A/RES/59/268 I. Paternity leave Takes note of the decision contained in paragraph 211 of the annual report of the Commission,4 and confirms its recommendations to have paternity leave implemented throughout the common system within the parameters set forth in the report; II Conditions of service of staff in the Professional and higher categories A. Examination of the Noblemaire principle and its application Recalling its resolution 44/198 of 21 December 1989 and other relevant resolutions, 1. Reaffirms the continuing application of the Noblemaire principle; 2. Also reaffirms the need to continue to ensure the competitiveness of the conditions of service of the United Nations common system; 3. Takes note of the decision of the Commission contained in paragraph 273 of its annual report;4 B. Grade equivalencies between the United States federal civil service and the United Nations common system Recalling section I.A of its resolution 50/208 of 23 December 1995, section II.B of its resolution 55/223 of 23 December 2000, and section I.A, paragraph 7, of its resolution 57/285 of 20 December 2002, Takes note of the decision of the Commission contained in paragraph 276 1. of its annual report;4 2. Requests the Commission to include the review of grade equivalency in the study to determine the highest paid civil service on its work programme for 2005–2006; C. Evolution of the margin Recalling section I.B of its resolution 51/216 of 18 December 1996 and the standing mandate from the General Assembly, in which the Commission is requested to continue its review of the relationship between the net remuneration of the United Nations staff in the Professional and higher categories in New York and that of the comparator civil service (the United States federal civil service) employees in comparable positions in Washington, D.C. (referred to as “the margin”), Notes that the margin between net remuneration of the United Nations 1. staff in grades P-1 to D-2 in New York and that of officials in comparable positions in the United States federal civil service in Washington, D.C. for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2004 is 110.3, as shown in annex V to the annual report of the Commission;4 2. Reaffirms that the range of 110 to 120 for the margin between the net remuneration of officials in the Professional and higher categories of the United Nations in New York and the officials in comparable positions in the comparator civil service should continue to apply, on the understanding that the margin would be maintained at a level around the desirable midpoint of 115 over a period of time; 4