A/RES/65/247 VIII Gender representation 68. Expresses serious concern that progress towards the goal of 50/50 gender balance in the United Nations system, especially at senior and policymaking levels, in conformity with Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter, has been slow; 69. Requests the Secretary-General to increase his efforts to attain and monitor the goal of gender parity in the Secretariat, in particular at senior levels, and in this context to ensure that women, especially those from developing countries and countries with economies in transition, are appropriately represented within the Secretariat, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session; IX Consultants, individual contractors, gratis personnel and employment of retired staff 70. Expresses concern over the increase in the use of consultants, especially in the core activities of the Organization, stresses that the use of consultants should be governed by the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, in particular resolution 53/221, section VIII, and that they should be drawn from the widest possible geographical basis, and requests the Secretary-General to make the greatest possible use of in-house capacity and to report to the General Assembly at its sixtyseventh session on the measures taken to that effect; 71. Reiterates that in areas where consultants are frequently hired for a period of more than one year, the Secretary-General should submit proposals, where necessary, for the establishment of posts and should report thereon to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session; 72. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session on the use of retired former staff and to develop clear criteria for the employment of retirees; X Provisional Staff Rules and amendments to the Staff Regulations 73. Takes note of paragraphs 84 and 85 of the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions5 on reconsidering the requirement to renounce permanent resident status; 74. Takes note also of the report of the Secretary-General on the provisional Staff Rules; 7 75. Decides, in this regard, to defer until its sixty-sixth session consideration of the proposal of the Secretary-General to amend the Staff Regulations; 8 _______________ 7 8 A/65/202. See A/65/213. 9