Judgment No. 3761
Decision
1. The Director-General’s 21 October 2014 decision is set aside. 2. UNESCO shall pay each complainant and intervener moral damages in the amount of 5,000 euros. 3. UNESCO shall pay each complainant costs in the amount of 500 euros. 4. All other claims are dismissed.
Summary
The complainants challenge a circular that implements amendments to the Rules of the Medical Benefits Fund.
Judgment keywords
Keywords
complaint allowed; general decision; decision quashed
Consideration 1
Extract:
The complainants seek the same redress and the complaints rest on the same pleadings. It is therefore appropriate that they be joined to form the subject of a single judgment.
Keywords
joinder
Consideration 1
Extract:
The complainants seek an oral hearing but the Tribunal is satisfied that the parties’ briefs and the evidence they have produced are sufficient to enable the Tribunal to reach an informed decision. Accordingly, the complainants’ application for oral hearings is rejected.
Keywords
oral proceedings
Consideration 14
Extract:
[I]n the context of determining the receivability of the complaints, it is an administrative decision of general application. In general, this type of decision is not subject to challenge until an individual decision adversely affecting the individual involved has been taken. However, there are exceptions where the general decision does not require an implementing decision and immediately and adversely affects individual rights. In the present case, the impugned decision directly and adversely affects the complainants’ rights as it precludes the complainants’ important right to participate in the decision-making process […]. As the complaints satisfy the requirements of Article II of the Tribunal’s Statute, they are receivable.
Reference(s)
ILOAT reference: Article II of the Statute
Keywords
general decision; receivability of the complaint; administrative decision
Consideration 15
Extract:
As the decision of the Director-General to amend the MBF Rules was not taken in compliance with the amendment provisions in these Rules […] and, in particular, did not obtain the approval of the General Assembly of Participants, the decision was unlawful and will be set aside. It follows that the amendments to these Rules are of no force or effect. The complainants are entitled to an award of moral damages for the Organization’s complete disregard of the MBF’s statutory provisions and the resulting unlawful decision.
Keywords
general decision; moral injury
Consideration 15
Extract:
As the interveners are in the same position in fact and in law as the complainants, their applications to intervene are accepted and they are also entitled to moral damages.
Keywords
moral injury; intervention
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