New United Nations Appeals Tribunal Holds First Session

 

NEW YORK, 13 April (Office of Administration of Justice) -- The new United Nations Appeals Tribunal completed its first session ever 1 April.  Sitting for three weeks in Geneva, the court decided 33 appeals.  After translation, the judgments will be released and posted on the website maintained by the Office of Administration of Justice in the month of April.

The Appeals Tribunal is the highest court of the new internal-justice system, which was instituted in 2009 to provide access to independent and professional courts for United Nations staff and management.  The judges were elected by the General Assembly.

Cases included disputes over staff promotions, discipline, pensions, sexual harassment, contract matters, and many other issues.  Because the judgments of the Appeals Tribunal are final, its jurisprudence plays a significant role in the development of the internal law of the Organization. 

“We had originally scheduled 27 cases, but we added more.  One goal of the new system is timely justice, so we want cases to move as fast as is reasonable,” said Inés Weinberg de Roca, the court’s President.

As may be expected, the court is internationally diverse.  In addition to Weinberg de Roca, of Argentina, the other judges are Jean Courtial (France), Sophia Adinyira (Ghana), Kamaljit Singh Garewal (India), Mark P. Painter (USA), Rose Boyko (Canada) and Luis María Simón (Uruguay).

Questions concerning the first session of the Appeals Tribunal should be sent to unat1@un.org.  You may also visit the temporary website at www.un.org/en/internaljustice for useful information about the Office of Administration of Justice in general, and the Appeals Tribunal in particular.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record