a/23/6 human resources report madrid, · 2019. 10. 4. · a/23/6 world tourism organization (unwto)...

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) - A Specialized Agency of the United Nations

C/ Poeta Joan Maragall 42, 28020 Madrid, Spain. Tel: (34) 91 567 81 00 / Fax: (34) 91 571 37 33 – [email protected] / unwto.org

FOR DECISION

Agenda item 6

Human resources report A/23/6

Madrid, 13 August 2019 Original: English

Executive summary The structure of the Secretariat continues to be implemented as laid out by the Secretary-General in his report on Management vision and priorities (document CE/108/5(b) rev.1) within the approved resources and number of staff positions.

Following the issuance of vacancy announcements, five selection processes are currently being carried out. As of 1 July 2019, the total number of staff stands at 81, and the number of non-staff personnel (Service Contract holders) in the UNWTO Secretariat is 59.

A comprehensive revision to the non-staff scheme implemented in 2016 was undertaken in 2018 to make the scheme more transparent, consistent, sustainable and coherent throughout the Organization.

A new induction programme is being developed, aimed at better preparing newly-recruited personnel for their roles and familiarizing them with the Organization. The current performance management and appraisal system is being revised to align objectives with organizational goals and make better use of the Organization’s human resources. Also, an administrative issuance has been developed in line with UN policies, aimed at improving on the guidelines and procedures for the selection of UNWTO personnel.

With a view to clarifying and further aligning the Organization with UN policies and practices, particularly in the areas of selection and promotion, and retirement, the Secretary-General proposes amendments to the Staff Regulations and Rules.

The independent annual report of the Ethics Officer for 2018 was presented during the 110th session of the Executive Council (Baku, Azerbaijan, 16-18 June 2019) and it is annexed to this document for information (see Annex I)

The Staff Pension Committee is composed of members and alternate members chosen by the General Assembly from among the Member States, by the Secretary-General and by the officials of the Organization who are participants of the Fund. Any Member State wishing to present its candidature to the Committee for 2020-2021 may do so in writing to the Secretary-General. The deadline for the submission will remain open until the corresponding agenda item is discussed at the General Assembly (see Annex II).

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C/ Poeta Joan Maragall 42, 28020 Madrid, Spain. Tel: (34) 91 567 81 00 / Fax: (34) 91 571 37 33 – [email protected] / unwto.org 2

Action by the General Assembly

DRAFT RESOLUTION1

The General Assembly,

Having examined the report of the Secretary-General on the human resources situation of the Organization,

1. Takes note of the information provided on the human resources of the Organization;

2. Expresses its satisfaction at the work currently being carried out by those persons in the service of the Organization and the contribution to the Programme of Work, especially in view of the rising demands on the Organization with its limited Resources;

3. Encourages Member States to send concrete proposals to the Secretariat for the financing of Junior Professional Officers at UNWTO;

4. Encourages Member States to send to the Secretariat, Officials on Loan, especially in view of the rising demands on the Organization with its limited resources;

5. Takes note of the amendments to Staff Rules 14 (3) (b), 15 (1), 15 (6), 15 (11), 17 (1) (d), 24 (3) (a), 24 (3) (b), 24 (4), 24 (11) (a), 24 (18), 30 and 31 (2) (a) (i) as well as to paragraphs 21 (b) and (c) of Annex 2 of the UNWTO Staff Regulations and Rules on the Rules of the Joint Appeals Committee, as approved by the Executive Council at its 108

th,

109th and 110

th sessions;

6. Approves the amendments to Staff Regulations 15 (g) and 28;

7. Endorses the reclassification of the following posts, as mentioned in paragraph 10 of document A/23/6:

(a) Director, P.5, Administration and Finance, reclassified from D.1 to P.5;

(b) Director, P.4, Regional Department for Europe, reclassified from P.5 to P.4;

(c) Chief, P.4, Statistics Department, reclassified from P.5 to P.4;

(d) Manager, P.3, Information and Communication Technologies Department, reclassified from P.5 to P.3;

8. Approves the recommendation to adopt a flexible structure within the approved number of budgetary posts and to allow financing of staff posts outside the 106 posts funded through the regular budget using extra-budgetary funds, as detailed in paragraphs 25 and 26 of document A/23/6;

9. Thanks the Ethics Officer for her report on the activities carried out from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019;

10. Thanks Argentina and Spain for their contribution to the UNWTO Staff Pension Committee for 2018-2019, and

11. Decides to elect the following members to the UNWTO Staff Pension Committee for the biennium 2020-2021:

(a) Two members, and

(b) Two alternate members.

1 This is a draft resolution. For the final resolution adopted by the Assembly, please refer to the Resolutions document

issued at the end of the session.


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I. Reporting on the human resources situation of the Organization

1. This document contains updated information on the human resources situation of the Organization as at 1 July 2019. As in previous reports on human resources, it provides updated personnel statistics and information on personnel matters. Furthermore, it includes the annual report of the Ethics Officer for 2018, as Annex I of this document. The report was presented during the 110th session of the Executive Council (Baku, Azerbaijan, 16-18 June 2019).

2. The document also includes information on the Staff Pension Committee as Annex II. The Committee is composed of members and alternate members chosen by the General Assembly from among the Member States, by the Secretary-General and by the officials of the Organization who are participants of the Fund.

II. Budget authority and organizational structure

3. The introduction of management changes communicated by the Secretary-General in his report on the Management vision and priorities (document CE/108/5(b) rev.1) continues to be undertaken within the approved resources and number of staff positions, which remains at 106.

Breakdown of actual personnel data

4. Information on the number of staff and their distribution by grade, gender, nationality and age as of 1 July 2019, is contained in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4 below. As in previous reports to the General Assembly, the relevant breakdown has been made by category of staff within the UN Common System: Professional category and above (with grades ranging from P.1 to ASG) and General Service category (with grades ranging from G.1 to G.7) and as indicated in the Organization’s Programme of Work and Budget.

Table 1(a): Staff distribution by grade and gender as of 1 July 2019

Grade P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5 Above Total

Female 6 3 7 4 20

Male 2 3 3 5 4 5 22

Subtotal 8 3 6 12 8 5 42

Grade G.2 G.3 G.4 G.5 G.6 G.7 Total

Female 1 4 1 11 8 25

Male 1 2 4 5 2 14

Subtotal 1 3 4 5 16 10 39

Table 1(b): Staff distribution by grade as of 1 July 2019

Grade P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5 Above Total

Subtotal 8 3 6 12 8 5 42

Grade G.2 G.3 G.4 G.5 G.6 G.7 Total

Subtotal 1 3 4 5 16 10 39

5. Tables 1(a) and 1(b) above continue to reflect the significant reduction of top managerial posts, by having reduced said structure by almost half in 2018.


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Table 2: Staff distribution by category and gender as of 1 July 2019

Gender P and Above GS Category Total

Female 20 25 45

Male 22 14 36

Total 42 39 81

Table 3: Staff distribution by category and nationality (including SG and ED positions) as of 1 July 2019

Country GS P and above

Country GS P and above

Algeria 1 Morocco 1

Argentina 1 1 Netherlands 2

Austria 1 1 Nicaragua 1

Azerbaijan 1 Niger 1

Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 Peru 1

Cambodia 1 Portugal 2 1

Canada 1 Republic of Korea 2

China 2 Republic of Moldova 1

Colombia 1 Romania 1

Dominican Republic 1 Russian Federation 1

France 4 Saudi Arabia 1

Georgia 2 Seychelles 2

Germany 1 2 Spain 21 8

Ghana 1 Switzerland 1

Hungary 1 United Kingdom 1

Indonesia 1 United States of America 1

Italy 1 1 Uruguay 1

Lebanon 1 1 Uzbekistan 1

Lithuania 1

Total number per category of staff 39 42

Total number of staff 81

6. Thirty-seven (37) nationalities are currently represented in the Secretariat’s staff. It is important to reiterate the Organization’s commitment to recruiting staff from as wide a geographical distribution as possible, while maintaining the highest standards of competence, efficiency and integrity, and taking into account the limited number of staff posts.


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Table 4: Staff distribution by category and age as of 1 July 2019

Age GS

Category P and Above

Total

30 to 39 4 11 15

40 to 49 20 14 34

50 to 54 6 7 13

55 to 59 6 3 9

60 1 2 3

61 1 1 2

62 or more 1

1

Total 39 38 77

7. Staff members holding a managerial fixed-term appointment and the Secretary-General are not included in this table.

8. As previously presented in the Human Resources Report to the 103rd

Executive Council, a new scheme was implemented on 1 January 2016 for personnel not subject to the UNWTO Staff Regulations and Rules. The scheme was developed on the basis of the recommendations of the JIU draft report A.385. The General Assembly is presented in Tables 5 and 6 below, with information on the number of Service Contract holders, who are part of this scheme, and their distribution by gender, nationality and age, as of 1 July 2019.

Table 5: Service Contract holders’ distribution by nationality and gender as of 1 July 2019

Country Female Male Country Female Male

Argentina 1

Kenya

1

Azerbaijan

1 Lebanon 2

Belarus 1

Mexico 1

Belgium

1 Morocco 1

Bulgaria 1

Norway

1

Canada 1

Philippines 2

China

2 Portugal 2

Colombia 2

Republic of Korea 1

Egypt 1

Spain 13 5

France 3

Sri Lanka

1

Germany 2

Sweden 1

Greece

1 Syrian Arab Republic 1

Indonesia 1

United Kingdom 1 2

Iran, Islamic Republic of

1

United States of America 1

Italy 2

Uruguay 1

Japan

1

Total 43 16

Total number of Service Contract holders 59


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Table 6: Service Contract holders’ distribution by age as of 1 July 2019

Age SC

Holders

29 or less 17

30 to 39 28

40 to 49 13

50 to 54 0

55 to 59 0

60 to 61 0

62 or more 1

Total 59

III. Personnel matters

9. Since its previous reports on personnel matters, a number of developments have taken place as indicated below.

Selection processes

10. Following the issuance of five vacancy announcements, the recruitment and selection process for the following posts is currently being undertaken. The outcome of the selection processes will be communicated in a subsequent human resources report. To ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of the Organization and to correctly align the scope of responsibilities and needs of a UN agency with limited financial and human resources, four positions have been reclassified accordingly.

(a) Director, P.5, Administration and Finance (UNWTO/HHRR/VAC/05/DAFN/2019) – reclassified from D.1 to P.5.

(b) Director, P.4, Regional Department for Europe (UNWTO/HHRR/VAC/19/RDEU/2019) – reclassified d from P.5 to P.4.

(c) Chief, P.4, Statistics Department (UNWTO/HHRR/VAC/01/STAT/2019) – reclassified from P.5 to P.4.

(d) Manager, P.3, Information and Communication Technologies Department (UNWTO/HHRR/VAC/21/ICTC/2019) – reclassified from P.5 to P.3.

(e) Partnerships Officer, P.1, Institutional Relations and Partnerships Department (UNWTO/HHRR/VAC/06/IRPD/2019).

Ethics and accountability

11. In 2018, following the recommendation of KPMG in its review of the internal control systems in relation to strategic activities, to appoint an Ethics Officer with physical presence at the Organization’s Headquarters to encourage the reporting of irregularities or any potential prohibited conduct, the Secretary-General appointed Ms Marina Diotallevi as Ethics Officer, whose independent report to the General Assembly is attached as Annex I.

12. Like other UN agencies with stretched resources, the Organization decided to confer a dual role to the Ethics Officer as Head, Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility and Ethics Officer. The physical presence of the Ethics Officer at Headquarters has deterred underreporting of allegations of prohibited conduct and has improved awareness and consultations on Ethics matters.

13. Likewise, in an effort to strengthen the accountability and ethical culture of the Organization, the Secretary-General has established as mandatory for all personnel the


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achievement of the UN Ethics and Integrity e-learning course. The aim of the course is to provide training to personnel on the Standards of Conduct of the International Civil Service and to support them, not only in complying with the applicable regulatory framework but also in taking ethical decisions in the conduct of their official duties.

Review of internal administrative processes

14. To improve on internal communication, transparency, and to ensure a more efficient and timely provision of Human Resources services, various administrative processes have been reviewed and streamlined. This review has resulted in the creation of electronic forms and the provision of reminders sent by Human Resources to managers, three months before an expected personnel’s contract end date, ensuring that personnel entitlements and salaries are processed in a timely manner and without delays.

Harassment and abuse of authority

15. In November 2017, as a result of the increasing number of allegations of sexual harassment in the UN System, the UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) established a task force on addressing sexual harassment within the organizations of the UN System, to develop uniform definitions and model policies. The UN has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and the UN Secretary-General has addressed the issue as a top priority, strengthening the reporting mechanisms and the investigation of complaints, among others.

16. In the context of sexual harassment, UNWTO participated in a survey, along with thirty-one other organizations across the UN family, demonstrating the organization’s common resolve to eradicate sexual harassment and ensure a safe workspace. Said report was made available by the Secretary-General to all UNWTO personnel, in a commitment to transparency. Joining the common efforts of all UN system organizations to eradicate all forms of harassment and abuse of authority, UNWTO is currently developing a policy on the matter, aligned to that of the UN, as adopted by the CEB in 2018, on the issue of discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment) and abuse of authority, which will be issued in 2019. The purpose of the policy is to create and maintain a working environment that is free from any form of discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority and to clarify the mechanisms available to all members of personnel for their resolution through information and formal channels.

Revised scheme for UNWTO personnel

17. A comprehensive review of the contractual scheme implemented in 2016 for personnel who are not subject to the UNWTO Staff Regulations and Rules, namely Service Contract holders, Experts, Officials on Loan, Interns and Special Advisors, has been undertaken in 2018 and 2019 to make the scheme more transparent, consistent, sustainable and coherent throughout the organization. The revised scheme was implemented through the issuance of an administrative instruction in May 2019.

18. In a continued effort to improve the overall contractual conditions of Service Contract holders, coverage eligibility for spouses and children in the organization’s medical insurance scheme was improved in January 2019, at no cost to the organization.

Induction programme

19. To ensure that newly appointed personnel are prepared for their new role and familiarize themselves with the organization, thus helping them become effective as soon as possible, an induction programme for newly recruited personnel is currently being developed. Its phased implementation throughout the course of 2019 has already commenced with the issuance of an induction booklet, providing practical information for new personnel arriving in Madrid.

Recruitment and selection guidelines

20. An administrative issuance is currently being finalized to set out clearer guidelines and procedures for the selection of personnel at the organization, to ensure alignment with


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UN policies on recruitment and selection, and improve transparency in the selection process of members of personnel.

Revised performance management and appraisal system

21. As part of the efforts to establish a comprehensive accountability framework and shift towards a culture of results in the Secretariat, and to align organizational policies to those of the UN common system, as well as to improve delivery and promote a culture of high performance, integrity, personal development and continuous learning, the current performance management and appraisal system is being revised to align individual efforts and results to departmental and organizational goals and support the organization in making the best use of its human resources through a results-based performance management system.

ICSC Global staff survey on the UN compensation package

22. Pursuant to UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/244 para. 57, the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) developed in collaboration with UN system organizations and staff federations, a Global staff survey on the UN common system compensation package for internationally recruited staff members. The results of this survey will be presented to the UN General Assembly no later than at its seventy-fifth session. UNWTO participated in this survey, launched in June 2019.

ICSC place-to-place survey conducted in 2016

23. A place-to-place survey was conducted by the ICSC in October 2016 for the purpose of determining the post adjustment and evaluating expenditure patterns and other characteristics of the household of staff in the Professional and higher categories, in comparison with the cost-of-living in New York. The survey resulted in a negative outcome for Madrid, Geneva and other duty stations, leading to a pay cut for staff in the Professional and higher categories, and the ICSC decided to mitigate the impact by implementing a special gap closure measure. In July 2017, the ICSC delayed the implementation of this pay cut by eight months and reduced its magnitude.

24. In a recent judgment by the ILO Administrative Tribunal (ILOAT), the pay cut was set aside for Geneva and affected staff members would be paid the difference in remuneration actually paid to them since April 2018 and the remuneration that would have been paid to them during the same period but for the implementation of the ICSC decisions, with interest at the rate of 5 per cent per annum from due dates until the date of final payment. This ruling may also apply to staff in other specialized agencies that are members of the ILOAT, as is the case of UNWTO, consequently it may result in a financial burden for the Organization. The Secretary-General will analyze the impact of this Judgment and report accordingly to the Governing Bodies.

Re-distribution of post categories and funding of staff positions

25. In order to facilitate incorporating a longer-term and more strategic view when prioritizing staff positions and bring visibility to the Organization’s Programme of Work, the Organization should move from a rigid approach of post distribution between categories (i.e. currently set at 55 P posts and 51 G posts) to a more flexible structure within the approved number of posts, which remains at 106, and while maintaining the same financial appropriation.

26. To support further activities funded by extra-budgetary sources and in line with the UN common-system of funding for staff posts, the Organization should also consider financing these posts against extra-budgetary funds. Extra-budgetary posts would fall outside of the scope of the 106 posts funded within the regular budget.

Officials on loan

27. Also in 2019, there was in increasing interest among Member States in the organization’s capacity-building option, whereby tourism experts and officials may be sent by a Member State, on a non-reimbursable basis, to participate in the activities of the Secretariat for a


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set period of time. This arrangement is formally done through a Memorandum of Understanding.

Junior Professional Officers

28. The organization concluded with UNDP, an agreement concerning the management of the UN system-wide Junior Professional Officer programme. Interested Member States may place their young professionals at UNWTO for 1-3 years by financing the post through this framework agreement.

Amendments to the Staff Regulations and Rules

29. In conformity with UNWTO Staff Regulation 1, the Executive Council, on the proposal of the Secretary-General, “shall provide such Staff Rules as it considers necessary for the enforcement of the Staff Regulations and consistent with the principles they embody”.

Staff Rule 30

30. An amendment to Staff Rule 30 was approved by the Executive Council at its 108th

session. The purpose of this amendment was to align the organization’s Rules to the ones of the UN system on the application of sanctions. The revised text reads as follows:

Former Text

Approved New Text

Chapter X Disciplinary Measures

Chapter X Disciplinary Measures

Rule 30 (1) Sanctions

(a) An official who fails to observe the standards of conduct required of an international civil servant may be subjected to any one of the following sanctions, as appropriate to the gravity of the case: (1) verbal warning, (2) written reprimand, (3) censure, (4) discharge, and (5) summary dismissal. (b) Failure to observe these standards of conduct required of an international civil servant shall mean: (i) failure to observe any of the provisions of Staff Regulations 3 to 9; (ii) misconduct by an official in his official capacity; (iii) dereliction of duty.

Rule 30 (2) Procedure for application of sanctions

(a) Before the application of any sanction other than verbal warning, a proposal to apply it, stating the reasons for which it is made, shall be communicated in duplicate to the official concerned. The official shall initial and return one copy of the proposal within eight days of its receipt, adding to it any observations he may wish to make. (b) Except in cases of summary dismissal, no official shall be subject to disciplinary

Rule 30 (1) Disciplinary measures

(a) An official who fails to observe the standards of conduct required of an international civil servant may be subjected to disciplinary measures. Disciplinary measures may take one or more of the following forms only, proportionate to the gravity of the case: (i) Written censure; (ii) Loss of one or more steps in grade; (iii) Deferment, for a specific period, of eligibility for salary increment; (iv) Suspension without pay for a specified period; (v) Fine; (vi) Deferment, for a specified period, of eligibility for consideration for promotion; (vii) Demotion with deferment, for a specified period, of eligibility for consideration for promotion; (viii) Discharge; (ix) Summary dismissal. (b) Measures other than those listed under Staff Rule 30 (1) (a) shall not be considered to be disciplinary measures within the meaning of the present rule. These include, but are not limited to, the following administrative measures: (i) Written or oral reprimand; (ii) Recovery of monies owed to the Organization; (iii) Suspension with or without pay pursuant


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measures until the matter has been referred for advice to the Joint Appeals Committee; this Rule shall not however be applicable in the case of a verbal warning or written reprimand and may, besides, be waived by mutual agreement of the official concerned and the Secretary-General. (c) The decision to apply a sanction shall be communicated in duplicate to the official concerned, who shall initial and return one copy. In the case of a warning, the official, if he so wishes, may add his observation.

Rule 30 (3) Verbal Warning

The sanction of verbal warning may be applied to an official by his responsible chief or by the Secretary-General.

Rule 30 (4) Written Reprimand

The sanction of written reprimand may be applied to an official on the recommendation of the official’s responsible chief, by the Deputy Secretary-General or by the Secretary-General.

Rule 30 (5) Censure

(a) The sanction of censure may be applied to an official by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the official’s responsible chief, or on his own initiative. (b) The Secretary-General may require the responsible chief to report to him three months after the application of the censure on the conduct of the official, who shall initial and return it, adding to it any observations he may wish to make.

Rule 30 (6) Discharge of permanent officials

(a) The sanction of discharge may be applied to a permanent official by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the official’s responsible chief, or on his own initiative. (b) An official who is discharged under this Rule shall be given three months’ notice. The Secretary-General may grant him an indemnity not exceeding one-half of that payable under Rule 25 (7) (Indemnity upon termination).

to Staff Rule 29 (1) (c) A staff member shall be provided with the opportunity to comment on the facts and circumstances prior to the issuance of a written or oral reprimand pursuant to subparagraph (b) (i) above.

Rule 30 (2) Procedure for disciplinary measures

(a) Before the application of any disciplinary measure, a proposal to apply it, stating the reasons for which it is made, shall be communicated in duplicate to the official concerned. The official shall initial and return one copy of the proposal within eight working days of its receipt, adding to it any observations he may wish to make. (b) Except in cases of summary dismissal, no official shall be subject to disciplinary measures until the matter has been referred for advice to the Joint Appeals Committee; this Rule may be waived by mutual agreement of the official concerned and the Secretary-General. (c) The decision to apply a sanction shall be communicated in duplicate to the official concerned, who shall initial and return one copy.

Rule 30 (3)

Discharge of permanent officials (a) The sanction of discharge may be applied to a permanent official by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the official’s responsible chief, or on his own initiative. (b) An official who is discharged under this Rule shall be given three months’ notice. The Secretary-General may grant him an indemnity not exceeding one-half of that payable under Rule 25 (7) (Indemnity upon termination).

Rule 30 (4) Summary dismissal of permanent officials

(a) If a permanent official is guilty of serious failure to observe the standards of conduct required of an international civil servant, the sanction of summary dismissal may be applied to him by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the official’s responsible chief, or on his own initiative. (b) An official who is summarily dismissed under this Rule shall not be entitled to notice or indemnity.

Rule 30 (5) Discharge or summary dismissal of fixed-

term officials


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Rule 30 (7)

Summary dismissal of permanent officials

(a) If a permanent official is guilty of serious failure to observe the standards of conduct required of an international civil servant, the sanction of summary dismissal may be applied to him by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the official’s responsible chief, or on his own initiative. (b) An official who is summarily dismissed under this Rule shall not be entitled to notice or indemnity.

Rule 30 (8) Discharge or summary dismissal of

fixed-term officials (a) The sanction of discharge may be applied to a fixed-term official by the Secretary-General. An official who is discharged under this Rule shall be given one month’s notice. The Secretary-General may grant him an indemnity equal to one week’s salary for each month of uncompleted service, subject to a maximum of three months. (b) If a fixed-term official is guilty of serious failure to observe the standards of conduct required of an international civil servant, the sanction of summary dismissal may be applied to him by the Secretary-General. The official who is summarily dismissed under this Rule shall not be entitled to notice or termination.

Rule 30 (9) Right of Defense

No disciplinary action shall be taken against an official until he has been given an opportunity to present his defense.

(a) The sanction of discharge may be applied to a fixed-term official by the Secretary-General. An official who is discharged under this Rule shall be given one month’s notice. The Secretary-General may grant him an indemnity equal to one week’s salary for each month of uncompleted service, subject to a maximum of three months. (b) If a fixed-term official is guilty of serious failure to observe the standards of conduct required of an international civil servant, the sanction of summary dismissal may be applied to him by the Secretary-General. The official who is summarily dismissed under this Rule shall not be entitled to notice or termination.

Rule 30 (6)

Right of Defense No disciplinary action shall be taken against an official until he has been given an opportunity to present his defense.

Staff Regulation 15 (g) and Staff Rules 24 (3) (a), 24 (3) (b) and 24 (18)

31. An amendment to Staff Regulation 15 (g) was endorsed by the Executive Council at its 109

th session and is submitted to the General Assembly for approval. Amendments to

Staff Rules 24 (3) (a), 24 (3) (b) and 24 (18) were approved by the Executive Council at its 109

th session. The purpose of these amendments is to align UNWTO’s Regulations

and Rules on fixed-term and permanent appointments to the ones of the UN system, providing more flexibility in the type of appointment being offered while following the current practices of other UN organizations on the reduction of permanent appointments, staff mobility and retention policies. The revised text reads as follows:


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Current Text Proposed New Text

Regulation 15 (g) Filling of Vacancies

Regulation 15 (g) Filling of Vacancies

(g) Appointments for a fixed term shall be of not less than one year and not more than three years. While a fixed-term appointment may be renewed for a period not exceeding five years in all, it shall carry no expectation of renewal or of conversion to another type of appointment or activity and shall terminate without prior notice on the termination date fixed in the contract of employment. The expiration of a fixed-term contract is not regarded as a termination within the meaning of the Staff Rules and Staff Regulations.

(g) Appointments for a fixed term shall be of not less than one year and not more than three five years at a time. While a fixed-term appointment may be renewed for a period not exceeding five years in all for any period up to five years at a time, it shall carry no expectation, legal or otherwise, of renewal or of conversion to another type of appointment or activity, irrespective of the length of service, and shall terminate without prior notice on the termination date fixed in the contract of employment. The expiration of a fixed-term contract is not regarded as a termination within the meaning of the Staff Rules and Staff Regulations.

Former Text

Approved New Text

Rule 24 (3) (a) End of Appointment

Rule 24 (3) (a) End of Appointment

(a) A fixed-term appointment shall expire automatically and without indemnity on the expiration date specified in the letter of appointment.

(a) A fixed-term appointment shall expire automatically and without indemnity on the expiration date specified in the letter of appointment. An end-of-service grant may be paid to an official holding a fixed-term appointment, under the conditions specified under Staff Rule 24 (18).

Rule 24 (3) (b) End of Appointment

Rule 24 (3) (b) End of Appointment

(b) At least three months before the expiration of an appointment for a fixed term of three years or less, the official’s situation shall be reviewed by the Secretary-General. In the light of his review, the Secretary-General shall decide either to terminate the official’s services or to extend his appointment, once only, for a period that may not bring the total period of service to more than five years ; such extension shall not be renewable. Exceptionally, if the Secretary-General considers that the experience gained by the official is indispensable to the Organization, he may, on the expiration of an extended fixed-term contract and after consulting the Appointment and Promotion Board, offer him a permanent appointment.

(b) At least three months before the expiration of an appointment for a fixed term of three years or less, the official’s situation shall be reviewed by the Secretary-General. In the light of his review, the Secretary-General shall decide either to terminate the official’s services or to extend his appointment, once only, for a period that may not bring the total period of service to more than five years; such extension shall not be renewable. Exceptionally, if the Secretary-General considers that the experience gained by the official is indispensable to the Organization, he may, on the expiration of an extended fixed-term contract and after consulting the Appointment and Promotion Board, offer him a permanent appointment.


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Rule 24 (18) End-of-service grant

Rule 24 (18) End-of-service grant

2

[New Rule] (a) Officials holding a fixed-term appointment may be eligible for an end-of-service grant upon expiration of their fixed-term appointment, after six years or more of continuous qualifying service with the Organization, and provided that their performance has been certified as being satisfactory. (b) The end-of-service grant shall not be payable in case of resignation, summary dismissal, abandonment of post, retirement as defined in Staff Rule 24 (4), early retirement in accordance with the rules of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, non-renewal due to reasons of health, or on receipt from the Organization of an offer of renewal of appointment and declining it. (c) The end-of-service grant shall be calculated on the basis of gross salary less staff assessment (plus language allowance, if applicable), according to the following scale:

Completed years of continuous

service

Amount of allowance in terms

of months

6 years 3

7 years 5

8 years 7

9 years 9

10 years 9.5

11 years 10

12 years 10.5

13 years 11

14 years 11.5

15 and above 12 (d) Officials shall not accrue credit towards the end-of-service grant during full months of special leave without pay. Periods of less than 30 days of such leave shall not affect the ordinary rates of accrual.

Staff Regulation 28 and Staff Rule 14 (3) (b)

32. An amendment to Staff Regulation 28 was endorsed by the Executive Council at its 109th

session and is submitted to the General Assembly for approval. An amendment to Staff Rule 14 (3) (b) was approved by the Executive Council at its 109

th session. The purpose

2 This Rule is subject to further revision in accordance with ICSC recommendations and UN system practices.


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of these amendments is made on the basis of JIU recommendations3 and on the

extension of the maximum age of retirement to 65, which was approved by the 22

nd General Assembly. The revised text reads as follows:

Current Text Proposed New Text

Regulation 28 Retirement Age

Regulation 28 Retirement Age

Officials shall not be retained in active service beyond the age prescribed by the Staff Rules. The Secretary-General may, in the interest of the Organization, extend this age limit by one or two years in exceptional cases.

Officials shall not be retained in active service beyond the age prescribed by the Staff Rules. The Secretary-General may, in the interest of the Organization, extend this age limit by one or two years in exceptional cases.

Former Text Approved New Text

Rule 14 (3) (b) Medical examination preceding and

following appointment

Rule 14 (3) (b) Medical examination preceding and

following appointment

(b) When an official is retained in the service of the Organization beyond the age of sixty-two in terms of Staff Regulation 28, a medical examination, by the Medical Adviser designated by the Secretary-General, shall be required at the beginning of each year of service.

(b) [deleted]

Staff Rule 31 (2) (a) (i) and paragraphs 21 (b) and (c) of Annex 2 of the UNWTO Staff Regulations and Rules on the Rules of the Joint Appeals Committee

33. Amendments to Staff Rule 31 (2) (a) (i) and paragraphs 21 (b) and (c) of Annex 2 of the UNWTO Staff Regulations and Rules on the Rules of the Joint Appeals Committee were approved by the Executive Council at its 109

th session. The purpose of the amendments

is to ensure an appropriate alternate for the Chairman of the Joint Appeals Committee and ensure and respect the confidentiality of the records and reports of the Joint Appeals Committee, as well as to mitigate the risk of liability of the Organization. The revised text reads as follows:


Rule 31 (2) (a) (i) Composition of the Joint Appeals

Committee

Rule 31 (2) (a) (i) Composition of the Joint Appeals

Committee

(a) The Joint Appeals Committee shall consist of three members as follows: (i) A Chairman selected from a panel appointed biennially by the Secretary-General after consultation with the Staff Association(s); ( ii ) one member appointed biennially by the Secretary-General ;

(a) The Joint Appeals Committee shall consist of three members as follows: (i) A Chairman selected from a panel appointed biennially by the Secretary-General after consultation with the Staff Association(s). An alternate Chairman may be appointed in the same manner; ( ii ) one member appointed biennially by the

3 For more information, please refer to the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit reports, available at

https://www.unjiu.org/content/reports


https://www.unjiu.org/content/reports

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( iii ) one member elected by the staff. The staff shall elect biennially by ballot two staff members, one from the Professional category and above and one from the General Service category. The member called to serve on the Committee shall be from the group to which the official whose case is to be considered belongs.

Secretary-General ; ( iii ) one member elected by the staff. The staff shall elect biennially by ballot two staff members, one from the Professional category and above and one from the General Service category. The member called to serve on the Committee shall be from the group to which the official whose case is to be considered belongs.

Annex 2 Rules of the Joint Appeals Committee

Records and Reports

Paragraph 21 (b)


Records and Reports

Paragraph 21 (b)

(b) The report of the Committee shall be confidential unless otherwise decided by the Secretary-General. An appellant may disclose the report to the Administrative Tribunal. Reports of the Committee and decisions of the Secretary-General thereon shall be communicated for information to the Members of the Executive Council.

(b) The report of the Committee shall be confidential unless otherwise decided by the Secretary-General. An appellant may disclose the report to the Administrative Tribunal. Reports of the Committee and decisions of the Secretary-General thereon shall be communicated for information to the Members of the Executive Council.


Records and Reports

Paragraph 21 (c)


Records and Reports

Paragraph 21 (c)

(c) Intending appellants who have protested under paragraph 7, members of the Committee appointed for any particular case, and the president or presidents of the staff association(s) may examine all the previous reports of the Committee, and decisions made thereon by the Secretary-General.

(c) [deleted]

Staff Rule 15 (1)

34. An amendment to Staff Rule 15 (1) was approved by the Executive Council at its 110th

session, in relation to the Appointment and Promotion Board. The purpose of the Appointment and Promotion Board (APB) is to provide advice on the appointment, promotion and review of officials in the General Service and Professional categories. Following the concerns of both Management and the Staff Association to improve the composition and functioning of the APB, and considering the practice of the United Nations and its specialized agencies, this rule is amended to clarify the roles of the Chair, the Human Resources representative and that of the hiring manager in the Board. The revised text reads as follows:


Rule 15 (1) Appointment and Promotion Board

Rule 15 (1) Appointment and Promotion Board

(a) An Appointment and Promotion Board shall be established by the Secretary-General to give advice on the appointment, promotion and review of staff in the General

(a) An Appointment and Promotion Board shall be established by the Secretary-General to give advice on the appointment, promotion and review of staff in the General Service and


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Service and Professional categories.

(b) Composition and procedures of the Appointment and Promotion Board:

(i) The Appointment and Promotion Board shall consist of five members and an appropriate number of alternates. The Deputy Secretary-General or his duly qualified representative and a representative of the Personnel Section shall serve ex officio as members of the Board. The other three members and their alternates shall be appointed by the Secretary-General. The procedure for their appointment, normally for a term of one year, subject to renewal, shall be as follows : ( 1 ) one member and one alternate shall be nominated directly by the Secretary-General ; and ( 2 ) two members and two alternates shall be appointed by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Staff Association( s ).

(ii) The Board, which is chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General or his representative, shall establish its own procedures.

(c) Functions of the Appointment and Promotion Board:

The functions of the Appointment and Promotion Board shall be to advise and make recommendations to the Secretary-General on the following, as well as on matters specified in the Staff Rules and any other matter that the Secretary-General may refer to it. All the Board’s deliberations shall be confidential.

(i) Appointment

Appointments of a probable duration of one year or more, excluding the appointment of persons recruited specifically for service with a mission, for posts in the Secretary-General’s Cabinet, for the posts of Principal Officer and Director, for posts that can manifestly not be filled by transfer or promotion, and in exceptional and urgent cases.

(ii) Promotion

– The selection of officials qualified for promotion. For this purpose, the Board shall normally once a year conduct a comprehensive, grade by grade review of all officials within its purview. Wherever practicable, it shall develop and maintain promotion registers embodying the results

Professional categories.

(b) Composition and procedures of the Appointment and Promotion Board:

(i) The Appointment and Promotion Board shall consist of five four members and an appropriate number of alternates. The Deputy Secretary-General or his duly qualified representative and a representative of the Personnel Human Resources, Section, or his duly representative, shall serve ex officio as full members of the Board. The third member shall be the responsible chief of the vacant post, as defined in Staff Rule 11 (2). The other three two members and their alternates shall be appointed by the Secretary-General. The fourth member and its alternate shall be appointed by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Staff Association(s). The procedure for their appointment, normally for a term of one two years, subject to renewal, shall follow an election process for one candidate in the Professional category, and his alternate, and one candidate in the General Service category and his alternate, who shall serve in cases corresponding to their respective category. All staff members shall be eligible to vote and serve in the Appointment and Promotion Board. be as follows : ( 1 ) one member and one alternate shall be nominated directly by the Secretary-General ; and ( 2 ) two members and two alternates shall be appointed by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Staff Association( s ).

(ii) The Board, which is chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General or his representative, shall establish its own procedures. follow the guidelines and procedures established by the Secretary-General.

(c) Functions Mandate of the Appointment and Promotion Board:

The functions mandate of the Appointment and Promotion Boards shall be to advise and make recommendations to the Secretary-General on the following, as well as on matters specified in the Staff Rules and any other matter that the Secretary-General may refer to it. All the Board’s deliberations shall be confidential.

(i) Appointment

Appointments of a probable any duration of one year or more, excluding the appointment of persons recruited specifically for service with a mission, for posts in the Secretary-General’s Cabinet, for the posts of Principal


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of such a review.

– Minimum periods of service in the grade, as a normal requirement for consideration for promotion, shall be established by the Secretary-General upon recommendation by the Appointment and Promotion Board.

(iii) Conversion of appointments from fixed term to permanent.

Officer and Director, as defined in Staff Rule 11 (1), for posts that can manifestly not be filled by transfer or promotion, and in exceptional and urgent cases. In case the Appointment and Promotion Board considers that none of the candidates are suitable, it may recommend cancelling the process.

(ii) Promotion

– The selection of officials qualified for promotion, except for officials having successfully passed a competitive examination in accordance with Staff Regulation 15. For this purpose, the Board shall normally once a year conduct a comprehensive, grade by grade review of all officials within its purview. Wherever practicable, it shall develop and maintain promotion registers embodying the results of such a review.

– Minimum periods of service in the grade, as a normal requirement for consideration for promotion, shall be established by the Secretary-General upon recommendation by the Appointment and Promotion Board.

(iii) Conversion of appointments from fixed term to permanent.

Staff Rule 15 (6) (c)

35. An amendment to Staff Rule 15 (6) (c) was approved by the Executive Council at its 110th session. The purpose of the amendment is to align the policies with the new performance management and appraisal system, as presented in this report. The revised text reads as follows:


Rule 15 (6) (c) Withholding of increment

Rule 15 (6) (c) Withholding of increment

(c) Where it has been decided that an annual increment shall be withheld, the official, if he considers that the decision has been based on an erroneous evaluation of his performance or that the recommendation has been made for reasons unconnected with his performance, can appeal within eight days of receipt of the decision to the Secretary-General who shall refer the matter to the Appointment and Promotion Board for observations and report before deciding.

(c) Where it has been decided that an annual increment shall be withheld, the official, if he considers that the decision has been based on an erroneous evaluation of his performance or that the recommendation has been made for reasons unconnected with his performance, can appeal within eight days of receipt of the decision to the Secretary-General who shall refer the matter to the Appointment and Promotion Board for observations and report before deciding. the decision in accordance with procedures promulgated by the Secretary-General.


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Staff Rule 15 (11)

36. An amendment to Staff Rule 15 (11) was approved by the Executive Council at its 110th session. The purpose of the amendment is to align the policies with the UN, as well as with the new administrative issuance on the revised performance management and appraisal system, as presented in this report. The revised text reads as follows:


Rules 15 (11) Annual reports

Rules 15 (11) Annual reports

( a ) An annual report on the competence, efficiency and official conduct of each official shall be made by his responsible chief. The report, in a form prescribed by the Secretary-General, shall be made in the light of the guidelines and principles laid down by the International Civil Service Commission. ( b ) The report shall be communicated to the official concerned not later than two months after the date when his increment is due, who shall initial and return it within eight days of its receipt, attaching to it any observations he may wish to make. If these observations are for record purposes only and do not contest any statement made therein, he shall address his written observations to Personnel Section, to be placed in his personal file together with the report to which they refer. If the observations contest any statement in the report to the effect that his services are unsatisfactory, he shall submit a concise written account of his objections and the facts and conclusions on which they are based to Personnel Section for referral to the Secretary-General. (c) An annual report shall fall due on the completion of an official’s first nine months of service and every twelve months thereafter, except that any annual report that falls due three months or less before or after the due date of a probationary performance appraisal shall not normally be required. The period under review shall be the period of service prior to an official’s first appraisal, or the period of service between two appraisals.

( a ) An annual report on the competence, efficiency and official conduct of each official shall be made by his responsible chief. The report, in a form prescribed by the Secretary-General, shall be made in the light of the guidelines and principles laid down by the International Civil Service Commission. (a) Officials shall be evaluated for their efficiency, competence and integrity through performance appraisal mechanisms that shall assess the official’s compliance with the standards set out in the Staff Regulations and Rules for purposes of accountability. ( b ) The report shall be communicated to the official concerned not later than two months after the date when his increment is due, who shall initial and return it within eight days of its receipt, attaching to it any observations he may wish to make. If these observations are for record purposes only and do not contest any statement made therein, he shall address his written observations to Personnel Section, to be placed in his personal file together with the report to which they refer. If the observations contest any statement in the report to the effect that his services are unsatisfactory, he shall submit a concise written account of his objections and the facts and conclusions on which they are based to Personnel Section for referral to the Secretary-General. (b) The Secretary-General shall seek to ensure that appropriate learning and development programmes are available for the benefit of officials. (c) An annual report shall fall due on the completion of an official’s first nine months of service and every twelve months thereafter, except that any annual report that falls due three months or less before or after the due date of a probationary performance appraisal shall not normally be required. The period under review shall be the period of service prior to an official’s first appraisal, or the period of service between two appraisals.


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(c) Annual reports shall be prepared regularly for all officials, including at the Deputy Secretary-General level, in accordance with procedures promulgated by the Secretary-General.

Staff Rule 17 (1) (d)

37. An amendment to Staff Rule 17 (1) (d) was approved by the Executive Council at its 110th session. Special leave is normally granted for advanced study or research in the interest of the Organization, in cases of extended illness, for child care, or for other exceptional or urgent reasons. The Organization, in accordance with the United Nations policies, also grants special leave for the purpose of paternity and adoption. As per the current rules, officials during their first year of service or who are in a probationary period may currently not avail of this entitlement as per this rule. In the case of Staff Rule 17 (1) (d), the purpose of the amendment is to eliminate any detriment that this rule may cause to officials during their first year of employment to ensure that they may be granted paternity or adoption leave accordingly. This is in line with the practices of other UN common system organizations. The revised text reads as follows:


Rule 17 (1) (d) Special leave

Rule 17 (1) (d) Special leave

(d) Special leave with or without salary shall not be granted to an official who has not yet completed one year of service or who is under probation.

(d) [deleted]

Staff Rule 24 (4)

38. An amendment to Staff Rule 24 (4) was approved by the Executive Council at its 110th session. At its 59

th session in July 2012, the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board,

noting a steady increase in life expectancy of United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) participants, as well as a growing actuarial deficit, determined that a priority measure to address long-term sustainability of the Fund was to raise the normal age of retirement from sixty-two to sixty-five for new participants in the Fund as of 1 January 2014, with the proviso that the acquired rights of serving staff members would not be affected. Further to consultations with the executive heads of the United Nations common system Organization, the implementation date of this decision was set at 1 January 2018. This decision was approved at the 103

rd session of the UNWTO Executive Council. The

purpose of the amendment to Staff Rule 24 (4) is to clarify that the exercise of these acquired rights applying to those officials whose participation in the UNJSPF commenced or recommenced between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2013 and who may therefore still opt to retire at the age of sixty-two or before reaching sixty-five. The revised text reads as follows:


Rule 24 (4) Age of retirement

Rule 24 (4) Age of retirement

Officials shall retire from the Organization at the end of the last day of the month in which they reach the age of sixty-five without prejudice of acquired rights. Mandatory age of retirement from the United Nations Joint Pension Fund is governed by the Regulations, Rules and Pension Adjustment System of the

Officials shall retire from the Organization at the end of the last day of the month in which they reach the age of sixty-five without prejudice of acquired rights of those officials whose participation in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund commenced or recommenced between 1 January 1990 and


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United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund. 31 December 2013 and whose normal age of retirement was sixty-two years. Mandatory age of retirement from the United Nations Joint Pension Fund is governed by the Regulations, Rules and Pension Adjustment System of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund.

Staff Rule 24 (11) (a)

39. An amendment to Staff Rule 24 (11) (a) was approved by the Executive Council at its 110th session. The purpose of the amendment is to clarify, as per UN policies on the matter, that the repatriation grant may only be paid to staff members following repatriation travel, at the expense of the Organization upon separation from service, to a place outside the country of the last duty station. The revised text reads as follows:


Rule 24 (11) (a) Repatriation grant

Rule 24 (11) (a) Repatriation grant

( a ) A repatriation grant shall be payable to any non-locally recruited official who, on leaving the Organization otherwise than by summary dismissal under Rules 30 ( 7 ) ( Summary dismissal of permanent officials ) and 30 ( 8 ) ( Discharge or summary dismissal of fixed-term officials ) has completed one year of service outside the country of his home. The grant shall be computed in accordance with the schedule below. It shall be paid at the family rate when an official is in receipt of a dependent spouse allowance, a single parent allowance or has a dependent child in terms of Rule 13 ( 4 ) ( Definition of Dependants ).

( a ) A repatriation grant shall be payable to any non-locally recruited official who, on leaving the Organization otherwise than by summary dismissal under Rules 30 ( 7 ) ( Summary dismissal of permanent officials ) and 30 ( 8 ) ( Discharge or summary dismissal of fixed-term officials ) has completed one year of service outside the country of his home and where the Organization had the obligation to return an official and his spouse and dependent children, upon separation, at the expense of the Organization, to a place outside the country of the last duty station. The grant shall be computed in accordance with the schedule below. It shall be paid at the family rate when an official is in receipt of a dependent spouse allowance, a single parent allowance or has a dependent child in terms of Rule 13 ( 4 ) ( Definition of Dependants ).


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Annex I: Report of the UNWTO Ethics Officer on the activities conducted in 2018/19

Through an Information Note (NI/04/2018) dated 2 May 2018, the Secretary-General informed of his decision to designate Ms Marina Diotallevi, Manager of the Ethics and Social Responsibility Programme, as UNWTO’s Ethics Officer effective 01 May 2018. The appointment was acknowledged by Executive Council decision 15(CVIII). The Ethics Officer reports directly to the Secretary-General and to the Executive Council.

Annual Report of the Ethics Officer

The present Report has been prepared by the UNWTO Ethics Officer and is presented to the Executive Council for information and decision. The Report covers the period from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019.

Content

I. Introduction

II. Background and general information

III. Activities on the Ethics Office during the period 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019

A. Protection of staff against retaliation for reporting misconduct and for cooperating with duly authorized audits or investigations

B. Advice and guidance

C. Outreach, training and education

D. Financial disclosure programme

E. Standard setting and policy support

IV. The Ethics Network of Multi-Lateral Organizations

V. Final considerations

I. Introduction

40. Ms. Diotallevi is the first in-house Ethics Officer at the UNWTO Secretariat since the establishment in 2013 of the Ethics Function as a separate entity of UNWTO (CE/DEC/12(XCIV)). The Ethics Function had been previously externalised to UNOPS based in Copenhagen (from 2013 to 2016) and subsequently to a retired UNWTO official based in Chile (from 2017 to 30 April 2018).

41. The decision of the Secretary-General of having an in-house Ethics Officer was taken pursuant to a recommendation emanated from the “Quality Review of Internal Policies” audit carried out by the firm KPMG (NI/02/18). The aim of revising the Ethics Function is to strengthen UNWTO´s internal governance and to secure the presence of the Ethics Officer at the Secretariat in order to enable the achievement of the necessary reforms and the implementation of ethical policies.

42. Due to the small size of the Organization, the responsibilities of the in-house Ethics Function at UNWTO have been assigned - as a dual function - to the officer in charge of an operational Department, originally the Ethics and Social Responsibility Programme which, in the context of the new organizational structure of 1 June 2018, has been extended to become the Department of Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility.

The present Report is thus the first of an Ethics Officer based at the UNWTO Secretariat in Madrid; it is the sixth annual report since the establishment of the Ethics Function in 2013.

II. Background and general information 43. The Ethics Function at UNWTO was established in 2013 by decision 12(XCIV) of the

Executive Council and a corresponding budget was also approved.


http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/ce94_dec_en_0.pdf

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44. In accordance with the benchmarks applied by the United Nations, the Ethics Function is aimed at promoting an ethical organizational culture based on integrity, accountability, transparency and respect. It is an internal personnel integrity management system.

45. In the same decision 12(XCIV), the EC approved the terms of reference of the Ethics Function in UNWTO which include the standards suggested by the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) in its report “Ethics in the UN System” (JIU/REP/2010/3), with the addition of a number of discretionary functions.

46. The terms of reference approved in the above-mentioned decision remain applicable to the new in-house Ethics Function and are as follows:

JIU standard functions: (i) Development and dissemination of ethics standards;

(ii) Development and implementation of mandatory ethics training;

(iii) Provision of confidential ethics advice and guidance to all personnel of the

Organization whatever their contractual status;

(iv) Administering the organization’s policy for the protection of staff against retaliation for reporting misconduct and for cooperating with duly authorized audits or investigations (so-called “whistle-blower protection policy”);

(v) Administering the organization’s financial disclosure programme.

Additional functions agreed by the Executive Council are: (i) Receiving complaints of unethical conduct, including harassment, and advising on

whether there appears to be a prima facie case thereof, and suggesting to management the best approach for handling the case;

(ii) Using the ethics hotline to receive not just ethical issues in a narrow sense (i.e. JIU suggested), but to receive all reports or complaints of misconduct, with appropriate referral;

(iii) Assisting on mediating between staff if requested by the SG; and/or

(iv) Assisting in the identification of suitable investigators where cases necessitate an

investigation.

One additional function was agreed by the Executive Council at its 109th session held in Manama, Bahrain, 30 October-1 November 2018 (decision 6(CVIX)) and consists in authorizing the UNWTO Ethics Officer to: (v) Conduct an initial consideration of complaints concerning allegations of misconduct

against the Executive Head of the Organization with a view to recommending actions as appropriate.

47. This last additional function was the result of the receipt by the UNWTO Ethics Officer of a report concerning an alleged misconduct against the Executive Head and a request for protection against retaliation. The review of this complaint was referred to an external and independent Ethics Officer in order to ensure impartiality of the process, in line with JIU Reports “Review of whistle-blower policies and practices in the United Nations system


https://www.unjiu.org/sites/www.unjiu.org/files/jiu_document_files/products/en/reports-notes/JIU%20Products/JIU_REP_2010_3_English.pdf

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organizations” (JIU/REP/2018/4), and “Ethics in the United Nations system” (JIU/REP/2010/3). More information about this case in paragraphs 13 to 15.

III. Activities of the Ethics Officer over the period 1 May 2018 and 30 April 2019

A. Protection of staff against retaliation for reporting misconduct and for cooperating with duly authorized audits or investigations

48. On 14 June 2013, the Secretary-General through Circular NS/768 promulgated the UNWTO Protection against Retaliation (PaR) policy for reporting misconduct and for cooperating with duly authorized audits or investigations, for the purpose of:

(i) encouraging and protecting staff members who disclose information relating to misconduct that may not otherwise be discovered or cooperate with a duly authorized fact-finding activity;

(ii) ensuring the Organization can effectively address such cases and manage risks; and

(iii) ensuring the Organization functions in a transparent and accountable manner with

the objective of enhancing good corporate governance. 49. The Ethics Office confidentially receives reports of misconduct or complaints of retaliation

and conducts a preliminary assessment to determine, inter alia, whether there is a sufficient prima facie case that may entail the referral of the case for formal investigation.

50. Pending the completion of a referred investigation, the Ethics Office may recommend to the Secretary-General that interim protection measures be implemented to safeguard the interests of the complainant. The Office will make a final recommendation to the Secretary-General for his determination subsequent to receipt and assessment of the completed investigation report and evidential materials.

51. During the period from 1 May 2018 until 31 April 2019, the Ethics Officer received one formal request for protection from retaliation from a staff member of the Organization. The request was linked to the reporting of allegations of misconduct by the Executive Head of the Organization.

52. The review of the case was outsourced to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) due to the lack of a well-defined internal mechanism for addressing allegations of this nature.

53. During its one hundred-ninth session in Manama, Bahrein (30 October-1 November 2018), the Executive Council having examined the Report presented by its Chair on this matter (cf. Addendum of document CE/109/3(c) Add.1), agreed in its decision 6 (CVIX), on the following:

Welcomes the decision of the Secretariat to consult the Chair of the Executive Council;

Endorses the decision of the Chair of the Executive Council and the Deputy Secretary-General to outsource the case to an external and independent entity in order to ensure the impartiality and objectivity of the process;

Supports the outcome of the preliminary assessment and, in particular, the conclusion that no investigation is required;

Authorizes the UNWTO Ethics Officer to conduct an initial consideration of any similar future complaints with a view to recommending any further action as appropriate.

Instructs the UNWTO Ethics Officer to review the current policies on whistle-blower and protection against retaliation, and to establish appropriate mechanisms for handling such complaints; and


https://www.unjiu.org/sites/www.unjiu.org/files/jiu_rep_2018_4_english_0.pdf


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Requests the UNWTO Ethics Officer to report any progress to the next session of the Executive Council, as part of her annual report.

54. With regard to review of the current whistle-blower and protection against retaliation policy requested by the Executive Council, the Ethics Officer, in collaboration with the Office of the Legal Counsel, have initiated the review of the existing procedure with a view to updating it.

55. Furthermore, consultations are underway with the Ethics Offices of the UN system in order to determine whether appropriate channels and modalities for reporting allegations against the Executive Head of the Organization are already in place or are being developed in other UN agencies which could assist the UNWTO Secretariat in reviewing its policy related to misconduct/wrongdoing.

B. Outreach, training and education

56. With a view to strengthen the ethical culture throughout the Organization, on 13 March 2019 the Ethics Officer invited all UNWTO personnel to take the Ethics and Integrity e-learning course (Information Note IC/10/11).

57. The Ethics and Integrity e-learning course is a mandatory course that all UNWTO personnel at all levels without exception will have to complete by 30 June 2019. The course is provided through the platform of the United Nations System Staff College and its purpose is to enhance the awareness about the core values and standards of integrity to be observed within the workplace environment.

58. The intranet pages of the ethics site allow all personnel at UNWTO to see the mandate of the Ethics Office, its terms of reference, and to obtain advice on specific ethical issues. The ethics site, created in 2013, has now been revised, updated and completed with information such as all the Reports of the Ethics Officer submitted to the Executive Council since the establishment of the Function.

C. Advice and guidance

59. Pursuant to its advisory mandate, the Ethics Office provides confidential ethics advice and guidance to UNWTO personnel, management, and departments in order to ensure that decision-making is consistent with the values, principles and rules of the United Nations. Dedicated telephone and email help-lines have been made available for confidential advice.

60. During the period under review, the Ethics Officer was approached by 16 officials, nine women and seven men. Advice and guidance provided by the Ethics Officer included clarification or interpretation of the UNWTO regulations, rules and standards concerning prohibited or restricted activities, conflicts of interest, and the situation and rights of service contract holders in the organisation.

61. The Ethics Officer has also been approached by representatives of the Committee of the Staff Association seeking advice on possible cases of harassment in the workplace.

62. Confidential advice and guidance was provided by the Ethics Officer to a staff member on a possible case of sexual harassment, including information on the procedure in place for filing a complaint. No official complaint has been filed to date.

63. A complaint was received concerning the appointment of an official at a senior level position after a competitive recruitment process which was contested by one member of personnel. The Ethics Officer checked the matter with Human Resources and the Appointments and Promotion Board, and both confirmed that the selection process and the appointment had been conducted fully in line with established procedures.

64. A significant number of requests for advice were about employment-related issues which usually do not fall under the purview of the Ethics Officer. Guidance was requested on matters such as contractual and separation settlement matters, performance appraisal


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issues, payment of salaries or application of sanctions. The Ethics Officer, whenever requested by a staff member, has tried to clarify the issue with the corresponding services. However, in many cases it has been noted that the organizational ethical culture would considerably benefit from improving communication, transparency and enhancing mutual respect and the observance of the minimum acceptable standards of behaviour in interpersonal and supervisory relations.

65. Finally under the section on advice and guidance, it should be noted that the Ethics Officer does not conduct any due diligence process or screening with regard to the Tourism Ambassadors initiative.

D. Financial Disclosure Programme

66. The Ethics Office is mandated to administer the UNWTO financial disclosure programme

(FDP) pursuant to Secretary-General’s Circular NS/774, promulgated in Madrid on 22 November 2013, as a means of identifying, managing and mitigating personal conflicts of interest risks in pursuit of strengthening public trust in the integrity of the organization.

67. The Financial Disclosure Policy of the Organization sets an obligation on the part of a specific group of UNWTO staff members (graded P-5 and above) to file financial declaration statements. So far this policy relied on a Third Party Administrator (TPA) which independently managed the receipt and review of these financial declaration forms.

68. The Secretariat is currently revising its policy to focus more on addressing potential conflicts of interest of its officials (i.e. outside professional activities, acceptance of gifts, benefits and honors, leadership roles in and associations with companies or other external entities), rather than reporting income of spouses, assets and other financial details.

69. In this context, it is proposed to replace the current Financial Declaration Statement by a Declaration of Interest Statement, in line with policies in place in other UN entities, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

70. The new UNWTO Policy on Declaration of Interest Statements is expected to be published towards the end of the first semester of 2019 in order to enable UNWTO staff members to file their declarations of interest statement by end of September of this year.

E. Standard setting and policy support

71. The Ethics Officer was consulted on and/or contributed to the updating of policies on the

following topics:

UNWTO Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Framework

In line with the recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) Report on Fraud Prevention, Detection and Response in United Nations System Organizations (JIU/REP/2016/4), the Secretary-General adopted the anti-fraud and anti-corruption framework policy of the United Nations, applicable at the UNWTO Secretariat starting from 13 March 2019 (SGB/06/19) as a zero tolerance approach with regard to fraud and corruption.

Other policy reviews

The Ethics Officer, in collaboration with the Human Resources department and the offices of the Secretary-General and the Legal Counsel, has reviewed the results of the UN Survey on Safe Space: Sexual harassment in our workplace with a view to eradicate sexual harassment and ensure a safe workplace at UNWTO.

The same departments have also provided comments to the JIU draft report on the Review of the United Nations system-wide action plan on gender equality and the



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empowerment of women; as well as on the Review of the State of the Investigation Function.

IV. The Ethics Network of Multilateral Organizations

72. In July 2018, the UNWTO Ethics Officer attended the 10th Conference of the Ethics

Network of Multilateral Organizations (ENMO) which was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

73. In accordance with the United Nations’ ongoing promotion of system-wide collaboration on ethics-related issues, including with United Nations specialized agencies and other interested entities, the United Nations Ethics Network was established on 21 June 2010. The Ethics Network was founded within the framework of the Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) in order to promote system-wide collaboration and coherence in the area of ethics and integrity, with the participation of ethics officers and related professionals from the United Nations Secretariat and funds and programmes, the United Nations specialized agencies, and international financial institutions. The Ethics Network counted 37 organizations among its Members in 2018.

74. The participation of UNWTO Ethics Officer was a good opportunity to exchange experiences and to collaborate on issues of general applicability of the ethics function, as well as to enhance the professional capacity of the ethics function and promote the common standards of practice of this function.

75. Among the various interesting topics discussed by the Members of the Ethics Network was the issue of Conflicts of Interest (both for internal and external activities); the JIU Review of Whistle-blower Policies and Practices; the Protection from Sexual Harassment, Harassment, Discrimination and Abuse of Authority; Mediation Skills; and Law, Ethics and Organizational Culture.

76. Full information on the work of the Ethics Network is provided in the Report of the United Nations Secretary-General to the General Assembly of the United Nations on the Activities of the Ethics Office (document A/73/89).

V. Final considerations

77. In line with the recommendations of the JIU (JIU/REP/2010/3), the ethics function should operate independently from management and for this reason it is recommended that the post of the Ethics Officer be established at a senior level, usually at P-5 / D-1 level.

78. It should be noted that the functions and responsibilities of the UNWTO Ethics Officer have been extended by the Executive Council and span well beyond the standard ethics functions recommended by JIU for UN organizations (see paragraph 8).

79. In view of the importance of this Function and the sensibility and confidentiality of the assignments entrusted to it by the Executive Council, the resources for the UNWTO Ethics Office are under active review by the Administration in order to ensure its efficient and effective functioning.

Marina Diotallevi Ethics Officer, UNWTO

30 April 2019


https://undocs.org/A/73/89


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Annex II: Election of the Members of the UNWTO Staff Pension Committee for 2020-2021

I. Introduction

1. The first Staff Pension Committee of the organization was established for the period 1996-1997. On the basis of a decision taken by the Executive Council at its 53rd session, later ratified by the General Assembly at its 12th session (A/RES/363), the following countries were designated as representatives of the States: Spain and India as Members and Argentina and Côte d’Ivoire as Alternate Members. The General Assembly also decided in said resolution to re-elect those members and alternate members for a further period of two years.

2. The General Assembly, in its succeeding sessions and taking into account of the willingness of these four countries to continue serving on the Staff Pension Committee, decided to reelect them as representatives of the Member States to the Staff Pension Committee. (General Assembly resolutions A/RES/403(XIII), A/RES/435(XIV), and A/RES/465(XV)).

3. At its 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd sessions, the General Assembly, decided to re-elect Argentina and Spain for the periods 2006-2007, 2008-2009, 2010-2011, 2012-2013, 2014-2015, 2016-2017 and 2018-2019 (A/RES/499(XVI), A/RES/520(XVII), A/RES/568(XVIII), A/RES/597(XIX), A/RES/626(XX), A/RES/660(XXI) and A/RES/692(XXII) respectively). There were no candidates to alternate membership.

II. Candidatures for the UNWTO Staff Pension Committee

4. The current mandate of the staff pension committee expires at the end of 2019. Once again, the General Assembly is invited to deliberate on this issue and to elect the full and alternate members of this Committee for the period 2020-2021.

5. In this regard, any Member State wishing to present its candidature to the UNWTO Staff Pension Committee may do so in writing to the Secretary-General. The deadline for the submission of candidatures will remain open until the corresponding agenda item is discussed at the General Assembly.


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