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GUARANTEE
MEANINGFUL WHISTLEBLOWING PROTECTION: RETALIATION AND
DISCRIMINATION ALLEGED OVER THE TERMINATION
OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF A RUSSIAN STAFFER OF UNMOVIC – THE UNITED
NATIONS MONITORING, VERIFICATION AND INSPECTION COMMISSION
10 January 2012
UNJustice expresses concern about the alleged unfair dismissal
of a female UN staffer. The woman, a long experienced weapons of
mass destruction inspector, has reportedly suffered retaliation
and discrimination since August 2007, when she cooperated in an
investigation following the embarrassing discovery of hazardous
material in the New York archives of UNMOVIC – the United
Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission.
The staff member was informed that her contract would not be
renewed on September 2007, a few days after the beginning of the
investigations conducted by the United Nations and United States
law enforcement officials.
Subsequently the woman was moved to ODA – the United Nations
Office for Disarmament Affairs, where her supervisors allegedly
abused their authority and discriminated against her on the
grounds of her Russian nationality and because of her
involvement in reporting the dangerous material.
ODA terminated her contract on 31 December 2009, citing
budgetary constraints.
The UN staffer has been fighting injustice ever since.
“I immediately approached the Administration to enquire if there
was any chance for me to get any other appointment or
consultancy. I explained that I had just been diagnosed with a
tumour and that I was in need of my UN Medical Insurance.
Additionally, I explained that my daughter was in the middle of
the school year and that I had paid her educational grant
already. Therefore, I was unable to pay a grant back.
Secondly, I asked what I was to think about the fact that, at
that point, I was the only female candidate in the UN Office for
Disarmament Affairs who was fully qualified for the conversion
of my contract into a permanent one.
Finally, I asked what should I do with my career. I felt I
deserved an explanation of why I was being treated differently
to my other former UNMOVIC colleagues and why I had been let go,
given the fact that the UN Secretary-General had retained me as
a part of the Organization's institutional knowledge on
disarmament.
I was told that my expertise was no longer needed and that if I
objected to the termination of my employment I would not be
given my repatriation grant. Additionally, an official of the
ODA clarified that I was not sent for training and business
trips because it was useless to invest in Russian nationals. I
was told that I should go and work for communists since my
parents worked for the communist regime.
I was shocked. I called the administrative officer to ask her
whether I could be considered for conversion to a permanent
contract. But I was told that I was not qualified and therefore
I was not included in the list of such potential candidates.
However, I have since found out that three of my UNMOVIC
colleagues obtained such a conversion although they were over
the 53 years old rule established by the UN Secretary-General.
Therefore, I was clearly being discriminated against.
I approached the Office of Staff Legal Assistance, OSLA, for
support and their first advice was to go to the Ethics Office. I
got an appointment with the Ethics Office, explained my story
and I was told to listen to their advice and drop pursuing my
case right away or to go back to OSLA since the whole matter was
not a concern of the Ethics Office. OSLA, at the last minute,
was unable to provide me with legal support; I was in need of a
private counsel.
My health situation was deteriorating due to the cancer and
therefore I was concentrating on taking care of my health and
was unable to petition the UN tribunals. It is only now, after
two years of surgery, radiation treatment and hormonal therapy
that I feel that I am strong enough to file my case.
During these past two years, the pain of being treated unfairly
in the UN was much stronger than the pain I was feeling because
of my cancer. I could never forget the words the Senior Human
Resources Officer of the UN Secretariat told me: «You can get
financial compensation for mistreatment in the UN but you could
never count on getting a job with the UN again». I would like to
try to obtain justice in my case even if I have a limited life
expectancy”, the UN staffer courageously told us.
UNJustice hopes that the UN internal tribunals will be able to
resolve the disputes involved in this case efficiently and in
accordance with the relevant laws and fair play standards.
UNJustice recalls that meaningful whistleblowing protection and
accessible legal representation are fundamental safeguards to
protect the most defenceless categories of UN personnel in their
dealings with the Administration.
UNJustice is deeply concerned that, more than two years after
the inception of reforms to the Organization's justice system,
the situation for UN whistleblowers has shown no signs of
improving and they continue to face retaliation and harassment
on a regular basis.
Please take action to urge the UN Administration to guarantee
meaningful recourse against retaliation to all its staff, and in
particular to ensure an impartial and thorough investigation
into the allegations by the weapons of mass destruction
inspector, including into the possible involvement of
supervisors and other UN officials.
Related information:
Chemical Weapons Scare at U.N. Headquarters, By Brian Ross,
ABC News, 30 August 2007
 Update:
15 February 2012
The staff member has submitted to the UNDT a motion for
extension of time to file her application.
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