UNESCO. General Conference; 30th; Records ... - unesdoc - Unesco

plenary at some stage, you need to have a decision that will mean that the following morning people will
understand the full implications of what they have done, and I am not sure that people are fully aware of that
now. I do not want to open up a lengthy debate now, nor do I want to hold up the Pushkin celebrations for very
long. So my suggestion, with no authority from anybody else, Madam President, is that you would be doing the
business better if the adoption of the resolution on the matter were to be deferred to another meeting of the
plenary.
103. The PRESIDENT:
There is no plenary officially scheduled for tomorrow. I give the floor to the representative of India.
104.1 Mr RAO (India):
I think the advice of the Chairperson of the Administrative Commission is sound: what you are doing is
taking note of the document, but taking note of the document does not sort out the key issue involved in the
whole question under debate. That is contained in paragraph 33 of document 30 C/42 and there were some
amendments, principally to paragraph 1(a) and (f), which you yourself, Madam President, were kind enough to
recommend.
104.2 These amendments now have to be discussed. I will give a simple example that is very important: only
the General Conference can approve the salary of General Service staff in Paris. Now, does "take note" mean that
everything has been agreed to? I mean, can the Director-General go ahead and do that? I have the feeling that you
will need another plenary, as the Chairperson rightly said, and there has to be a debate. Otherwise you are not
sorting out the real problems. I am sorry. So that is why I have the same concerns as the delegates of Nigeria and
Cuba.
105. The PRESIDENT:
Certainly you are right but there is a proposal before us. I give the floor to Germany on a point of order.
106. Mr SCHÖFTHALER (Germany):
Madam President, there was a motion by Kenya to adopt the report. The draft report of the
Administrative Commission is an internal document of the Administrative Commission; it is not a document for
the plenary. The only decision we have to take is to adopt the report presented by the Chairperson of the
Administrative Commission and this report includes a decision. Please take a vote or take a decision on this. It
has been moved by Kenya and supported by Germany.
107. The PRESIDENT:
Kenya has made a proposal, seconded by Germany, and I shall put it to the vote. I take it that it is clear
that we are voting on the report as presented briefly by Mr Marshall. I give the floor to the representative of
Zimbabwe on a point of order.
108. Mr MAMBO (Zimbabwe):
Madam President, I would like to be very clear about what it is we are voting for. I think I have the right
to know. I would like to understand from the Legal Adviser what "takes note" of the contents of a document
means in terms of implementation of what is in that document. Because I think that is the crux of the matter. I am
not clear about what "takes note of the contents" and what happens to those contents, then I am not in a position
to make up my mind either way. Thank you, Madam President.
109. The PRESIDENT:
Could the Legal Adviser please give his opinion on this point?
110. The LEGAL ADVISER:
Madam President, in documents 30 C/42 and Corr., the Director-General communicated to the General
Conference the conclusions of the International Civil Service Commission following the organization of a salary
survey in Paris for staff members in the General Service and related categories. In this document the Director-
General communicated his own recommendations on the proposals of the International Civil Service
Commission. Madam President, distinguished delegates, you will note from paragraph 33 of document 30 C/42
that the Director-General proposed a draft resolution for consideration and possible adoption by the General
Conference. By this draft resolution the Director-General was requesting authorization to take a certain number
of measures. It is my considered opinion that by merely taking note of the contents of this document and the
corrigendum relating to it, the General Conference has not accorded the authorization sought by the Director-
General in order to establish a seven-grade salary scale for these categories of staff of the Organization. It goes as
a consequence that it is the status quo which remains, in other words the six-grade salary scale for General
Service staff in Paris will remain in force if this draft resolution proposed by the Administrative Commission is
583
18