United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Executive Board

Transcription

1 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Executive Board ex Hundred and sixty-second Session 162 EX/37 PARIS, 10 September 2001 Original: English Item 7.12 of the provisional agenda RULES GOVERNING PAYMENT OF TRAVEL AND OTHER COSTS TO DELEGATES, EXPERTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS TO MEETINGS ORGANIZED BY UNESCO SUMMARY In accordance with 161 EX/Decision 4.2 (IV.B), the Director- General submits to the Executive Board the present report on the rules governing payment of travel and other costs to delegates, experts and other participants to meetings organized by UNESCO. Decision required: paragraph Pursuant to 161 EX/Decision 4.2 (IV.B), paragraph 12, the Director-General herewith submits his report on the rules governing payment of travel and other costs to delegates, experts and other participants to meetings organized by UNESCO. The present document does not refer to travel of representatives of Member States to the sessions of the Executive Board and the General Conference since questions concerning this subject will be addressed in the context of 162 EX/INF.7. General rules concerning travel of participants to programme meetings 2. The organization of meetings, conferences and training courses is an essential part of UNESCO s programme and it is necessary to provide assistance to participants when they travel in the interest of the Organization. It has to be taken into account that many of UNESCO s partners face a lack of financial resources. Even though a growing number of the Organization s partners have access to modern communication technologies, personal cooperation of individuals cannot be entirely replaced by the use of those technologies.

2 162 EX/37 page 2 3. The indicative budget provisions of document 29 C/5 Approved concerning travel of participants to meetings organized by UNESCO represented $7,654,000. Actual expenditure for the financial period ended 31 December 1999 amounted to $9,020,000. In document 30 C/5 $5,566,800 were foreseen for delegates travel. By 30 June 2001, $6,995,178 had been spent under this object of expenditure. For draft document 31 C/5 it is foreseen to earmark $6,071,200 for the travel of participants. 4. Travel costs of participants (including the price of the ticket, the subsistence allowance and terminal expenses) in those meetings are generally paid in accordance with the following table: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) Type of participant Representatives of States or organizations invited as chief participants in a meeting in category I (international conferences of States), II (intergovernmental meetings) or III (non-governmental conferences); Chief participants in a meeting in category V (advisory committees), VI (expert committees) or VII (seminars and training); Chief participants in a meeting in category IV (international congresses) or VIII (symposia); Observers, irrespective of the category of meeting (including meetings organized under the indirect method); Chief participants at meetings organized under the indirect method; UNESCO staff members, and consultants attending meetings as technical advisers to the Secretariat. Travel costs paid by UNESCO No Yes Ad hoc decision by responsible ADG No Ad hoc decision by responsible ADG Yes 5. A detailed overview on travel entitlements paid to chief participants of meetings is included in the Annex. 6. As a general rule, payment of travel costs is limited to the most economical fare available. In exceptional circumstances, and for medical reasons only, derogations may be granted, on the recommendation of the Chief Medical Officer, by ADG/ADM, authorizing travel in the class immediately above the economy class. However, there shall be no travel by air in first class for any reason, medical or otherwise, regardless of the funding source (regular programme or extrabudgetary funds). Any derogation for first class travel must be granted in writing by the Director-General. Any other derogations from the existing rules concerning the

3 162 EX/37 page 3 travel of participants to meetings organized by UNESCO require a specific decision from ADG/ADM upon requests from programme sectors. During the last 12 months, 29 derogation requests have been submitted to ADG/ADM, out of which 27 were approved. 7. A Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) is paid to travellers at the full rate for the first 60 days and a reduced rate thereafter. In addition, the traveller is entitled to terminal expenses in respect of local public transport and/or taxi, porterage as well as other costs incidental to departure and arrival. Whenever transportation to and from the airport is provided to the traveller, pro-rata deductions from the before-mentioned flat rate are made. 8. The traveller should, except in the case of free accommodation, append his or her hotel bill(s) to his or her travel record. In the absence of any such bill(s), a percentage of the daily subsistence allowance corresponding to hotel expenses as shown in the United Nations schedule will be deducted. In cases when the traveller s accommodation costs and meals are met by a third party, no DSA will normally be payable. 9. The travel procedures of the Organization are applicable to chief participants who are enjoying the full rights of a meeting, including the right to vote where applicable, in accordance with the regulations for the general classification of the various categories of meetings convened by UNESCO. 1 Chief participants whose travel costs are paid by the Organization are treated in the same way as staff members of equivalent grade. Consultants travel 10. In accordance with the Administrative Manual, consultants may be authorized to travel at the expense of the Organization in order to attend a conference or a meeting organized by UNESCO as technical advisers, at the request of the governing bodies and to make an oral and/or written contribution to it. The itinerary and the means and class of transport are usually stipulated in the relevant consultant contract. 11. A unit of the Secretariat may not entrust a consultant with ordinary tasks which staff members in the Professional category and above, assigned to that unit and occupying established posts, are unable to perform because of a temporary work overload. 12. Notwithstanding this provision, a consultant contract may be concluded when staff members with the necessary expertise lack the time to travel on mission in order to carry out a task requiring their presence in a Member State away from their duty station (advisory mission). 13. Consultants must obtain the entry visas required in order to carry out the mission. The costs are reimbursed upon submission of the final travel record and the receipt for any consular fees. Supernumeraries travel 14. The general provisions of the Administrative Manual and Administrative Circulars also apply to supernumeraries travelling at UNESCO s expense and they are therefore treated as staff members of equivalent grade. 1 Adopted by the General Conference at its 14th session and amended at its 18th and 25th sessions (14 C/Resolution 23, 18 C/Resolution 18 and 25 C/Resolution 29.5).

4 162 EX/37 page 4 Reform under implementation 15. The existing informatics system does not allow for tracing of the exact proportion of means spent on travel by object-of-expenditure codes. The new Finance and Budget System (FABS) will provide the required statistics in detail and will also increase the compliance with rules and regulations by rejecting entries that are not in conformity with the respective regulations. 16. Up to now emphasis has been placed on achieving travel at least cost. The abovementioned deductions from the daily subsistence allowance have been introduced for missions where third parties provide accommodation and/or meals to the traveller. However, reducing cost of missions should not be the sole objective. Since it is clearly in the interest of the Organization to grant to travellers the necessary conditions for the execution of their tasks, the Organization should eventually reconsider its policy concerning travel on mission and align its regulations closer to those governing travel in the United Nations, bearing in mind Article XIII of the Agreement between the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, approved by the General Conference on 6 December 1946 and by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 14 December 1946 which states that the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognize that the eventual development of a single unified international civil service is desirable from the standpoint of effective administrative coordination, and with this end in view agree to develop common personnel standards, methods and arrangements designed to avoid serious discrepancies in terms and conditions of employment, to avoid competition in recruitment of personnel, and to facilitate interchange of personnel in order to obtain the maximum benefit from their services. 17. In parallel to the improvement of conditions for the travellers, further progress has to be made in the evaluation of the fundamental need for travel and the detailed control of results of meetings and conferences organized by UNESCO. More meaningful reports and statistics have to be submitted on the achievements of meetings. To this end, more detailed basic housewide standards for reporting and indicators for evaluation are about to be introduced. Furthermore, staff members with delegated authority over the participation of non-staff members in meetings need to be held accountable for any inconsistent application of travel rules and procedures in relation with such missions. Efforts should concentrate on doing less, but better. The alternatives to travel through the use of modern technologies are actually studied by the senior management staff. 18. For missions carried out by consultants and supernumeraries, the payment of a lump sum could substantially reduce the labour- and paper-intensive administration of their travel. 19. The above-mentioned measures should be put into practice in parallel to the automation of administrative processes within the FABS project. Draft decision 20. In view of the foregoing, the Executive Board may wish to consider the following draft decision:

5 162 EX/37 page 5 TheExecutiveBoard, 1. Having examined document 162 EX/37, 2. Invites the Director-General to pursue his efforts to improve control and reduce the cost of travel through, inter alia, the automation of processes within the FABS project; 3. Further invites the Director-General to better align the rules concerning payment of travel and other costs to delegates, experts and other participants of meetings organized by UNESCO with the United Nations practices.

6 ANNEX OVERVIEW ON TRAVEL ENTITLEMENTS FOR N-STAFF MEMBERS Tickets paid by UNESCO Subsistence allowance (DSA) Terminal expenses Insurance baggage Insurance (health, death, invalidity) Overtime during mission Other payments Consultants (on travel for appointment and on mission) (max. US $1,500) Death by accident: US $85,000, medical US $10,000 per year Passport, visas, vaccinations max. 20 kg excess baggage might be granted (Item 2725 C.1.) Supernumeraries (Professional category) (when it is not a trip to join or to leave the duty station) (max. US $1,500) 3 times annual salary in cases of death and permanent total disablement, medical US $10,000 50% of daily salary for the day before taking up duty and the day after termination Passport, visas, vaccinations max. 20 kg excess baggage might be granted 162 EX/37 Annex

7 Supernumeraries (G-category) Tickets paid by UNESCO Subsistence allowance (DSA) Terminal expenses Insurance baggage (max. US $1,500) Insurance (health, death, invalidity) 3 times annual salary in cases of death and permanent total disablement, medical US $10,000 Overtime during mission Other payments 50% of daily salary for the day before taking up duty and the day after termination Passport, visas, vaccinations 162 EX/37 Annex page 2 max. 20 kg excess baggage might be granted Participants of meetings cat. I, II, III Participants of meetings cat. V, VI, VII Death by accident: US $85,000, medical US $10,000 per year Participants of meetings cat. IV, VIII Ad hoc decision Ad hoc decision Observers to any meetings