A/RES/51/226 Page 6 12. Notes that the posts subject to the desirable range formula are limited to the current level of 2,700 posts; 13. Requests that the Secretary-General not include staff members recruited against support account posts in the desirable range calculation; 14. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue to apply the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter to recruit staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible to all posts outside the desirable ranges; 15. Reaffirms the policy of the Secretary-General that appointment to P-1 and P-2 posts and to posts requiring special language competence shall be made exclusively through competitive examinations and that appointment to posts at the P-3 level shall normally be made through competitive examinations; 16. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to hold national competitive examinations for posts at the P-2 and P-3 levels as a useful tool for selecting the best qualified candidates from inadequately represented Member States; special attention should be paid to the prospects of staff for promotion to the P-3 level and to the need to conduct such examinations with maximum efficiency and economy; 17. Invites the Member States concerned to participate in those examinations; 18. Requests the Secretary-General not to decrease the proportion of entrance-level posts at the P-1 to P-3 levels for budgetary purposes; 19. Also requests the Secretary-General, notwithstanding the provisions of section V of the present resolution, to offer or to continue to offer probationary appointments to all staff members who have passed a competitive recruitment examination and to consider all such staff members for conversion to permanent appointment after completion of the period of probationary service; 20. Further requests the Secretary-General, in the case of staff recruited through competitive examinations, to ensure that only those who meet the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity established in the Charter are granted permanent appointments; 21. Requests the Secretary-General to complete the realignment with the national competitive examination of the competitive examination for promotion to the Professional category of staff members from other categories, in particular regarding academic qualifications; 22. Also requests the Secretary-General to make proposals on the introduction of a probationary period for successful candidates in the competitive examinations for promotion to the Professional category of staff members from other categories; 23. Further requests the Secretary-General to report on the question of geographical imbalance resulting from promotions, through the competitive examination for promotion to the Professional category of staff members from other categories, to posts subject to geographical distribution; 24. Urges the Secretary-General to take all necessary measures, including instructions to department heads, as needed, to place all successful candidates from the national competitive examinations within one year, subject to the availability of posts; /...