STU/67th Council/17/015
2 May 2017

201th Session of the Executive Board of UNESCO

Document 201 EX/5

Follow-Up to Decisions and resolutions adopted by the Executive Board and the General Conference
at their previous sessions

Part IV

Human Resources Issues

ORAL STATEMENT BY THE UNESCO STAFF UNION (STU)

Thank you Mrs Chairperson, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

In its addendum, the STU provided the Member States with its reflections on the three subjects submitted for its comments: geographical distribution and gender balance, after-service health insurance and the 2016 Annual Report of the International Civil Service Commission.

We wish to insist today on the few substantive subjects relating to human resources addressed by the Executive Board at this 201st session. Indeed, the STU regrets that the situation of UNESCO staff is so much ignored. Many problems have still not been solved. Here are some examples:

• Colleagues are deprived of career development prospects , compounded by the almost systematic recruitment of external candidates for over a year now;
• There is a massive use of temporary assistance : more than half of the Organization’s personnel consists of temporary staff, resulting in loss of institutional memory, discrimination between staff, and the undermining of the independence of the international civil service;
• There is still no proper training budget ;
• The reform of the recruitment policy has been significantly delayed;
• UNESCO still lacks mobility and disability policies ;
• The malaise of the staff is either poorly addressed or not taken into account at all : absence of stress management policy and burnout prevention policy, deterioration of catering services and premises, hygiene problems;
• Due to the unavailability of its Chairman, and Vice-Chairman, the Appeals Board did not meet either in the fall or in the spring: this lack of internal justice is detrimental to all;
• Delays in the payment of pensions are still unacceptable.

And the list goes on. Must we wait for the next Administration to hope for progress to be made?

One sign in particular shows us the Administration’s lack of interest with regard to staff issues. In just a three-year period, there has been a succession of 5 Directors of Human Resources , including 3 acting Directors. In this context, how can we ensure the development and follow-up of a proper human resources policy?

Moreover, years of mismanagement and dysfunction have today led to a dramatic situation. In recent years, the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organisation (ILOAT) has repeatedly condemned UNESCO : the sums to be paid to the applicants reach hundreds of thousands of dollars and worsen an already fragile financial situation.

My question to you, ladies and gentlemen, is: do you make your contributions in order to repair the mistakes made by the Director General, Human Resources Directors and certain members of the management team or to finance communication and information, education, sciences and culture?

Thank you for your attention.