Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USUNNEWYORK287
2009-03-19 20:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:  

BENEFITS FOR SAME SEX PARTNERS IN THE UN COMMUNITY

Tags:  OFDP PREL UN 
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VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0287 0782011
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 192011Z MAR 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6134
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000287 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/UNP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OFDP PREL UN
SUBJECT: BENEFITS FOR SAME SEX PARTNERS IN THE UN COMMUNITY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000287

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/UNP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OFDP PREL UN
SUBJECT: BENEFITS FOR SAME SEX PARTNERS IN THE UN COMMUNITY


1. This is an action request for the Department. Please see
paragraph 2 below.


2. Ambassador Rice has received a March 9 letter from the
Chief of the UN's Human Resources Service requesting whether
the UN should grant the male spouse of a male United States
citizen staff member entitlements (presumably family
allowances) based on an October 2008 California marriage
certificate. USUN is receiving increasing numbers of
inquiries regarding status, visa, and entitlement issues
involving same sex spouses or partners at the UN or the
missions accredited to it, and seeks the Department's current
thinking on the text for a reply to the UN.


3. Begin text of letter from UN Human Resources Chief Netta
Avedon: Dear Madam Ambassador, I wish to refer to the
long-established practice that personal status for the
purposes of entitlements under the United Nations Staff
Regulations and Rules should be determined in all cases by
reference to the law of nationality of the staff member
concerned.
The Office of Human Resources Management has received from
Mr. Henry Sadof, a staff member of the United Nations and a
national of the United States of America, a request to be
granted United Nations entitlements on the basis of the
attached documentation. (Los Angeles County License and
Certificate of Marriage scanned and emailed to IO/UNP
(Edmondson) on March 13).
We would be grateful if the United States Mission to the
United Nations could advise us as to whether the status
claimed by Mr. Sadof is legally recognized under the laws of
the United States for granting of benefits, and whether the
attached documentation would be sufficient to establish such
a status. Thank you for your cooperation. End Text.



Rice