A/RES/58/251 United Nations Distr.: General 11 February 2004 General Assembly Fifty-eighth session Agenda item 126 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 23 December 2003 [on the report of the Fifth Committee (A/58/576)] 58/251. United Nations common system The General Assembly, Having considered the report of the International Civil Service Commission for 2003 1 and the statement submitted by the Secretary-General on the administrative and financial implications of the decisions and recommendations contained in the report of the Commission, 2 Reaffirming its commitment to a single, unified United Nations common system as the cornerstone for the regulation and coordination of the conditions of service of the United Nations common system, Convinced that the common system constitutes the best instrument through which to secure staff with the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for the international civil service, as stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming the statute of the Commission and its central role in the regulation and coordination of the conditions of service of the United Nations common system, Takes note with appreciation of the work of the International Civil Service Commission, and takes note of its report for 2003;1 I Conditions of service applicable to both categories of staff A. Review of the pay and benefits system Recalling its resolutions 51/216 of 18 December 1996, 52/216 of 22 December 1997, 53/209 of 18 December 1998, 55/223 of 23 December 2000 and 57/285 of 20 December 2002, Takes note with appreciation of the continuing progress being made by 1. the Commission in the review of the pay and benefits system in the context of the approved framework for human resources management; _______________ 1 2 03 50958 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 30 (A/58/30). A/58/378.