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At a time when the United Nations is playing a decisive role in coping with world problems which affect the lives of millions of people, fair play - a combination of observance of the rules, respect for the defenceless, and prevention of adverse behaviour - is the condition under which human cooperation becomes both possible and necessary.

With a view to this, to help these essential features cross the arbitrary and artificial barriers to realize the UN's potential as a positive force in the world, UNJustice devotes itself to no other task with more dedication than to the very task it got its name from: encouraging fair play in the United Nations system of administration of justice.

 
 
 
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Help us to assess access to the United Nations internal justice system

23 January 2009

UNJustice is currently undertaking a study to assess access to the United Nations internal justice system. We would appreciate your input.

 

You might have experienced a situation in which access to the UN system of administration of justice was needed. In order to find a solution for a problem, it might have been necessary to take some sort of action. Maybe the case was brought before a certain UN body/office for resolution of the matter.

 

However, you probably encountered a lack of information regarding the quality and price of the interventions you could have expected from the UN justice system. In other words, you could not assess access to the UN justice system: a form of justice which may or may not be possible through the existing UN internal justice system, and therefore may require a thorough reform of the current system.

 

The survey which follows is about assessing access to the United Nations internal justice system. It targets three main indicators from the perspective of the users of justice:

a) the resources invested in the process;

b) the quality of the process;

c) the quality of the outcome.

The results will be combined into one consolidated report.

 

If you have to 30 minutes spare, perhaps you would assist UNJustice make an assessment of the current situation regarding access to the UN internal justice system by filling in our survey.

 

This study complies with the generally-accepted ethical considerations in social science research such as respect for anonymity/identity. Therefore, the information provided will be treated as confidential and will only be used for its intended purpose. Please note that you are under no obligation to give your name. 

It would be good if you could also share your reflections on the survey, and whether its structure is helpful in giving your views on issues of the UN internal justice system which have been raised directly with us and in discussion with others.

Thank you in advance for your interest and participation.

 

 

ASSESSING ACCESS TO THE U.N. INTERNAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

An UNJustice  SURVEY

Please fill in or tick where appropriate. If you are not sure about an answer, you can leave it blank. Be sure to click on the "Submit" button on the bottom of this page once you have completed the survey.

I) Information on the case
The case you have experienced concerned:                                            
(i.e.  employment, other contractual obligations...)

What kind of law was involved?                                                              
 (i.e. administrative, civil, criminal...)                     

Were charges brought against the offender?                                         
(Only to be included in criminal procedures)             

Yes   No

Who took the initiative to resolve the matter?

I took the initiative   The other party took the initiative  

We both took the initiative   Other   Please specify who

Did you receive assistance?

No, I did not want assistance  No, I was not aware of my opportunities

Yes, from a UN office   Please specify which one  

Yes, from a private counsel   Yes from a government body 

Yes from another institution  No, I could not find anybody to assist me
Indicate to what extent you were satisfied with the assistance you received.

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

Was there a neutral person/body (i.e. a manager, the U.N. Ombudsman...) who decided on the case?

Yes   Please specify who

No     Please specify why

Was the matter settled?

Yes   Please specify how

No     And I decided to continue on my own, because:

No     And I decided not to continue on my own, because:

Did you know the other party before the matter arose?

Yes   No

Please indicate the month and year when action was first taken to resolve the matter.

Month   Year
Please indicate when you received an outcome.

Month   Year
Please indicate the main type of contact you had with the neutral person/body (i.e. a manager, the U.N. Ombudsman...).

I had no direct contact with the neutral person   Telephone 

Letter(s)   Via my advisor   In person

Other     Please specify

Please indicate which interests motivated you to take action in order to get the matter settled.

Monetary interests   Non-monetary interests (i.e. Emotional interest)

Please indicate the value of your claim.                                                      
(For those interests that can be expressed monetarily)

(Value in US Dollars)

Please indicate how much money you received in compensation.

(Value in US Dollars)  

From who?  

If the case went to court, what was the verdict?

In your case, did the UN invoke the privileges and immunities of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations?

Yes   No
II) Costs to settle the matter
Who paid for the monetary costs necessary to settle the dispute?

To what extent did you find the dispute costly?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

To what extent was the outcome worth the money you spent on the dispute?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

To what extent was the outcome worth the time you spent on the dispute? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

To what extent did you find the dispute time-consuming? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

III) Emotional costs
Please indicate to what extent the dispute had a negative impact on your personal relationships.

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

Please indicate how the dispute made you feel.                               
(Choose up to three feelings that best describe how you felt during the dispute settlement process. Press Control and left-click together to select more than one feeling)

Please indicate what type of consequences the dispute had on your self-esteem.

Very negative   Negative   Neutral   Positive   Very positive

Please indicate what type of consequences the dispute had on how optimistically you view the future.

Very negative   Negative   Neutral   Positive   Very positive

Please indicate what type of consequences the dispute had on your trust in the UN internal justice system.

Very negative   Negative   Neutral   Positive   Very positive

Please indicate what type of consequences the dispute had on your trust in a just world.

Very negative   Negative   Neutral   Positive   Very positive

III) Your perceptions of fairness
Were you able to express your views and feelings during the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

Were your views and feelings considered during the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

Were the same rules applied to you and to other parties?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was the dispute settlement process objective and unbiased?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent

Were you able to correct incorrect information during the dispute settlement process? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was the dispute settlement process ethical and in line with international legal standards? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did the dispute settlement process take your privacy into consideration?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did the dispute settlement process take your safety into consideration? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did you receive the opportunity to ask the other party for an explanation of what had happened?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did the other party accept its responsibility or express regret during the dispute settlement process? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Were you satisfied with the dispute settlement process and timelines?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did the people in charge of the dispute settlement process treat you with respect and in a polite manner?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Were the people in charge of the dispute settlement process honest in their communication with you?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did you understand the explanations provided by the people in charge of the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did the people in charge of the dispute settlement process communicate in a timely manner?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
If your case involved the help of a neutral person (i.e. a manager, the U.N. Ombudsman), to what extent did the neutral person's assistance have a positive impact on the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Would you rely on the same procedures to settle a dispute in the future? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Do you think that there are some barriers in accessing to the UN internal justice system? 

Yes   If you think that there are some barriers, what can be done to overcome them?

No

IV) Quality of the outcome
Were you satisfied with the outcome of the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was the other party's contribution to the problem taken into account in the outcome of the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was your contribution to the problem taken into account in the outcome of the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did you and the other party pay or receive an equal share in the outcome of the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Were the other party's needs considered in the outcome of the dispute settlement process? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Were your needs considered in the outcome of the dispute settlement process? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did the outcome of the dispute settlement process improve your relationship with the other party? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was the damage you suffered emotionally repaired as a result of the outcome of the dispute settlement process?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was the damage you suffered financially repaired as a result of the outcome of the dispute settlement process? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was it possible for you to compare your outcome with the outcomes of other similar cases?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was your outcome similar to the outcomes of other people in similar cases?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was the chance that the outcome would be enforced taken into account?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Was the outcome effective in ensuring that the other party will avoid similar behaviour in the future? 

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did the UN make enough efforts to bring the offender to justice?                   
(Only to be included in criminal procedures)   

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Did the outcome solve the issue at the origin of the dispute?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
Were you able to move forward with your life after you received the outcome?

To a very small extent   To a small extent  

To a moderate extent   To a large extent  

To a very large extent
V) Demographics
Gender

Female   Male
Age

I am  years old
Ethnicity

Asian   Black   Chinese   White   Mixed
Marital status

Single   Married   Divorced   Widow   Other
What is your level of education?

Less than high-school   High-school  College/University (Bachelor)  
College/University (Master)  Doctorate  
Other Please specify  

Have you ever worked for the United Nations or any of its Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies?

Yes   Please specify   No   

Are you a UN employee at this moment?

Yes   No
In which country did the events which gave rise to your dispute take place?

Your full name and country of origin (OPTIONAL) 

Full name

Country of origin

 

 

 

 
 
 

Stop the UNJustice clock! 

Today, the United Nations is celebrating without the provision of a system of administration of justice that promotes compliance with human rights norms. To make the United Nations' work a true manifestation of culture and humanness, the United Nations needs a fundamentally new system of justice.

 

It is only fair to stop the UNJustice clock now.

Write to your Permanent Representative to the United Nations  

 

Archived:

Please read and sign the petition

 

Non-profit Independent International Committee for the Safeguarding of Individual Rights in the United Nations Internal Justice System.
UNJustice is not associated with the United Nations or any of its Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies. 
Not an official document of the UN. E-mail: info@unjustice.org. Moral rights 2008 UNJustice. Disclaimer.