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

4.3 Lastly, Madam President, there is a final paragraph, paragraph 3 of Part III in the resolution proposed in
document 30 C/66 which reads as follows: “Delegates to the Executive Board the authority to decide upon the
recommendations of the International Civil Service Commission on future salary surveys for Paris staff in the
General Service and related categories”. I think this is a very good recommendation, because in all the other
specialized agencies it is their executive boards that have been delegated this authority. Only in UNESCO has
this rested with the General Conference. In fact, if the UNESCO Executive Board had had similar authority, the
Board which met at its 157th session would after discussion have made appropriate decisions and proposals. So it
may be useful to add a final paragraph to the text proposed by Mr Marshall, worded in the same way as that last
paragraph in document 30 C/66. With these few observations I would like to strongly support the proposal made
by New Zealand. Thank you.
5. The PRESIDENT:
I now give the floor to the representative of Uruguay.
6. Sr. CASTELLS (Uruguay):
Gracias señora Presidenta: En realidad mi intervención corresponde más a una moción de orden que a
otra cosa. Nosotros hemos querido siempre, con la mejor voluntad, encontrar una solución al problema; tanto es
así que aceptamos de inmediato, y fuimos de los primeros en hacerlo, los proyectos de enmienda que usted
presentó en el día de ayer a la Comisión Administrativa. Pero para nosotros es muy importante, antes de que se
tome ningún tipo de decisión, solicitar a la señora Presidenta que nos informe de la situación del conflicto con el
personal. Y es importante porque es política institucional del Uruguay, que por lo demás reconoce el derecho de
huelga y fue de los primeros en instituirlo como norma constitucional, tener la seguridad de que no estamos
manteniendo esta sesión plenaria bajo amenaza o coacción. De manera que le pido encarecidamente, señora
Presidenta, que antes de tomar ninguna decisión nos indique en qué situación se encuentra el conflicto con el
personal. Gracias señora Presidenta.
(6) Mr CASTELLS (Uruguay) (Translation from the Spanish):
Thank you, Madam President. My statement is in fact more a point of order than anything else. We have
always wanted to find a solution to the problem, in all earnestness. So much so that we immediately accepted - and
were the first in this respect - the draft amendments you put to the Administrative Commission yesterday. But it is
very important for us, before any kind of decision is made, that you inform us of the situation of the conflict with
the staff. And it is important because it pertains to the institutional policy of Uruguay, which recognizes the right to
strike and was one of the first countries to embody it in its Constitution, to be sure that we are not holding this
plenary meeting under threat or pressure. So could you please, Madam President, before any decision is reached,
tell us about the situation of the conflict with the staff. Thank you, Madam President.
7. The PRESIDENT:
No one likes to work under pressure, and I think that is why it was so difficult to reach a consensus and
to find a way in which the issue could be accommodated in a fair, proper way, so that the General Conference
would have the prestige it deserves, because it is the highest authority in UNESCO. But I can assure you that I
know this text would cover the needs that are to be met and I think will enable us to have a smoother General
Conference. We are not doing this to accommodate the General Service staff, we are doing this to resolve an
issue which we should resolve, to make sure that the delegates who have come from afar to attend the meeting
can do the work that they wish to have done, and also get the incoming Director-General off to a better start -
there is no doubt about that. But in answer to your question, yes, this would make for a smoother running of the
Conference. Does that answer your question? I now give the floor to the representative of Malaysia.
8. Mr DAS (Malaysia):
Thank you, Madam President, for giving me the floor. I wish to be very brief and I want to take this
opportunity to endorse the text which is most acceptable to my delegation. I indeed thank Mr Marshall for the
work he has undertaken in coming up with something which is acceptable to us. Thank you very much indeed.
9. The PRESIDENT:
I give the floor to the representative of Uruguay, whose question I apparently did not answer.
10. Sr. CASTELLS (Uruguay):
Señora Presidenta: Usted me pregunta si respondió a mi pregunta pero luego no me da la ocasión de
responderle “sí” o “no”; y le digo que no, que no me la contestó. Yo le estaba preguntando otra cosa. Usted me
dice que con esto aseguramos el buen funcionamiento de la Conferencia General en el futuro, pero yo le estaba
preguntando por el presente: ¿estamos, en este momento, funcionando bajo amenaza, bajo coacción, o no?
Gracias, señora Presidenta.
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