appoint, transfer, reassign and promote staff members as required, without regard to race, sex or religion.
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[1] WHO Thirteenth General Programme of Work 2019−2023 (GPW13); UN Sustainable Development Goals; UN Resolution on Universal Health Coverage.
[3] Staff Regulation 4.1, ARTICLE IV: Appointment, Transfer, Reassignment and Promotion.
[4] Charter of the UN; Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies.
[5] Mobility and Hardship scheme, WHO e-Manual.
