2025-UNAT-1531, Sandrine Guezel
The UNAT held that the UNDT correctly concluded that the ABCC’s 30-month delay in processing the claim for compensation was excessive. It found that a reasonable delay for decision-making in this claim would have been no more than 24 weeks. It held that the additional delay of 24 months and 13 days, without adequate explanation, was unlawful and violated the Administration’s duty to treat the dependents of the deceased staff member fairly and reasonably.
With respect to the compensation awarded, the UNAT affirmed the UNDT’s award of six months’ net base salary for moral harm. However, the...
2025-UNAT-1532, Hakam Shahwan
The UNAT noted that the Agency had removed the disputed Note from the staff member’s Official Status File and provided him with his requested certificate of service and performance evaluations. The UNAT found that the appeal in the respective part had therefore become moot.
The UNAT held that even if the issue were not moot, it was not persuaded that the UNWRA DT had exercised its discretion injudiciously or otherwise erred. The UNAT noted that in its earlier Judgment it had found that the Agency had no obligation to partially execute that first UNRWA DT Judgment.
The UNAT found that the staff...
2025-UNAT-1534, Dionette Pino Genayas
The UNAT noted that months after the death of the participant in the Fund, the Appellant had produced Pens.A/2 forms purporting to change the designation of the beneficiary of the residual settlement, executed by a thumbprint and not the participant’s signature. The UNAT also noted the medical evidence of signs of the participant’s dementia.
The UNAT found that the Appellant had provided no evidence to support the contention that the participant’s mental capacity had improved by the time of thumbprinting the later forms. The UNAT held that the Fund had not erred when it found those forms...
2025-UNAT-1535, Koffi Gilles Wilfried Amani
The UNAT held that even if it were to consider that his request for management evaluation had not been premature but valid in respect of all the non-payment decisions, the request had been submitted belatedly. The UNAT found that the staff member should have submitted the request for management evaluation within 60 days from receipt of his final pay statement. The UNAT concluded that the UNDT had not erred in finding that his request had not been timely and had not committed an error by obscuring the underlying facts of the case.
The UNAT was of the view that it was unclear what Covid-19...
2025-UNAT-1536, Milunka Tadic
The UNAT held that the Administration’s restructuring of the finance function was a genuine exercise and a proper use of the Administration’s discretion in responding to evolving needs. The UNAT did not agree that the Administration acted unfairly or unjustly in abolishing the former staff member’s post. The UNAT further held that consultation with the former staff member was not required prior to the abolition of her post.
The UNAT found that the former staff member’s dissatisfaction with the UNDT’s assessment of the evidence of workplace issues between her and her supervisor does not...
UNDT/2025/020, Hassan
The Tribunal noted that the evidence before it, supplied by the Applicant himself, showed that the contested decision was taken on 17 April 2011 and the Application was filed in 2025.
Based on art. 8.1(d)(ii) of its Statute, the Tribunal found that the application was manifestly time-barred. Accordingly, the Tribunal held that the application was not receivable ratione temporis and the application was rejected.
2025-UNAT-1530, Leonid Dolgopolov
The UNAT held that the staff member bore the burden of proving that the Secretary-General’s failures to address both the discriminatory policies of the host country and the alleged attempt of the law enforcement authorities of that host country to recruit him, constituted unilateral decisions taken by the Administration, which applied to him individually, and had direct legal consequences on his terms of appointment or contract of employment. The UNAT held that the staff member could not meet this burden because these issues fell within the realm of diplomacy, are subject to the rules of...
2025-UNAT-1529, Olexandr Maruschak
The UNAT held that the UNDT had erred by failing to grant the remedy under Article 10(5)(a) of the UNDT Statute after it had found that the disciplinary decision was unlawful. The UNDT erred by refusing to rescind the contested decision on the grounds that the staff member had abused the judicial process. The UNAT remanded the case to the UNDT for determination of the appropriate remedy.
The UNAT agreed with the UNDT that the former staff member had manifestly abused the judicial process by filing forged documents before that Tribunal. However, the UNAT held that the UNDT had erred in the...
UNDT/2025/019, Oppal
Having reviewed the parties’ submissions and the evidence on record, the Tribunal defined the issues for determination as follows:
a. Whether the Applicant had a realistic chance of being selected; and
b. Whether the Applicant suffered any financial loss due to the contested decision.
Regarding the first issue, the Tribunal noted that the Management Evaluation Unit had already determined that there were irregularities in the selection process and recommended that the selection exercise be redone. The Under Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (USG/DMSPC) had also...
2025-UNAT-1527, BK
The UNAT noted that the staff member had a medical condition requiring attention which impacted his ability to return to work, and he had consented to the Independent Medical Examination and had not challenged those records before the UNDT nor on appeal.
The UNAT held that even if ST/AI/2019/1 were applicable to UNHCR staff members or taken as a model of just practice, it would not have rendered the Independent Medical Examination improper.
The UNAT found no basis to overturn the UNDT’s determination that there had been no evidence of bias or conflict of interest in either the medical...