A/RES/53/221 Page 8 20. Also requests the Secretary-General to adapt the number of occupational groups selected for national competitive examinations to the requirements of the Organization, with a view to facilitating the placement and future mobility of selected candidates in the Organization, and to report on the number of candidates placed by department or office as well as on possible failures to place successful candidates, including the reasons therefor, in his report on human resources management to be submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session; 21. Further requests the Secretary-General to offer or to continue to offer probationary appointments to all staff members who have passed a competitive recruitment examination and to consider such staff members for conversion to permanent appointment after successful completion of the period of probationary service; 22. Requests the Secretary-General to complete the realignment with the national competitive examination of the competitive examination for promotion to the Professional category and above of staff members from other categories, in particular regarding academic qualifications and equitable geographical distribution, as well as equal treatment with regard to probationary appointments; 23. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to implement section V, paragraph 2, of resolution 51/226, and encourages him to continue his efforts with a view to increasing the share of fixed-term appointments throughout the Secretariat; 24. Reaffirms that secondment from government service is consistent with Articles 100 and 101 of the Charter and is beneficial to both the Organization and Member States, and urges the Secretary-General to pursue this practice on a wider scale, as appropriate; 25. Notes the intention of the Secretary-General to present detailed proposals on the dual-track system of career and non-career appointments, and requests him to submit them to the General Assembly, taking into account the experience of other international and regional organizations in human resources management and benefiting from worldwide experience in human resources management outside the Organization as well as from the work being done in this field by the International Civil Service Commission; 26. Requests the Commission to prepare a study on the question of the fixed-term contracts in the United Nations, taking into account the needs and interests of the Organization and current trends in personnel management; VI STAFF DEVELOPMENT: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT Recognizing that career development is an indispensable part of effective personnel management, Noting the objectives of the Secretary-General with regard to staff development, performance management and career support, 1. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the performance appraisal system is applicable to all staff within the meaning of Article 97 of the Charter of the United Nations; 2. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts for the consistent application of the performance appraisal system throughout the Secretariat; /...