STU/70th Council/22/022
10 October 2022

215 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

B. UNESCO Ethics Advisor: contractual conditions

ADDENDUM BY THE UNESCO STAFF UNION (STU)

1. The UNESCO Staff Union (STU) is surprised by the Director-General's proposed decision to revise, effective immediately, the term of office of the Ethics Advisor by extending it from a four-year appointment to a six-year appointment, in accordance with that of the Director of the Division of Internal Oversight (IOS). The only justification which document 215 EX/5.IV.B provides for the decision is the need to implement the recommendation of the Oversight Advisory Committee (OAC), included in its 2019 progress report.
2. STU would like to point out that the OAC report does not contain any analysis or justification in support of such a recommendation , even though the report could legitimately be expected to provide answers to questions such as:
   • What would the advantages of a six-year appointment period be over one of four years?
   • Would this affect the service quality and independence of the UNESCO Ethics Advisor?
3. The brief analysis which document 215 EX/5.IV.B provides with regard to the practices in force at other organizations in the United Nations system is unfortunately limited to a presentation of facts without any answers to these questions.
4. In addition, STU wonders about the appropriateness of extending the Ethics Advisor’s appointment with immediate effect rather than proposing that this possible change apply when the next appointment takes place, since the current post is specified as having a non-renewable four-year term.
5. We therefore feel that the decision of the Director-General to revise the term of office of the Ethics Advisor is arbitrary and without apparent grounds.

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