Supporting sanctions infrastructure 41 36. The Secretary-General should ensure that appointments of experts are made on the basis of expertise and merit, to deliver a consistent standard of expertise across all expert groups, free of conflict of interests. 37. The Council should request the Secretary-General to review present arrangements and recommend options for the establishment of a sustainable system for appointing and supporting Security Council mandated experts. The conditions of service should facilitate the performance of their functions, attract and retain the very best professionals for this role, as well as be supported with timely and high-quality administrative and logistical support. 38. DPA, OHRM, and representatives of expert groups should consult on terms and conditions that are reflective of their important specialised role. 39. The Security Council should request that the Secretary-General ensure that expert groups receive the necessary administrative and substantive support to effectively, safely, and in a timely manner, fulfil their mandates, including with regard to duty of care in high-risk environments. 40. The Security Council should request an improved performance assessment system for expert groups to include both an assessment of expert groups, and an assessment of the UN’s administrative and logistical support to expert groups, based on structured feedback from experts themselves. Contract, physical security and risk The Review also discussed whether the current contractual arrangements for members of the expert groups were appropriate. Expert groups are engaged under the general contract for consultants within the UN. The Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) has adapted the terms and conditions of the contract, in consultation with members of the Security Council, but the Review heard that the resulting conditions did not accommodate the unique functions of the experts and were thus impacting their effectiveness. Some experts contended that the contract terms and conditions negatively impact the ability of the UN to attract highly qualified experts in what are very competitive fields; the Secretariat indicated that this was not its experience, with all expert positions (numbering over 70) currently filled.10 10 According to one submission, “[e]xperts are sent to some of the most dangerous and difficult locations in the world for their work [and yet t]heir conditions of travel are the worst of anyone engaged by the United Nations.” Arrangements for experts do not provide for diplomatic status, the issuance of laissez-passer, business-class travel, or medical cover. It did guarantee evacuation assistance, but on a cost-recovery basis. Furthermore, “[t]he contract removes the freedom to manage time and work as needed to deliver on the mandate” and provides no relocation