STAFF
REGULATIONS
Entered
into force on 1 January 1984
Preamble
The Office International
des Epizooties (hereinafter referred to as the 'Office') is an intergovernmental
organisation which was created by the International Agreement signed
in Paris on 25 January 1924 for the control of animal diseases, a vital
factor in the development of animal production and the protection of
public health. It is essential that all staff members remain fully aware
of and believe in this objective which, to be achieved, depends on their
combined efforts.
Scope and purpose
The Staff Regulations
set forth the basic conditions of service and the rights, obligations
and duties of members of the Central Bureau of the Office.
In the Staff Regulations:
| a. |
'staff
member' means any person engaged by the Director General other than
consultants, holders of fee contracts, persons engaged specifically
for conferences or meetings, casual labourers or generally, those
persons whose contract of employment does not provide the status
of a staff member; |
| b. |
'members
of the Central Bureau' means the Director General and all the staff
members. |
CHAPTER
1
DUTIES, OBLIGATIONS AND PRIVILEGES
Article 1.1.
Staff members
of the Office fulfil international duties; their responsibilities are
not national but exclusively international. By accepting appointment,
they undertake to discharge their functions and to regulate their conduct
with the sole interests of the Office in view.
Article 1.2.
Staff members
shall be placed under the authority of the Director General who may
assign them to any position in the Office, with due regard to their
qualifications and capacities. They shall be responsible to him in the
discharge of their duties.
Article 1.3.
The Director General
shall establish the working hours of staff members.
Article 1.4.
In the performance
of their duties, members of the Central Bureau shall neither seek nor
accept instructions from any government or from any other authority
outside the Office. They shall neither seek nor accept, from any source
whatsoever, directly or indirectly, any material or other benefits which
would not comply with their obligations towards the Office.
Article 1.5.
Members of the
Central Bureau shall not engage in any activity that is incompatible
with the proper discharge of their duties within the Office. They shall
avoid any action and in particular any kind of public pronouncement
which may discredit the international civil service office or which
may go against the integrity, independence and impartiality required
by their status. Whilst not expected to renounce their national sentiments,
or their political and religious convictions, they shall at all times
bear in mind the reserve and tact incumbent upon them by reason of their
international status.
Article 1.6.
Staff members
shall exercise the utmost discretion in regard to all matters of official
business. They shall not communicate to any person unpublished information
known to them by reason of their official position, except in the course
of their duties or by authorisation of the Director General. These obligations
remain binding after separation from the Office.
Article 1.7.
Except as hereinafter
provided, no member of the Central Bureau shall, during the period of
his employment accept any honour, decoration, favour, gift or remuneration
from any government or from any other source outside the Office. The
Director General may authorise such acceptance in respect of services
rendered before appointment or for war services. He may authorise the
acceptance of honours and prizes from educational, scientific or cultural
organisations and the acceptance of remuneration for work carried out
in his spare time provided that such work does not conflict with the
status of an international civil servant.
Article 1.8.
Members of the
Central Bureau shall not engage in any political activity which is inconsistent
with or reflects upon the independence and impartiality required by
the status of an international civil servant.
Article 1.9.
On accepting appointment,
the Director General shall read and sign the following declaration at
a public session of the Committee:
"I solemnly
undertake to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience the
functions with which I have been entrusted in the capacity of Director
General of the Office, to discharge these functions and regulate my
conduct with the sole interests of the Office in view, without seeking
or accepting any instructions concerning the performance of my duties
from any government or authority outside the Office and to respect the
provisions of the Basic Texts of the Office at all times."
Article 1.10.
On accepting appointment,
the each staff member shall make and sign the following declaration:
"I solemnly
undertake to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience the
functions with which I have been entrusted in the capacity of international
civil servant of the Office, to discharge these functions and regulate
my conduct with the sole interests of the Office in view, without seeking
or accepting any instructions concerning the performance of my duties
from any government or authority outside the Office."
Article 1.11.
The immunities
and privileges accorded to members of the Central Bureau of the Office,
in accordance with articles 12 and 13 of the Agreement signed in Paris
on 21 February 1977 between the Government of the Republic of France
and the Office, are conferred in the interests of the efficient running
of the Office. On no account may these privileges and immunities exempt
those persons to whom they are granted from respecting their private
obligations or from observing laws and police regulations in force on
the French territory. In the event of these privileges and immunities
being invoked, the Committee or the Director General may consent to
waiving the said privileges and immunities, in accordance with the 1977
Agreement.
CHAPTER
II
CLASSIFICATION OF POSTS AND STAFF
Article 2.1.
The Director General
shall establish a chart of positions or jobs in categories, grades and
scales, subject to the approval of the Committee.
Article 2.2.
The Director General
shall make provision for the classification of staff according to the
nature of the duties and responsibilities required.
CHAPTER
III
SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES
Article 3.1.
Salaries of staff
members shall be established according to the salary scale, in line
with the chart of positions or jobs mentioned in Article 2.1., subject
to approval of the Committee.
Article 3.2.
The Director General
shall establish and apply a benefit, allowance and bonus system in accordance
with the decisions of the Committee.
CHAPTER
IV
APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION AND TRANSFER
Article 4.1.
As stated in Article
8 of the Organic Statutes of the Office, staff members shall be appointed
by the Director General. When an applicant is appointed, such terms
of appointment are notified to him in writing by the Director General.
Such notification together with the applicant's acceptance in writing
shall alone constitute his contract of employment. The terms of appointment
shall include provision for a probationary period and for the period
of notice of termination required and, shall specify the title and character
of the position to which he is appointed.
Article 4.2.
In appointing,
transferring or promoting staff members, and in renewing appointments,
the Director General shall aim at securing the highest standards of
efficiency, competency and integrity.
Article 4.3.
Selection of staff
members shall be made without distinction as to race, sex or religion.
Article 4.4.
Subject to the
terms of Article 4.2., the Director General shall ensure that the staff
constitutes as wide a geographical representation of Member Countries
as possible, particularly among those in senior posts.
Article 4.5.
Staff members
shall be granted either temporary, fixed-term, or indeterminate appointments.
Article 4.6.
The Director General
shall lay down medical standards for candidates for appointment and
for staff members.
CHAPTER
V
LEAVE
Article 5.1.
Staff members
shall be granted annual leave in accordance with a system determined
by the Director General.
Article 5.2.
Eligible staff
members shall be granted home leave once every two years.
Article 5.3.
Special leave
may be authorised by the Director General in exceptional cases.
CHAPTER
VI
SOCIAL SECURITY AND RETIREMENT
Article 6.1.
Members of the
Central Bureau shall benefit from a health scheme, established in accordance
with the provisions of Article 13.2.e. of the 1977 Agreement, with the
joint agreement of the Office and the competent French Authorities.
Article 6.2.
Members of the
Central Bureau shall contribute to a retirement benefits fund.
CHAPTER
VII
TRAVEL AND REMOVAL EXPENSES
Article 7.1.
Subject to conditions
and limitations laid down by the Director General, the Office shall
pay travel expenses of staff members and their dependants.
Article 7.2.
Subject to conditions
and limitations laid down by the Director General, the Office shall
pay the cost of removal of the effects of staff members.
CHAPTER
VIII
TERMINATION OF SERVICE
Article 8.1.
The Director General
may terminate the employment of a staff member in accordance with his
contract of employment or at any other time, if either the necessities
of the department require abolition of the position or reduction of
the staff, or if the services of the individual concerned cease to be
satisfactory, or if he is unable to fulfil his functions for health
reasons.
Article 8.2.
The Director General
may also, giving his reasons therefor, terminate the employment of a
staff member:
| a. |
if
the conduct of the staff member indicates that he does not meet
the highest standards required by Chapter I of the Staff Regulations;
|
| b. |
if
facts prior to the appointment of the staff member and relevant
to his suitability and which reflect on his present integrity come
to light, which, if they had been known at the time of his appointment,
should have precluded his appointment. |
Article 8.3.
The Director General
may terminate an appointment if such action would be in the interests
of the good administration of the Office, provided that the action is
not contested by the staff member concerned.
Article 8.4.
Staff members
may resign by giving the Director General the notice required by their
contract.
Article 8.5.
When the Director
General terminates a contract of employment in accordance with Articles
8.1., 8.2. or 8.3., the staff member shall be given notice provided
for in the said contract of employment and he shall be eligible to all
indemnities due to him, in accordance with Article 3.2. and without
prejudice to his acquired rights.
A notice of termination
is not required when a fixed-term appointment comes to an end during
the probationary period or following disciplinary action.
Article 8.6.
The Director General
shall make provision for the payment of repatriation grants at the rates
and under the conditions approved by the Committee.
Article 8.7.
Staff members
shall not be retained in the service of the Office beyond the age of
sixty, except when the Director General considers it to be in the interests
of the Office, he may authorise an extension of this limit in special
cases.
CHAPTER
IX
DISCIPLINARY MEASURES
Article 9.1.
Those staff members
who fail in their professional duties shall be liable to disciplinary
action in accordance with the seriousness of their offence.
Article 9.2.
The Director General
shall apply the following disciplinary measures:
| a. |
warning;
|
| b. |
reprimand;
|
| c. |
temporary
discontinuance of work with or without salary. |
| The
following disciplinary measures: |
| d. |
withhold
within-grade increase; |
| e. |
demotion;
|
| f. |
dismissal,
|
shall be proposed
by the Director General to the Administrative Commission who shall decide
on the matter after hearing the staff member's point of view.
CHAPTER
X
APPEALS
Article 10.1.
Any member of
the Central Bureau who considers that action taken against him conflicts
with the provisions of these Regulations or the Staff Rules (provided
for in Article 11.2. of the said Regulations) or with the terms of his
contract of employment, may request that the matter be re-examined.
The parties may
agree that the case will be submitted to an independent person, designated
by the President of the Administrative Tribunal of the International
Labour Organisation (ILO), to recommend a solution for the case. This
person may hear the parties as well as the witnesses.
Article 10.2.
Any controversy
between the Office and a member of the Central Bureau concerning the
application of provisions of Staff Regulations or his contract of employment,
which could not be solved on the application of Article 10.1., shall
be submitted for the final decision to the Administrative Tribunal of
the ILO, in accordance with Article 11.5. of the statutes of this Tribunal,
if the Governing Body of the ILO is in agreement therewith.
CHAPTER
XI
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 11.1.
The Director General
or Committee may propose that the provisions of these Regulations be
completed or amended in accordance with Article 15 of the Organic Statutes
of the OIE, with the agreement of Member Countries. Any amendment shall
take the acquired rights of staff members into account.
Article 11.2.
In accordance
with Article 15 of the Organic Statutes of the OIE, these Regulations
will come into effect upon their approval by the Committee and Member
Countries. The Director General shall notify all Member Countries of
the date on which these Regulations come into effect.
The provisions
of the previous Regulations dated 19 May 1958 shall be repealed as soon
as the present Regulations come into effect.
The clauses necessary
for applying these Regulations will take the form of Staff Rules. These
Rules shall be submitted to the Committee for approval and will come
into effect on the same date as the present Regulations which may be
amended by the Committee.
| |
The
proposed Staff Regulations were adopted by the OIE International
Committee (Resolution No. XV of 27 May 1983), and came into force
after being approved by the Member Countries. |