Secretariat

Establishment of an Administrative Tribunal: On November 8, 1949, the administrative and budgetary committee of the General Assembly recommended establishment of an administrative tribunal for the Secretariat to come into force on January 1, 1950. Discussion in the committee was based on a report of the Secretary-General proposing the discontinuance of the Appeals Board. The representative of Belgium (Lebeau) favored creation of the tribunal but urged the continuance of the Appeals Board to handle disciplinary measures. Iran, Poland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, and Yugoslavia supported this view; the United Kingdom and the United States suggested postponing the question of an administrative tribunal. The chairman of the Staff Committee (Epstein) expressed the view that the joint disciplinary committee proposed by the Secretary-General to replace the Appeals Board did not fulfill the rights guaranteed by the provisional staff regulations. After consultation the Secretary-General and the Staff Committee agreed upon a revised draft statute, subsequently approved by the administrative committee, which provided for internal appeals machinery to advise the Secretary-General in disciplinary as well as contractual cases, and on administrative practices. The administrative tribunal was not to have jurisdiction in disciplinary cases but was to pass judgment upon applications from staff members alleging non-observance of contracts on terms of appointment.