A/RES/57/305 4. Stresses that the hiring of retired former staff should be on an exceptional basis, and in this regard encourages the Secretary-General to fill vacant posts at senior and decision-making levels through the established staff selection process; 5. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fiftyninth session on the employment of retired former staff, including the criteria for selection of staff in the Professional categories, the number of staff hired for periods exceeding two years and the number of retired former staff serving in posts that affect the decisionmaking process, in particular in the areas of recruitment and promotion within the Secretariat and in the field, as well as instances in which representative responsibilities before intergovernmental bodies are assigned to retired staff; 6. Also requests the Secretary-General to include in the report referred to in paragraph 5 of the present section information on economy and efficiency gains envisaged in the context of language posts; 7. Discourages the Secretary-General from using retired former staff to present reports to any intergovernmental body; VII Mandatory age of separation 1. Takes note of the report of the Advisory Committee,8 and decides that, in order to prioritize the rejuvenation of the Secretariat, no further changes are required to the rule of the mandatory age of separation established at 60 years; 2. Reaffirms that retention in service beyond the mandatory age of separation shall be pursuant to the exceptions provided for in staff regulation 9.5, and requests the SecretaryGeneral to report on the exceptions made and their circumstances on a biennial basis; VIII Placement of staff members serving in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General Approves, in view of the special circumstances, the proposal contained in the report of the Secretary-General,9 while emphasizing that the process must be transparent and in accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules, and requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of this procedure to the General Assembly as appropriate; IX Composition of the Secretariat 1. Notes the study conducted by the Secretariat as requested in section X, paragraph 4, of resolution 55/258, and decides to revert to this subject at its fifty-ninth session; 2. Requests the Secretary-General, as approved by resolution 42/220 A of 21 December 1987, to fully reach the level of posts subject to geographical distribution, which currently stands at 2,700, and to conduct a study which includes a comprehensive assessment of the system of geographical distribution and an assessment of the issues relating to possible changes in the number of posts subject to the system of geographical _______________ 8 9 A/56/846. See A/56/816. 9