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Standard of review: In the context of a promotion exercise conducted under a specific policy, the Tribunal¡¯s review is essentially focused on the implementation of the policy. It is not the Tribunal¡¯s role to examine whether a policy adopted by the Organization is well-founded or appropriate. However, a decision may be rescinded if it is taken pursuant to a policy which does not comply with a higher norm and the irregularity results in a staff member not being given full and fair consideration for promotion. The Tribunal cannot amend a policy adopted by the Organization but may ¡°point out what...

The Tribunal found that the Applicant¡¯s fixed-term appointment was not renewed because contrary to its claims, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵMIL Administration did not follow proper procedures in determining whether he should be reassigned to the new D-1 position in the office of the D/SRSG Rule of Law. The Tribunal also found that the Applicant was not given full and fair consideration for the new D-1 position in the office of the D/SRSG Rule of Law and that the guidance provided in the Secretary-General¡¯s report and the counsel of the General Assembly were ignored. Due process ¨C No comparative review or any review...

Starting date for time limits: Time limits must be counted from the moment all facts necessary to the commencement of the case were known, or at least should have reasonably been known .Publication of vacancies: The Administration is uncontestably required to announce existing and foreseeable vacancies to be filled. If more than one vacancy is to be advertised under the same JO, the JO in question needs to clearly indicate so. Non-retroactive application of the Statute¡¯s amendment: An amendment of the applicable rules cannot apply to an application filed prior to the entry into force of said...

Receivability: The filing of a recourse application as per Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR Promotions Policy suspends the time limit to submit a request for management evaluation of a decision not to grant promotion only if it is timely done; otherwise, the deadline for requesting management evaluation runs from the date of notification of the initial decision, unless an extension of time is granted or the deadline is waived by the competent authority.

Where a member of an assessment panel is conflicted, s/he cannot take part in the selection process. It is irrelevant for the outcome of the present case, that the Head, PMCS, and the Director, DESS, confirmed in their evidence to the Tribunal that they did not feel any bias or resentment against the Applicant. Indeed, a subjective feeling is irrelevant and the question of impartiality or bias has to be analysed from the point of view of a fair-minded objective observer. It is also irrelevant whether the Applicant had a subjective feeling that one or more of the Panel members were biased...

The failure to consider the Applicant¡¯s e-PAS reports and to address them especially in the context of the disparity between its ratings and those of the Applicant¡¯s reporting officers on the same competencies and within the same organization was a serious flaw in the selection process. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT was satisfied that the panel met its requirement of asking probing questions, even if the report reflected it as ¡°prompting¡± rather than ¡°probing.¡± The absence of an ex-officio member on the assessment/interview panel by itself could not vitiate the selection exercise. The Applicant¡¯s candidacy for the...

Filling of a vacancy by a lateral transfer: The choice of filling a post by lateral move¡ªwithout going through a fullfledged competitive selection process¡ªis provided for by sec. 2.5 of ST/AI/2010/3 and does not per se violate any of the superior rules prescribing the goal of ensuring the highest standards of efficiency, competency and integrity. Nevertheless, as any discretionary decision, such course of action must not be arbitrary, capricious, tainted by improper motives, based on erroneous or irrelevant considerations, procedurally flawed or resulting in a manifestly unreasonable outcome...

The Tribunal dismissed the application on the merits.

Request for management evaluation: A request for management evaluation has a precise and specific meaning in the framework of the Organization¡¯s internal justice system. It is the first step in formal contestation of an administrative decision and, as such, a mere communication conveying discontent to ¡°management¡± does not amount to a formal management evaluation request. Management evaluation is a formal process involving a request to the body specifically vested with the authority to look into a contested decision, to consider whether it conformed with the applicable rules of the...

Full and fair consideration: In the absence of concrete, convincing evidence, the mere fact that it is possible, theoretically, to alter/tamper a written test will not suffice for the Tribunal to conclude that an Applicant¡¯s candidature was not given full and fair consideration. Also, where no one of the people involved in the administration of the test had a motive to manipulate it, the Tribunal will not find that the decision had been influenced by extraneous factors. The burden of proof in these matters lies on the Applicant. Good management practice: The Administration should take measures...