EB23.R25 Secondment of Staff from Member States The Executive Board,
Having considered the study made by the Director-General on the subject of secondment of staff to the Organization by Member States, as well as the occasional short-term secondment of a staif member from the Organization to a government;
Noting that provision for the latter exists in the WHO Staff Rule governing leave of absence and in the regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund; and
Noting, however, that satisfactory national legislation regarding secondments to the Organization does not in many cases exist,
1. AGREES with the principles for such secondments suggested by the Director-General;
2. CONSIDERS that the following minimum conditions appear necessary to facilitate the secondment to the Organization of the national official concerned :
(ia) he should be assured of his acquired seniority in his own service during the whole of the period of secondment;
(b) he should have the assurance of being able to return to a post at least equivalent to the one he occupied before his secondment; with total emoluments at least equal to those he would normally be receiving had he not been seconded;
(c) he should keep his acquired rights towards a pension;
id) he should be enabled either to continue his affiliation to the national pension fund, or have the possibility of validating his period of secondment on his return from secondment;
3. CONSIDERS further that, apart from these basic conditions, the preservation of certain other benefits such as social security, leave entitlements, etc., might also be considered;
4. REQUESTS the Director-General to prepare on the basis of these considerations a document containing the principles which should govern secondment of national officials to the Organization, together with appropriate observations, and to circulate this document to Member States of the Organization, inviting their comments thereon;
5. RECOMMENDS that all Member States of the Organization which have not already done so include in their national legislation the necessary provisions regarding the secondment of their officials to inter- national organizations, including the World Health Organization; and
6. REQUESTS the Director-General to transmit this resolution to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the executive heads of the other specialized agencies for any appropriate consideration by the governing bodies of those organizations.
Handb. Res., 4th ed., 7.2.2 Eighth meeting, 26 January 1959
