VZCZCXYZ0007
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0625/01 1962244
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 142244Z JUL 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4596

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000625 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC APER PREL UNGA UNGA UNGA
SUBJECT: SECRETARY-GENERAL SEEKS JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS FOR 
NEW UN SYSTEM OF INTERNAL JUSTICE 
 
REF: A. USUN 562 
     ¶B. USUN 413 
     ¶C. USUN/IO EMAIL (WILCOX/HACKETT)-04/18/08 
     ¶D. USUN 491 
     ¶E. STATE 37257 
     ¶F. STATE 51372 
 
BEGIN SUMMARY: 1. In connection with the UN General Assembly's 
decision in resolution 62/228 to establish the new UN Dispute 
Tribunal and UN Appeals Tribunal as of January 1, 2009, the 
Secretary-General has asked UN Member States to nominate 
judges for the new tribunals by July 21 (para 2).  The 
Secretary-General's request also included the UN's job 
announcement for the judicial positions (para 3).  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  BEGIN TEXT: 
 
26 June 2008 
 
Excellency, 
 
I am writing to you in reference to the positions of judges 
of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal and United Nations 
Appeals Tribunal. 
 
As you may recall, the General Assembly, in its resolution 
62/228 of 22 December 2007, established the basic framework 
of a new system of administration of justice in the United 
Nations, to be in place as of 1 January 2009.  It will 
comprise a two-tier formal system with a first instance 
United Nations Dispute Tribunal and a United Nations Appeals 
Tribunal as an appellate instance.  The United Nations 
Dispute Tribunal shall be composed of three full-time judges, 
to be located in New York, Geneva and Nairobi, and two 
half-time judges.  The United Nations Appeals Tribunal shall 
be composed of seven judges. 
 
By the same resolution, the General Assembly established a 
five-member Internal Justice Council to, inter alia, provide 
its views and recommendations to the General Assembly on two 
or three candidates for each vacancy in the two new Tribunals 
and to liaise with the Office of Human Resources Management 
on issues related to the search for suitable candidates for 
the positions of judges.  Appointments of judges will be made 
by the General Assembly. 
 
The General Assembly further decided that judges for both 
Tribunals shall be of high moral character and shall have 
judicial experience in the field of administrative law or its 
equivalent, within one or more national jurisdictions. 
Judges are required to have at least 10 years of judicial 
experience for the United Nations Dispute Tribunal and at 
least 15 years of judicial experience for the United Nations 
Appeals Tribunal. 
 
With this in mind, the United Nations is soliciting 
candidates for the United Nations Dispute Tribunal and the 
United Nations Appeals Tribunal.  In order to draw from a 
wide pool of candidates for both Tribunals, a public vacancy 
announcement is being issued, calling for interested 
individuals to submit their applications by 21 July 2008 in 
order to give sufficient time for the Internal Justice 
Council to formulate its views and recommendations on 
candidates, in line with General Assembly resolution 62/228. 
 
I invite your Government to bring the vacancy announcement 
attached to this letter to the attention of qualified 
candidates from your country, including female candidates.  I 
would also note that the conditions of service of the judges 
are subject to further decisions of the General Assembly on 
the new system of administration of justice in the United 
Nations, including the final adoption of the statutes of the 
two Tribunals. 
 
Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest 
consideration. 
 
Ban Ki Moon 
 
END TEXT. 
 
¶3.  BEGIN TEXT: 
 
Judges of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (3 Full-Time & 
2 Half-Time Judges) 
located in New York, Geneva and Nairobi 
 
JUDGES OF THE UNITED NATIONS APPEALS TRIBUNAL (7 JUDGES) 
Sessions to be held at dates to be fixed by the rules of the 
Appeals Tribunal 
 
The United Nations is in the process of establishing a new 
internal system for the administration of justice to resolve 
employment-related disputes in cases, for example, of 
discrimination, harassment, abuse of authority and 
retaliation for reporting misconduct.  The new system, 
anticipated to commence operation as of 1 January 2009, will 
include a two-tier judicial system composed of a first 
instance United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) and an 
appellate instance United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT). 
The United Nations is inviting applications for: 
 
--3 full-time judges, one each in New York, Geneva and 
Nairobi, to constitute the UNDT 
--2 half-time judges to complement the UNDT (location to be 
determined) 
--7 part-time judges of the UNAT, based in New York; sessions 
to be determined by the rules of UNAT. 
 
Persons applying to serve as judges of the Tribunals should 
be of high moral character.  In the case of the UNDT, 
candidates should have at least 10 years, and in the case of 
UNAT, 15 years, of judicial experience in the field of 
administrative law, or the equivalent within one or more 
national jurisdictions. 
 
The Judges shall be appointed by the General Assembly from 
candidates recommended by the United Nations Internal Justice 
Council, an independent body established by the General 
Assembly, comprising two members nominated by staff, two 
nominated by the Administration and an independent 
chairperson chosen by consensus by the other four members. 
At UNDT level, candidates will have to preside over contested 
trials.  At the UNDT and UNAT levels, extensive judgment 
writing will be required.  In identifying candidates for 
inclusion in the list to be presented to the General 
Assembly, the Internal Justice Council will give due 
consideration to questions of geographic and gender balance. 
 
Applications:  Interested candidates are invited to submit a 
cover letter, including the preferred Tribunal and location, 
and curriculum vitae by email to 
internaljusticecouncil-application@un.org or by facsimile to 
 1-917-367-0524, to be received by 21st July 2008.  The 
curriculum vitae must include:  the date of birth 
nationality, gender, language skills, contact details, 
including telephone numbers and an e-mail address at which 
the candidate can be reached through March 2009, as well as a 
full career and educational profile, an example of a judgment 
delivered by the candidate, or a legal opinion or other 
equivalent written work, and the names and e-mail addresses 
of two senior legal professionals able to attest to the moral 
character and standing of the candidate.  A working knowledge 
of English or French is required. 
 
The appointment of all judges is subject to the approval by 
the General Assembly of the Statutes of the Tribunal, which 
have not yet been adopted.  Delays in that approval may 
affect the appointment process and proposed dates of 
commencement.  Prospective candidates should be aware that 
until the Statutes are adopted, the Tribunals will not be 
constituted and appointments cannot be made. 
 
The Secretary-General has proposed to the General Assembly 
that the UNDT judges be remunerated at a level equivalent to 
D-2.  (For indicative purposes, the annual net salary levels 
at D-2 step IV single rate, including post adjustment, in 
effect as from 1 May 2008 are as follows:  US$164, 015 (New 
York), US$ 191,396 (Geneva) and US $142,736 (Nairobi). 
Additional allowances may apply).  The Secretary-General has 
also proposed to the General Assembly that the UNAT judges 
receive an honorarium equivalent to that paid to the judges 
of the International Labour Organization Administrative 
Tribunal, currently CHF 3000 for each case for the 
rapporteur, and CHF 750 for each judge signatory.  The final 
remuneration package for the UNDT and UNAT is subject to 
approval by the General Assembly. 
 
Queries concerning these positions may be addressed to the 
above email address or fax number.  End Text. 
Khalilzad