DECISION TO GARNISH WAGES FROM STAFF REFUSING TO PAY COURT-ORDERED FAMILY SUPPORT WELCOMED BY UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE IN HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE

10 March 1999

Press Release
HQ/595

DECISION TO GARNISH WAGES FROM STAFF REFUSING TO PAY COURT-ORDERED FAMILY SUPPORT WELCOMED BY UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE IN HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE

19990310 Cuba, Hungary, Libya Take Seats as New Committee Members Additional Fourth Member, from Asian States Group, To Be Appointed

The representative of the United States, addressing the Committee on Relations with the Host Country this morning, welcomed the decision of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to begin to garnish wages from staff members who refused to pay court-ordered spouse and child support.

Robert C. Moller told the Committee that he hoped the decision would correct "this unfortunate situation and make a significant improvement in the lives of affected family members -- usually women and children". A small number of United Nations staff members -- while not personally enjoying privileges and immunities -- had used the immunity of the Organization from the jurisdiction of the courts to avoid paying their legal obligations.

Also this morning, the representatives of three new members of the Committee -- Cuba, Hungary and Libya -- formally took their seats on the Committee as it held its first meeting of the year. An additional fourth member, from the Asian States Group, is to be appointed by the President of the General Assembly to bring the membership of the Committee to 19, as decided by the Assembly.

Sotirios Zackheos (Cyprus), Committee Chairman, welcoming the new members, said he was confident that with their knowledge and diplomatic experience they would contribute to the collective work of the Committee.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Cuba, Costa Rica, and Hungary.

The Committee decided to convene a meeting on Thursday, 13 May, for the President of the American Heart Association, Dr. Valentin Fuster, to address the diplomatic community on heart-related physical problems and stress.

The next meeting of the Committee will be announced in the Journal.

Committee Work Programme

The Committee on Relations with the Host Country met this morning to consider the question of its membership and composition.

By resolution 53/104 of 8 December 1998, the Assembly endorsed a recommendation of the Committee that its membership be increased by four members, including one each from African, Asian, Latin American and Caribbean and Eastern European States, to be chosen by the President of the General Assembly in accordance with resolution 2819 (XXVI) of 15 December 1971, in consultation with the regional groups.

Statements

SOTIRIOS ZACKHEOS (Cyprus), Committee Chairman, told the meeting that following consultations with regional groups, the President of the General Assembly announced on 18 February that he had appointed Cuba, Hungary and Libya as members of the Committee. The Assembly had taken note of those appointments. As a result of the action, the Committee was currently composed of 18 Member States. The President had also informed the Assembly that there remained one appointment to be made from among the Asian States.

He welcomed to the Committee the representatives of the newly appointed Member States -- Cuba, Hungary and Libya. He was confident that with their knowledge and diplomatic experience they would contribute to the collective work of the Committee.

The Chairman advised the Committee that letters from the Permanent Representatives of Belarus and from Iraq concerning non-issuance of visas for entry to the United States, and responses to both letters from the United States Mission to the United Nations, had been issued as official documents (documents A/AC.154/323, A/AC.154/322, A/AC.154/324 and A/AC.154/325 respectively).

BRUNO RODRIGUEZ PARRILLA (Cuba) thanked all members of the Committee and of its bureau for many years of constructive work with the Cuban delegation. Cuba was committed to working to discharge the very important mandate of the Committee. The increase in membership would make it more representative, broader and more indicative of the membership of the United Nations.

The Chairman thanked Cuba. He explained that each Member State in the Committee represented both the country and the region from which it came. The Committee had an established practice of working by consensus, he added.

EMILIA CASTRO DE BARISH (Costa Rica), Rapporteur of the Committee, said she was happy that the High Commissioner of New York had attended the meeting

Host Country Committee - 3 - Press Release HQ/595 196th Meeting (AM) 10 March 1999

and she welcomed the new members of the Committee. Their experience would help the Committee in its work.

ZSOLT HETESY (Hungary) said he had followed the work of the Committee with interest and considered it an invisible but important cornerstone of relations between the host country and the United Nations. The expansion of the Committee was the result of a fine compromise needed to keep it abreast of the development of the United Nations system, including the increased United Nations membership. Proportionality and equitable geographic distribution, however, were not goals of the Committee. Results would be what it was judged by. The Committee should continue to act in a constructive and non- confrontational fashion.

Other Matters

Mr. ZACKHEOS (Cyprus), Committee Chairman, recalled the health insurance fair organized last February under the auspices of the Committee as part of its efforts to explore the possibilities for affordable health care services to be provided for the diplomatic community.

He announced that the President of the American Heart Association, Dr. Valentin Fuster, had expressed willingness to address the diplomatic community at large on heart-related physical problems and stress. The Committee's bureau had decided to recommend that Dr. Fuster be invited for that purpose.

There was no objection and it was decided that a meeting with Dr. Fuster be organized on Thursday, 13 May, in the afternoon.

ROBERT MOLLER (United States) said he had been pleased to note that the United Nations would now voluntarily deduct funds from salaries of staff members who were under court order to provide support for spouses and children and who failed to do so. For many years, the Committee had sought to reduce the indebtedness of the diplomatic community. While the United Nations had always encouraged its staff members to behave in a manner that reflected well on the Organization, a small number of staff, although not personally enjoying privileges and immunities, had used the immunity of the Organization to avoid their legal obligations. The decision to garnish wages when staff failed to meet legal obligations would make a big difference, notably to women and children. The United States applauded the Secretary-General and other involved staff for taking that decision.

ABDUL AL-KADHE (Iraq) asked if there were any new developments relating to health insurance for members of the diplomatic community.

The CHAIRMAN advised there was nothing new as far as he knew. Major insurance providers had been invited to the health fair last year and individual delegations had consulted with them and checked on prices. He had not been advised of any subsequent developments.

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