Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LONDON1411
2008-05-20 16:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy London
Cable title:
UK LARGELY WITH US ON UN SYSTEM OF INTERNAL JUSTICE
how-toVZCZCXYZ0029 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHLO #1411 1411639 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 201639Z MAY 08 FM AMEMBASSY LONDON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8687 INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1189 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1034 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 2654 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0550 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0362 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 2688 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0252 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0642 RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0101 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0408 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0823 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0180 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 0123 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0340 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0773 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0748 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 1151 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3211 RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 0046 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0164 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 0259 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 1379 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1135 RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 0827 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0245
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001411
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR IO/MPR AND EUR
USUN FOR WILCOX AND RASHKOW
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2018
TAGS: PREL AORC APER UNGA UNGA UNGA UK
SUBJECT: UK LARGELY WITH US ON UN SYSTEM OF INTERNAL JUSTICE
REF: A. STATE 51372
B. USUN 413
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001411
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR IO/MPR AND EUR
USUN FOR WILCOX AND RASHKOW
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2018
TAGS: PREL AORC APER UNGA UNGA UNGA UK
SUBJECT: UK LARGELY WITH US ON UN SYSTEM OF INTERNAL JUSTICE
REF: A. STATE 51372
B. USUN 413
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d)
1. (C) ON May 19, PolOff delivered Ref A on reforming the
UN system of Internal Justice. HMG is in full agreement that
the implementation of the new Internal Justice system is a
top priority and agreed that any contentious issues should be
left to further review after implementation, according to
Jacqui Hutchison, in the Management and Finance section of
the International Organizations Bureau at the FCO. In
response to ref A demarche, Hutchison also told PolOff that
HMG was in full agreement with the USG on: 1) keeping the new
Internal Justice system limited to regular employees; 2)
keeping the purview of the program limited to the terms of
the employment contract, and; 3) limiting the purview of the
UNAT appeal process to the facts of the case as presented at
the original UNDT hearing.
2. (C) Hutchison said that on the other four points in the
demarche, she believes HMG is also in full accord with the
USG, but will need to consult and confirm HMG's position.
These were: 1) the number of judges on the UNDT (Hutchison
was under the impression that this had been resolved with a
one-judge limit); 2) staff associations having only the
rights they currently have under the existing agreement; 3)
the damages section does contain a limit, and HMG will not
support an open-ended damages protocol. Hutchison said she
was less sure about HMG's position on the transition. She
believes that HMG will also support a fresh start approach
only for cases arising after implementation; however she
understands that cases that have only been submitted, and not
been reviewed, might be allowed to be included in the new
process, provided little or no resources have been expended
on these cases under the existing agreement.
3. (C) Hutchison reiterated that HMG shares the USG's
concern that the deadline for implementation of the new UN
Internal Justice protocol not be missed. Whether adjustments
that Member States felt were justifiable, and that the
Secretariat supported, were later added as amendments to the
new protocol was something HMG was willing to revisit. HMG
does not want any controversy about these proposals to delay
implementation, said Hutchison.
4. (C) Hutchison underscored HMG's desire to work with the
USG on this and other UN management reform issues. She
mentioned the recently suspended discussions on reform in
streamlining of contracts and condition of service
agreements, particularly as they relate to peacekeeping. She
indicated that HMG was frustrated that discussions on these
aspects of peacekeeping reform remain unresolved. She said
that HMG would like to revisit these as quickly as possible.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom
TUTTLE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR IO/MPR AND EUR
USUN FOR WILCOX AND RASHKOW
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2018
TAGS: PREL AORC APER UNGA UNGA UNGA UK
SUBJECT: UK LARGELY WITH US ON UN SYSTEM OF INTERNAL JUSTICE
REF: A. STATE 51372
B. USUN 413
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d)
1. (C) ON May 19, PolOff delivered Ref A on reforming the
UN system of Internal Justice. HMG is in full agreement that
the implementation of the new Internal Justice system is a
top priority and agreed that any contentious issues should be
left to further review after implementation, according to
Jacqui Hutchison, in the Management and Finance section of
the International Organizations Bureau at the FCO. In
response to ref A demarche, Hutchison also told PolOff that
HMG was in full agreement with the USG on: 1) keeping the new
Internal Justice system limited to regular employees; 2)
keeping the purview of the program limited to the terms of
the employment contract, and; 3) limiting the purview of the
UNAT appeal process to the facts of the case as presented at
the original UNDT hearing.
2. (C) Hutchison said that on the other four points in the
demarche, she believes HMG is also in full accord with the
USG, but will need to consult and confirm HMG's position.
These were: 1) the number of judges on the UNDT (Hutchison
was under the impression that this had been resolved with a
one-judge limit); 2) staff associations having only the
rights they currently have under the existing agreement; 3)
the damages section does contain a limit, and HMG will not
support an open-ended damages protocol. Hutchison said she
was less sure about HMG's position on the transition. She
believes that HMG will also support a fresh start approach
only for cases arising after implementation; however she
understands that cases that have only been submitted, and not
been reviewed, might be allowed to be included in the new
process, provided little or no resources have been expended
on these cases under the existing agreement.
3. (C) Hutchison reiterated that HMG shares the USG's
concern that the deadline for implementation of the new UN
Internal Justice protocol not be missed. Whether adjustments
that Member States felt were justifiable, and that the
Secretariat supported, were later added as amendments to the
new protocol was something HMG was willing to revisit. HMG
does not want any controversy about these proposals to delay
implementation, said Hutchison.
4. (C) Hutchison underscored HMG's desire to work with the
USG on this and other UN management reform issues. She
mentioned the recently suspended discussions on reform in
streamlining of contracts and condition of service
agreements, particularly as they relate to peacekeeping. She
indicated that HMG was frustrated that discussions on these
aspects of peacekeeping reform remain unresolved. She said
that HMG would like to revisit these as quickly as possible.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom
TUTTLE