|
Updates & News |
|
As the intern has not yet been provided
“with an appropriate mode to settle this dispute”, the Italian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs steps in
10
February 2012
The Organization hopefully will be cooperative.
|
|
Concern over
delay in finalizing the UN female staffer's complaints of sex
assault and hostile work environment
24
January 2012
"This
process may take some time", says Ms.Catherine Pollard, UN
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management.
 Update:
16 February 2012
"Unfortunately, I have heard no news...", says the woman, "I
will follow up in about a week, which would mean that the result
of the investigation is two months overdue."
|
|
News from
the
office of Registrar of the UNAT
5 January 2012
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted new
deadlines.
|
|
UN female
staffer's complaints of
sex assault and hostile work environment: an update
16
December 2011
The Office of Human Resources Management will decide soon.
|
|
"Sad,
but true", major challenges
continue
to hamper the reform process of the internal justice system of
the United Nations
14
December 2011
The 2011 holiday season postcard includes some
of UNJustice's key recommendations for the UN internal justice system.
|
|
6
December 2011
A former UN staffer and public administration professor’s book
argues that only determined efforts on the part of UN staff will
safeguard staff rights.
|
|
The United
Nations Administration can’t enjoy "power without
accountability"
11 November 2011
Read UNDT judges' letter to the President of the General
Assembly.
|
|
"Nous réclamons
500'000 dollars par employé viré!"
3 November 2011
Crise à l'OMS -Un cabinet juridique genevois va saisir le
Bureau international du travail. Les licenciements à l'OMS
seraient illégaux et pourraient coûter des centaines de millions
de dollars à l'institution. Une bataille juridique est engagée
avec le tribunal interne de l'OMS depuis juin.
Par Christine Zaugg, GHI Genève
|
|
UNGA Fifth Committee. Read delegates' statements on the
reform of the United Nations internal justice system
2 November 2011
Japan's delegate said that
"...Japan was disappointed that the Staff-Management Coordination
Committee had not reached an agreement on any options for a
staff-funded scheme to support the Office of Staff Legal
Assistance. Japan, therefore, agreed with the Advisory
Committee not to recommend approval of new posts for the Office,
pending decisions on a staff-funded mechanism."
|
|
UNDT ruling on Italian intern’s case greeted with concern and
shock
31 October 2011
Court misses a crucial opportunity to uphold human rights and
the rule of law: matter still remains unresolved.
|
|
UN female
employee files sex assault and hostile work environment
complaint
21 October 2011
An internal fact finding investigation is expected to start this
week.
|
|
"The responsibility of
international organizations and the International Law Commission
(ILC)"
17 October 2011
Upcoming event
at New York University School of Law on October 26th.
|
|
UNGA Sixth
Committee. Read delegates' statements on the administration of
justice at the United Nations
14 October 2011
Switzerland's delegate said that
"...efforts should
continue for the envisaged goal of having an independent,
transparent, professionalized, adequately resourced and
decentralized system. It was now time to address loopholes in
the system. Failing to do so would run the risk of the system
«becoming plagued by the deficiencies we sought to
address in the first place»...Staff
and non-staff personnel should have access to an independent
body which handled grievances and provided appropriate,
cost-efficient remedies. The new system provided such access to
staff while denying it to non-staff personnel..."
|
|
Former UN
official presses $1 million demand
12 October 2011
The UN lawyers representing the Secretary-General have argued
that the court has no jurisdiction over the case.
By
Anita Snow, Associated Press
|
|
Why blowing the
whistle on the UN has become a complete waste of time
7 October 2011
The
UN Ethics Office failed to protect more than 98 per cent of
whistleblowers who approached it for help.
By
Rasna Warah,
Daily Nation
|
|
UN sex crimes
whistle-blower wrongfully dismissed
19 September 2011
For the UNDT, staff member Madeleine Rees -one of the heroines
in the film The
Whistleblower, was wrongfully dismissed from her job.
By
Colum Lynch, The Washington Post
|
|
Diplomatic immunity and the culture of impunity
21 May 2011
Most of the time, this immunity that makes international
officials and civil servants of a certain standing act as though
they are untouchable.
By
Atossa Araxia Abrahamian,
The Guardian
|
|
Sex: do international bodies look the other way?
18 May 2011
Strauss-Kahn case comes as private firms getting tougher.
By
Patrick Worsnip,
Reuters
|
|
The Reform of
the UN Internal Justice System: The “Lampedusa” Syndrome
5 April 2011
“Things
must change in order for everything to stay as it is*”
(*Count Tomassi of Lampedusa in “Il
Gattopardo”)
By E.P. Flaherty and X. Campos
|
|
UNAT has announced the
judgments from its latest session
14
March 2011
"The
Tribunal's
situation remains
financially precarious",
says UNAT President, Judge Courtail.
Update:
22 March 2011
Read the
synopses of judgments rendered by the UNAT during its Spring
Session 2011.
|
|
"The
Wisthleblower": How far would you go to defend justice?
11
March 2011
The inspiring story of Kathryn Bolkovac, the policewoman who
risked her life and lost her job to uncover a sex trade
involving both private contractors and United Nations
officials in postwar Bosnia, emerges in a new movie and in a
book.
|
|
News from the
UNAT
8 March 2011
On
Friday, 11 March 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in the North Lawn Building
Conference Room 4 (UNHQ), will be
read a
synopses of the latest judgments of the United Nations
Appeals Tribunal.
|
|
UNAT has
rendered 37 judgments during its Fall Session
13 January 2011
Less than 30% of cases in favour of staff members.
|
|
Delivering “justice
for all”, this is the theme of the 2010 UNJustice’s holiday season
cards
16
December 2010
Hope for a truly fair administration of justice in the
United Nations system of organizations.
|
|
On Human
Rights Day, 10 December, the UN is celebrating human rights
defenders
10 December 2010
"When the voices of human rights advocates are silenced, justice
itself is drowned out", says
UN
Secretary-General,
HE Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
|
|
First worldwide staff action in the history of the International
Labour Organisation
15 November 2010
The
staff representation of the ILO recently issued a press
release in which it demands decent working conditions at the ILO.
Update:
19 November
2010
Strike cancelled. Agreement reached on several of the ILO Staff
Union’s major concerns. The Administration and the Union have
agreed to engage an independent, external third party as a means
of addressing the remaining issues which led to the dispute.
|
|
"Building
rule of law in the United Nations"
14 November 2010
Forthcoming presentation
at Osgoode Hall Law School.
|
|
Female employee tells of her UN justice system’s nightmare
2 November 2010
UNAT has dismissed the sexual harassment case of the
United Nations Department for General Assembly and Conference
Management
staff member.
|
|
The judges of
the United Nations Appeals Tribunal have announced the outcome
of their judgments
1 November 2010
“…the Administration has not provided the resources necessary
for this court to function”, says Judge Painter.
|
|
Cynthia Brzak: still
fighting for human rights in the administration of justice at
the United Nations
28 October 2010
“I
am denied the right to a fair trial..."
|
|
Positive
development in the case of Isidore Duke Ikpa
18 October 2010
The UN has executed the judgment and paid the damages ordered by
the UNDT.
|
|
The United
Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund has submitted its observations
on the UN retirees’ application for review of their judgment
11 October 2010
The applicants hope that the
United Nations Appeals Tribunal will consider this matter soon.
|
|
Serious
shortcomings in the management of the intern's case
9 October 2010
Astonishing decision: the
United Nations Management Evaluation Unit has refused to
undertake an administrative review of the decisions concerning
this case.
|
|
Applicant before the UNDT complains about delays in the
execution of the judgment
6 October 2010
The Secretary-General has not appealed and has not executed the
judgment in favor of Isidore Duke Ikpa.
|
|
UN has absolute
immunity in sexual harassment case, top U.S. court rules
5 October 2010
The US Supreme Court has rejected the certiorari petition of
UNHCR staff members Cynthia Brzak and Nasr Ishak.
By Steven Edwards, Postmedia News
|
|
The United
Nations Appeals Tribunal will consider 35 cases at its
forthcoming session in New York
4 October 2010
The Secretary-General is the appellant in 11 cases.
|
|
"UN Agency Duty of
Care & Legal Liability" [PDF-67 KB]
28 September 2010
This article by
Edward Patrick Flaherty continues his personal
tradition of excellent and timely reviews of the internal
justice system of international organizations.
|
|
"An
Essay on the Accountability of International Organizations"
8 September 2010
British Institute of
International and Comparative Law visiting fellow Matthew Parish
has recently published a new article.
|
|
Cynthia Brzak’s
sexual harassment case: new letters pledge support for her writ
before the US Supreme Court
21
August 2010
While the Court will meet end of September to determine which
cases it will hear, “we remain steadfast in our belief that
no access to independent courts by UN staff must be reviewed –
now,” she wrote.
|
|
UN
Appeals Tribunal Judgment No. 2009-001: UN Retirees v. the
United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board
[PDF-166 KB]
20
August 2010
The Tribunal found that “…the Appellants have not established
that the Standing Committee did not comply with the Regulations
of the Pension Fund.”
Update:
29 August 2010
The UN Retirees have submitted to the UNAT Registry an
application for review of their judgment.
|
|
Continued concern over the intern’s case
11
August 2010
Is OSLA right? No, not at all
, says Edward Patrick Flaherty.
|
|
Tribunal to review Ban's
hiring practices for discrimination
9
August 2010
Former head of UN investigative division calls into
question the Secretary-General's advisors' respect "for the most
basic principles of the organization, and the fundamental rule
of law..."
By Colum Lynch, The Washington Post.
|
|
UN pensioners anxious
about the delay of their judgment
8 August 2010
UN Appeals Tribunal: “The written
judgments will be released to all parties as soon as the editing
process has been finalized.”
|
|
UN Staff
Council speaks out about accountability and transparency within
the Organization
[PDF-105 KB]
6 August 2010
A hard-hitting resolution calls upon "to enforce individual
managerial accountability of senior officials and by taking
concrete steps to build an organization with clear and fair
policies, especially with regard to human resources..."
|
|
Unlawful
termination of employment for a UN security officer
2 August 2010
The staff member separation was “a disciplinary action which was
unlawful”, the UN Dispute Tribunal concludes.
|
|
$700,000
awarded to official passed over for promotion
26 July 2010
The United Nations Dispute Tribunal has awarded more than
$700,000 to a former senior official in the Department of
Economic and Social Affairs...
By
Neil MacFarquhar,
The New York Times
|
|
Adherence to
rule of law begins at home
29 June 2010
"...no
discussion regarding the rule of law and the UN would be
complete without addressing the internal administration of
justice system…”, UN Legal Counsel Patricia O’Brien says to the
Security Council.
|
|
Hearing for the
case of the UN retirees took place in New York
23 June 2010
Read a summary
of the public hearing and the retirees’ statement in their
common cause appeal.
Update: 30
June 2010
The
New York Registry of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal
has announced that the judgment of this appeal will be delivered
on Thursday, 1 July 2010, at the UNHQ, General Assembly Hall.
Update: 1
July 2010
By a judgment dated 1 July 2010, the UN retirees' appeal was
dismissed by UNAT President
Judge Inés Weinberg de Roca.
The reasons
for the decision will be communicated within one month.
|
|
Intern’s case:
a test of fairness for the UN's internal justice principles
22 June 2010
Two years on, who will deliver on the UN Legal Counsel's
undertaking to provide an appropriate mode of settlement on this
matter?
|
|
Review panel judges
see a culture of U.N. secrecy
16 June 2010
Ban's lawyer, Susan Maddox, on Friday refused another of several
orders to turn over notes from a U.N. ethics probe involving an
American whistleblower.
By
Neil MacFarquhar,
The New York Times
|
|
U.S. Supreme
Court filing challenges United Nations immunity
3 June
2010
Plaintiffs in sexual harassment complaint involving top UN
official seek first-time High Court consideration of UN immunity
protections.
|
|
Commencement of
the UN retirees case before the UN Appeals Tribunal
26
May 2010
To be heard between 21 June and 2 July 2010.
Update: 8
June 2010
The
oral hearing for this case will take place on 22 June 2010, at 3
p.m., in Conference Room 10, UNHQ (North Lawn Building), New
York. The appellants will attend the hearing in the Tribunal.
|
|
Brief summary
of cases that have been decided during first session of UNAT
23
May 2010
The vast majority of court cases originate in UNRWA - the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East.
|
|
The new website
of the UN Office of Administration of Justice
21
May 2010
Coming soon.
|
|
The
intern’s quest for justice: a “blood chit” for the executive
heads of the UN, UN-WFP and WHO
24
March 2010
"The
logic that has brought such a matter to this point is beyond my
understanding. As I firmly believe in the consciousness of the
Organization’s role in safeguarding fairness, my dearest hope
lies in your humanity to break with this logic and help me to
find a way to settle this matter."
|
|
The
President of the UN Staff Union expresses deep concern about the
new UN internal justice system's independency, professionalism
and efficiency
[PDF-62 KB]
23 March 2010
“Representation of staff before the United Nations Dispute
Tribunal and the United Nations Appeals Tribunal is hamstrung by
a lack of independent staff defenders",
says Stephen Kisambira.
|
|
UNHCR harassment case dismissed
by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Cynthia Brzak, Nasir Ishak Vs. UN, Kofi Annan, Rund Lubbers, Wendy
Chamberlin
[PDF-76 KB]
5 March 2010
The Court granted the motion to dismiss and concluded that the
accused UN officials were entitled to functional immunity
because the allegations concerned the performance of their
official functions. “Cynthia and Nasr intend to petition the
Supreme Court to hear their case--they will not stop until all
avenues of legal redress have been exhausted”, their lawyer,
Edward Patrick Flaherty, told UNJustice.
|
|
Continued impunity for harassment. UNDT Judge Memooda
Ebrahim-Carstens completely rejects the DGACM female staff
member’s application
4 March 2010
It is difficult to find consolation in the UN Focal Point for
Women’s words: “…Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, and yet
not defeated nor embittered”.
|
|
UN
Appeals Tribunal Case No. 2009-001: UN Retirees v. the United
Nations Joint Staff Pension Board
18 February 2010
Due for consideration between 15 March and 1 April 2010.
|
|
UN Administrative Tribunal Judgment
No. 1542: Kofi Annan v. the United Nations Joint Staff Pension
Board
[PDF-106 KB]
12 February 2010
Read why, in December 2009, the Tribunal found that “…the
UNJSPF failed to act carefully and transparently…” in dealing
with the accumulated benefits of the former Secretary-General of
the UN.
|
|
The momentous year when a new justice system at the U.N. was
introduced ends with a certainty: we cannot go on this way
8 January 2010
From Lance Armstrong to Ali Treki, read who is getting the 2010
UNJustice tribute to those who fear that the world will forget
about the problems of the administration of justice at the United
Nations.
|
|
Ethics at the UN: open
letter of Cynthia Brzak
on a policy which has never been implemented by the Organization
7 January 2010
“I
call here on the UNHCR High Commissioner, the newly-appointed
Deputy High Commissioner coming from the stewardship of a law
school, DHRM, the UNHCR Staff Council, other UN staff bodies, the
UN Secretary-General, OIOS, donor governments and the US
Attorney-General to protect me, my legal rights, my acquired
rights and to finally uphold my right to work at UNHCR free from
harassment, retaliation and mobbing.”
Update:
20
January 2010
The
latest exchange of correspondence regarding the state of the
protection being afforded to Cynthia Brzak -and all UN staff- as a
whistleblower.
|
|
News from the OAJ
website
5 January 2010
UNJustice has been informed that the Office of Administration of
Justice (OAJ) in the UN Secretariat has recently started
publishing on its website the judgments from the Nairobi and
Geneva Tribunals. To read the judgments, please visit the link
above to the OAJ website.
|
|
New selection
process for UNMIT Security Service staff members
4 December 2009
Hopefully, it will be good news.
|
|
Justice opportunity: the anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women
3
December 2009
A female staff member
urges for more to be done to end discrimination within the
Organization.
|
|
Legal
representation to UN staff is not keeping up with reform
expectations for fairness
22 November 2009
“OSLA is swamped
with cases dealing with some 460 at present, receiving between two
to four meritorious dossiers daily. To deal with these OSLA has 7
lawyers..."
|
|
Read the 17 November 2009 Fifth Committee meeting coverage:
Budget
Committee Takes Up Reports on Staff Rules for New Contractual
Arrangements, Secretariat Make-up, Ethics Office, Disciplinary
Matters, Continuing Contracts
[PDF-249 KB]
19 November 2009
“The
United Nations must meet its obligations as a socially responsible
employer,” says Paulina Analena, Vice-President of the UN
Staff Management Coordination Committee.
|
|
A
recent document sets out the values and principles which will
guide the behaviour of all UN personnel:
The
Secretary-General Code of Ethics for United Nations Personnel [PDF-50
KB]
14 November 2009
"Respect for human
rights:
United Nations personnel shall fully respect the human rights,
dignity and worth of all persons and shall act with understanding,
tolerance, sensitivity and respect for diversity and without
discrimination of any kind"
|
|
Contacting the relevant authorities with regard to the case of UNMIT
Security Service staff members
10 November 2009
Any update would be appreciated.
|
|
The website of
the Office of Administration of Justice: http://www.un.org/en/internaljustice
10 November 2009
Interim version is online.
|
|
At
U.N., contractor's case again raises questions about nepotism
28 October 2009
Internal investigation will examine whether official abused
authority.
By Colum Lynch, The Washington Post.
|
|
Directions Hearing for the case of the UN-DGACM staff member
23 October 2009
Today, in Conference Room 9, UNHQ.
Update:
24
October 2009
The
directions hearing scheduled for October 23 has been postponed -
new date to be fixed.
Update:
9 November 2009
A
directions hearing for this case will be held on 12 November 2009,
at 3 p.m. in Conference Room No. 9, UN Secretariat Building.
Update:
22
January 2010
The on-going case will open a hearing to the public on 28 January
2010. The judge Ms. Ebrahim-Carstens will give further direction
or open further hearing. The hearing will take place in Conference
Room 6, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. / 3 p.m. - 6 p.m., UN
Secretariat Building.
Update:
11
February 2010
The Office of Staff Legal Assistance has submitted to the UNDT the
closing statement of the allegedly sexually harassed female staff
member.
|
|
Balancing the
Organization’s immunity and justice in the case of the intern
23 October 2009
“WHO sees no reason to involve itself in this matter”.
UNJustice expresses its view on the issue.
|
|
UNDT:
Application on the Merits Form [PDF-122
KB]
UNDT: Extension of Time Application Form
[PDF-119 KB]
10 October 2009
Those needing to apply to
the UN Dispute Tribunal might find these forms useful.
|
|
“The Redesign Panel notes that legal assistance to the
management of the Organization is undertaken not by volunteers
without legal training, but by a cadre of professional lawyers in
the Department of Management and the Office of Legal Affairs.
This disparity in legal resources available to the management and
staff members has created an egregious inequality of arms in the
internal justice system."
-A/61/205-
2 October 2009
The need for UN staff to be represented by competent counsel:
letters from UNHCR show that the issue is far from resolved.
|
|
UN
whistleblower policy
18 September 2009
The scope of the protection conferred deserves a broad
interpretation.
|
|
WMO
whistleblower awarded more than $550,000
18 September 2009
UN Weather Office Found to have harassed, defamed and wrongfully
terminated chief internal auditor.
|
|
The United Nations has recently published a booklet on its new
internal justice system:
A guide
to resolving disputes - Administration of Justice in the United
Nations
[PDF-777 KB].
15 September 2009
The basic elements of the new UN justice system are listed in the
booklet. There is also information on the roles of the Office of
the Ombudsman, the Office of Administration of Justice, and how
staff members can avail themselves of the informal and formal
systems of dispute resolution.
This booklet should be useful for those persons who need guidance
on effective access to the systems, procedures, information and
locations of the reformed system of administration of justice at
the United Nations.
|
|
Edward Patrick
Flaherty will keep a column on UNJustice.org
6 September 2009
Visitors to our website will be able to address their letters to
him.
|
|
At the UN
Headquarters conference on the new core international treaty to
protect the rights of persons with disabilities: these rights
should be a reality for the staff of the Organization
4 September 2009
Alfred Karseboom has written to the
Office of Staff Legal Assistance to request that his disability
case be properly considered.
|
|
Unacceptable: evidence of a
cover-up in the intern’s case
24 July 2009
“Update” during the internal investigation from UN-DSS Officer Patricia Nemeth to
UN-WFP Director Deborah Saidy.
|
|
Rules of
Procedure of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal [PDF-395
KB]
Rules of
Procedure of the United Nations Appels Tribunal [PDF-98
KB]
ST/SGB/2009/11
Transitional measures related to the introduction of the new
system of administration of justice [PDF-1,440 KB]
17 July 2009
In compliance with a request of many of the visitors of UNJustice,
it is possible to download the Rules of Procedure of the new UN Tribunals, and ST/SGB/2009/11 concerning the transitional
measures relating to the introduction of the new
UN internal justice system.
This will be found especially useful for
those who are not well informed on the
subject.
|
|
Criminal
proceedings against Ms. Adele Grant, Chief of the Administrative
Law Unit of the United Nations
12 July 2009
Appeal to the Supreme Court.
|
|
Intern’s case:
the UN Ethics Office is 11 days behind the original 45-day
deadline (12th June)
23 June 2009
UNJustice hopes that the UN, UN-WFP and WHO will heed our repeated
appeals.
|
|
The UN justice
system on trial
28 May 2009
The court appeal of Ms. Brzak & Mr. Ishak will be heard tomorrow
in New York.
|
|
UNJustice’s work highlighted in a Talk Radio News Service
article on sexual harassment at the UN
21 May 2009
This story is also available
on
The Wall
Street Journal website
.
|
|
Human rights in
the United Nations administration of justice: results of the
petition presented to the Governments and International
Authorities concerned
24 April 2009
The signatures collected through our campaign are from 24
countries.
|
|
French
Review of Public Administration: a study on the reform of the UN
internal justice system
15 March 2009
In a period of change, redefinitions of what makes a model
employer prompt contemporary studies.
|
Massive leak of
U.N. confidential reports. Lack of due process threatens the
Organization's ability to achieve its objectives
4 February 2009
Over 600 internal United Nations reports -60 of them marked
"strictly confidential"- have been released on the Web.
|
|
Petition update: our campaign for a fair system of administration
of justice in the United Nations is attracting widespread
attention
13 January 2009
We understand that the Chief of the International
Telecommunication Union Finance Department and the former
Ombudsman of the UNHCR have signed our petition.
|
During the 2008 holiday season,
UNJustice has sent 200 postcards to reveal that having in place a
fair and equitable administration of justice in the United Nations
could be as easy as saying Hop là!
6 January 2009
From the Cairo University President to the World Bank President,
view the full list of who is getting a postcard that we hope can
inspire change.
|
|
A real
champion of women's rights never gives up
4 December 2008
Cynthia Brzak, the UNHCR employee whose sexual harassment claims
led to the resignation of UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud
Lubbers, has joined our call for a UN justice system of laws and
practices that are fair and consistent with international human
rights standards.
|
|
UNJustice is pleased to note the open debate generated by our
petition and replies to the staff representatives of the United
Nations
2 December 2008
Ms. Angie Gaudio, the Committee Chairwoman, has remarked upon the
constructive comments we have received about the petition.
|
|
Human rights in
the United Nations administration of justice: petition handed to
the EU
28 November 2008
UNJustice presents the European Union with a call for UN justice
system laws and practices that are fair and consistent with
international human rights standards.
|
Eduardo Bauzá, the
Chairperson of the United Nations Joint Disciplinary Committee
(JDC), resigns
21 November 2008
A top UN internal justice system official resigns and recalls
that the current UN justice system “fails to meet many basic
standards of due process established in international human
rights instruments”.
|
Exceeding the deadline of January 2009 for the implementation of
the new United Nations system of justice is not an option
20 November 2008
The
UN system of administration of justice is virtually
non-existent. The UN Staff Representative invites the General
Assembly (Fifth Committee) to consider requesting the
Secretary-General to allow the UN to be sued in national courts.
|
|
|
