A/HRC/17/19 I. Introduction 1. On 25 March 2011, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 16/21 on the review of the work and functioning of the Council, in which it adopted the outcome document of the review process in Geneva, as annexed to the resolution. In paragraphs 54 and 55 of the outcome document, it was decided that, in line with the procedural and organizational roles of the President, the Office of the President of the Council should be established, within existing resources, in order to support the President in the fulfilment of his or her tasks and enhance efficiency, continuity and institutional memory in this regard. It was also stated that the Office of the President should be provided with adequate resources drawn from the regular budget, including staff, office space and necessary equipment required for the fulfilment of their tasks. The appointment of the staff of the Office should promote equitable geographic distribution and gender balance, and that staff should be accountable to the President. According to paragraph 56, the composition, modalities and financial implications of the Office of the President should be considered by the Council on the basis of the report of the secretariat, at its seventeenth session. The present report is submitted pursuant to that request and is intended to provide the Council with information relevant to its consideration of this matter. II. Background A. Existing arrangements 2. Since the inception of the Human Rights Council, the elected President has been supported by the staff of his own mission, in addition to a few staff members provided by individual Governments on loan arrangements and/or financed by a foundation or a regional organization. With a few exceptions, Presidents have not been entrusted with the selection of junior officers. Office space has been allocated on an ad hoc basis by the United Nations Office at Geneva, and other material support has been provided by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Given the ad hoc nature of these arrangements, there was no predictability of the number of staff members seconded to support the President, their experience or level. Accordingly, the working arrangements and modalities varied from one President to another. Successive Presidents have, however, promoted the idea of establishing an Office of the President, funded by the regular budget of the Organization, which would provide support to his/her activities as President. B. Legislative mandates 3. At its ninth session, the Human Rights Council adopted decision 9/103 on strengthening the Council, in which it recommended that the General Assembly should ensure the establishment of an office of the President of the Council, with adequate staffing resources, including the provision of necessary equipment. In its decision, the Council also requested the United Nations Office at Geneva to ensure that the facilities for the President are in the immediate vicinity of the conference room used by the Council. The General Assembly took note of the annual report of the Council (A/HRC/63/53 and Add.1) and acknowledged the recommendations contained therein. In the absence of a specific decision by the Assembly to endorse the recommendations contained in decision 9/103, no further action was taken during the sixty-third session to consider the financial implications of establishing an office of the President of the Council. 3