UNDT/2013/119

UNDT/2013/119, Westberg

UNAT Held or UNDT Pronouncements

The UNDT found that the decision of USG/DM was proper and lawful because the Applicant did not possess a University degree or the relevant experience as set out in the Vacancy Announcement (VA) of the post to which he had applied. While the VA required an Advanced University degree or a first level University degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications as well as at least seven years’ experience in administration and human resources or financial/ budget operations, the Applicant had none of these. Equivalence of qualifications to University degrees: Considering that United Nations Member States have different education systems, educational qualifications must be subject to equivalence and validation in order to ensure consistency since titles and contents of academic degrees differ between countries. Certification and clarification regarding the equivalence of academic qualifications or a University degree must however be undertaken by the relevant authorized institution in charge of Higher Education Programs or an accredited University or College. The Organization cannot accept opinions about the status of academic qualifications from institutions that have neither the authority nor the capacity to rate academic qualifications. Designation: Before authorizing the designation Staff Members, the USG/DM bears the responsibility for conducting reviews aimed at ascertaining that selected staff members are adequately qualified for designation

Decision Contested or Judgment Appealed

The Applicant contested a decision by the USG/DM not to designate him on promotion as an Administrative Officer at the P-4 Level in Juba, South Sudan.

Legal Principle(s)

N/A

Outcome

Dismissed on merits

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The judgment summaries were generally prepared in English. They were translated into French and are being reviewed for accuracy of the translation.

Full Judgment

Applicants/ Appellants

Westberg

Entity

UNMIS

Case Number(s)

UNDT/NBI/2012/15

Tribunal

UNDT

Registry Location :

Nairobi