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STAFF RULES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT

CHAPTER VIII

TRAVEL

Rule 108.1 Official Travel of Staff Members

(a) The General Secretariat shall pay the travel expenses of a staff member in the following cases:

(i) To assume his post upon initial appointment or upon assignment to another official duty station;

(ii) To carry out a mission or other official business of the Organization;

(iii) For purposes of home leave, in accordance with Rule 106.4; and

(iv) For repatriation on separation from service, in accordance with paragraph (c).

(b) Travel expenses may be paid for recruitment interviews.

(c) Travel expenses shall be paid to repatriate staff members who are in the professional category or have been recruited internationally, except those on short-term contracts and those in the circumstances set out in Rule 108.4, to their home country or place of recruitment, provided that the trip is made within six months of the date of separation.

(d) A staff member who is eligible to receive repatriation travel may elect another destination and, upon the presentation of the appropriate documentation, may be reimbursed for an amount up to the maximum amount that would have been payable for return travel to his home country or place of recruitment.

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Rule 108.2 Official Travel of Dependents

(a) The General Secretariat shall pay the travel expenses of a staff member's eligible dependents pursuant to Rule 108.5, under the following circumstances:

(i) On the initial appointment of a staff member who is in the professional category or has been recruited internationally, except those on short-term contracts, provided that his services are expected by the Secretary General to continue for more than six months beyond the date on which his dependents are expected to join him;

(ii) Following completion by the staff member of not less than one year of continuous service, provided that his services are expected by the Secretary General to continue for more than six months beyond the date on which his dependents are expected to join him;

(iii) On change of official duty station, provided that the services of the staff member at the new duty station are expected by the Secretary General to continue for more than six months beyond the date on which his dependents are expected to join him;

(iv) On home leave;

(v) On separation of a staff member from service, provided that his appointment was for a period of one year or longer; and

(vi) On trips approved in connection with the education of a staff member's dependent child.

(b) In the cases provided for in subparagraphs (a)(i) and (ii) above, the General Secretariat shall pay the travel expenses of a staff member's dependents either from his home country or from the place of recruitment. Should a staff member wish to bring a dependent to his official duty station from any other place, the travel expenses borne by the General Secretariat shall not exceed the maximum amount that would have been payable for travel from the place of recruitment or from his home country.

(c) In the case provided for in subparagraph (a)(v) above, the General Secretariat shall pay the travel expenses of a staff member's dependents from his official duty station to the place to which the staff member is entitled to be repatriated in accordance with the provisions of Rule 108.1. Where both husband and wife are staff members, and either or both are entitled to the payment of repatriation travel expenses on separation from service, and taking into account Rule 104.14 (b), such travel expenses shall be paid for each only upon his or her own separation from service. Where both spouses are entitled to repatriation travel expenses, each staff member shall have the choice either of exercising his or her own entitlement or of accompanying the other spouse, provided that in no case shall such expenses be paid for a staff member while he or she remains in the service of the Organization.

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Rule 108.3 Official Travel of Dependents - Missions

In the case of service on a mission that is for not less than one year, the General Secretariat shall pay the travel expenses of a staff member's eligible dependents to and from the mission area.

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Rule 108.4 Loss of Entitlement to Repatriation Travel Expenses

(a) A staff member who resigns before completing one year of service or within six months following the date of his return from home leave shall not be entitled to payment of repatriation travel expenses for himself or his dependents. However, the Secretary General may authorize such payment if he is satisfied that there are compelling reasons for doing so.

(b) Entitlement to repatriation travel expenses shall cease if the travel has not commenced within six months after the date of separation, unless the Secretary General considers that postponement of the trip for up to 12 months is warranted. However, where both husband and wife are staff members and the spouse who separates first is entitled to repatriation travel expenses, and taking into account Rule 104.14(b), his or her entitlement shall not cease until six months after the date of separation of the other spouse.

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Rule 108.5 Eligible Dependents for Purposes of Payment of Travel Expenses

(a) For purposes of payment of travel expenses, eligible dependents shall be the spouse and dependent children of the staff member as defined under Rule 103.16.

(b) Travel expenses for former dependents to make one trip to the staff member's official duty station or home country shall also be paid, provided that the travel occurs within one year following the loss of dependency status.

(c) The Secretary General may authorize payment of travel expenses for the repatriation of a staff member's former spouse.

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Rule 108.6 Authority for Travel

All travel must be authorized in advance and, in other than exceptional circumstances, must be in writing. The staff member shall be responsible for ascertaining that he has the proper authorization before commencing such travel.

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Rule 108.7 Travel Expenses

(a) Except as stated in section (d) below, travel expenses paid or reimbursed by the General Secretariat shall include:

(i) Transportation expenses, that is, the price of tickets;

(ii) Terminal expenses;

(iii) Travel subsistence allowance (per diem); and

(iv) Necessary additional expenses incurred during travel.

(b) Staff members shall exercise the same care in incurring expenses as any prudent person would when traveling at his personal expense.

(c) Notwithstanding the above, travel expenses for recruitment and transfer to a new duty station for a staff member who is eligible for and receives the Mobilization Allowance shall not include expenses set out in subsections a(ii)-(iv) of this Rule.

(d) For all eligible staff members who join the staff of the General Secretariat after March 31, 2003, travel expenses in connection with repatriation are included within the fixed amount of the Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance set out in Staff Rule 103.22, and Section (a) above shall not apply for computing those expenses. Staff members hired prior to April 1, 2003, who are eligible for receiving repatriation travel computed under section (a) above, and who waive in writing their rights to computation of travel expenses under that section (a), together with their rights to moving expenses under this Chapter of the Staff Rules, may opt for payment of a Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance.

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Rule 108.8 Route, Mode, and Standard of Transportation

(a) Official travel shall in all instances be by a route, mode, and standard of transportation approved in advance by the Secretary General.

(b) Travel expense allowance and travel time shall be limited to the amount allowable for a trip by the approved route, mode, and standard. Staff members who wish to make other arrangements for personal convenience must obtain permission to do so in advance and pay all additional costs.

(c) Travel shall be by the most direct and economical route and mode of transportation unless it is established to the satisfaction of the Secretary General that the use of an alternative route or mode of transportation is in the best interest of the Organization.

(d) When, in accordance with the provisions of (c) above, travel by air is designated as the normally approved mode of transportation for a particular trip, staff members may be authorized to travel by land or sea if, in the opinion of the Secretary General, there are special reasons for doing so.

(e) When, in accordance with the provisions of (c) above, travel by land or sea is designated as the normally approved mode of transportation for a particular trip, staff members may, notwithstanding such designation, be authorized to travel by air if the exigencies of the service so require or if in the opinion of the Secretary General there are special reasons for doing so.

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Rule 108.9 Standard of Accommodation

(a) For official travel, staff members and their eligible dependents shall be provided with accommodations in accordance with the following:

(i) Normally, air travel shall be by the fastest, most direct and economical route. First-class accommodations may be authorized only for the Secretary General and the Assistant Secretary General and their respective eligible dependents who accompany them. Unless specific exception is made at the direction of the Secretary General, all other staff members and their eligible dependents shall travel by jet economy class.

(ii) For all official travel by train approved under Rule 108.8(c) or (d), staff members and their eligible dependents shall be provided with regular first-class or equivalent accommodation, including sleeper and other facilities, as appropriate. Pullman accommodations with drawing room for overnight travel and parlor-car seat for daytime travel will be provided for the Secretary General and the Assistant Secretary General and their respective eligible dependents who accompany them. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the cost covered by the General Secretariat may not exceed that of the fare and per diem normally authorized for air travel, in accordance with subparagraph (i) above. Except by express provision of the Secretary General, no more official leave will be granted than that necessary to make the trip by air.

(iii) As a general rule, transportation by sea by staff members or their eligible dependents will not be authorized. However, in exceptional circumstances, when it is authorized upon special request of the traveler and is in his interest, the cost covered by the General Secretariat may not exceed that of the fare and per diem normally authorized for air travel, in accordance with subsection (i) above. Except by express provision of the Secretary General, no more official leave will be granted than that necessary to make the trip by air.

(b) The General Secretariat shall pay only for accommodations actually authorized and used.

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Rule 108.10 Travel by Automobile

(a) Staff members who are authorized to travel by automobile shall be reimbursed by the General Secretariat at rates and under conditions established by the Secretary General on the basis of operating costs in the area in which the travel is undertaken. An appropriate minimum daily distance for the calculation of the daily subsistence allowance shall be established.

(b) The mileage rate established by the Secretary General shall be payable to only one of two or more persons traveling together on the same trip in the same automobile.

(c) The total of mileage rate reimbursement and travel subsistence allowance for a particular trip shall be limited to the maximum travel expenses to which the staff member would have been entitled had he traveled by the most economical route, as defined by Rule 108.9. Except by express provision of the Secretary General, no more official leave will be granted than that necessary to make the trip by air.

(d) Instructions on the use of a private automobile while on official mission are and will be set forth in applicable Administrative Memoranda.

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Rule 108.11 Purchase of Tickets

(a) Unless the staff member concerned is specifically authorized to make other arrangements, all tickets for transportation involving official travel of staff members and dependents shall be purchased by the General Secretariat in advance of the travel.

(b) When a staff member wishes to travel with a standard of accommodations in excess of his entitlement, or is authorized to travel, for reasons of personal preference or convenience, by other than the approved route or mode of transportation as provided for in Rule 108.8, he shall be required to reimburse the General Secretariat for any additional costs thus incurred, before he is provided with the tickets.

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Rule 108.12  Inapplicability of Staff Rules 108.13-25 With Regard to Recruitment, Duty Station Transfers, and Repatriation for Staff Members Receiving Mobilization Allowance and the Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance

Staff Rules 108.13 - 25 shall not apply to recruitment and duty station transfer related travel, moving, and other transportation in those cases where the staff member is eligible for and receives the Mobilization Allowance for such travel, moving, and other transportation. Similarly, those Rules shall not apply to repatriation-related travel, moving, and other transportation in those cases where the staff member is eligible for and receives the Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance for such travel, moving, and transportation.

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Rule 108.13 Terminal Expenses

(a) A staff member on official travel may, at each terminal point, claim terminal expenses for himself according to the established rates and $3.00, or such other officially established amount, for each eligible dependent traveling with him. Where a trip covers a number of official stops, each such stop will be regarded as a terminal point. The terminal allowance will be deemed to cover expenditures for taxicabs or other means of public conveyance to and from the terminal or other place of departure or arrival, transfer of baggage, airport fees, and all other incidental charges. Where a trip involves multiple destinations, the terminal allowance may be claimed in respect of each arrival and departure at the rate established for each location, except in the circumstances referred to in paragraph (c), below.

(b) In addition to the expenses referred to in the preceding paragraph, a staff member may claim under his terminal allowance any additional cost of transferring any authorized heavy luggage from the terminal to the place where the staff member is going to stay, to the extent that this cost causes the staff member to exceed the corresponding established rate.

(c) There will be no reimbursement for expenses in connection with an intermediate stop:

(i) That has not been authorized;

(ii) That does not involve leaving the terminal or other place of arrival or departure; or

(iii) That lasts less than four hours, does not involve leaving the terminal or other place of arrival, and is made exclusively for the purpose of making an onward connection.

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Rule 108.14 Travel Subsistence Allowance ("Per Diem")

(a) When a staff member is authorized to travel at the General Secretariat's expense to perform official business functions, he shall receive an appropriate daily subsistence allowance, which may vary from area to area and with salary levels in accordance with the schedule of rates established by the ICSC and as applied by the UN Secretariat, unless otherwise determined by the Secretary General.

(b) The Secretary General may, in exceptional and compelling circumstances, authorize a reasonable increase in the travel subsistence allowance to be paid to a staff member who is required to accompany one of the highest officials of the General Secretariat or a person connected with the Organization and whose official duties while in travel status require additional living expenses at a rate substantially higher than that contemplated in setting the rate for his level. He may also authorize such an increase in the case of a special mission assignment (Rule 103.14).

(c) Travel subsistence allowance shall comprise the total contribution of the Organization toward such charges as meals, lodging, gratuities, and other payments made for personal services rendered. Except as provided in Rule 108.18, any expenditure incurred in excess of the subsistence allowance shall be borne by the staff member.

(d) In the event that an employee on travel status becomes ill and takes sick leave, the subsistence allowance will continue during the sick leave up to a maximum of 10 days.

(e) A subsistence allowance shall be paid for any days on which a staff member is required to perform official business while on annual leave outside of his duty station, and no charge shall be made to leave for those days.

(f) Except as provided in paragraphs (h) and (i) below, when the eligible dependents of a staff member are authorized to travel at the Organization's expense, the staff member shall be paid an additional travel subsistence allowance in respect of each of them at half the rate applicable to the staff member.

(g) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph k below, no travel subsistence allowance shall be payable to a staff member or the dependents of a staff member in respect of any period of annual or home leave.

(h) No travel subsistence allowance shall be payable to the dependents of a staff member in respect of any period of special leave, unless authorized by the Secretary General in exceptional circumstances.

(i) No travel subsistence allowance shall be payable in respect of the education grant of a staff member's child.

(j) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) above, the Secretary General may establish a special subsistence allowance to be paid to staff members under special observer contracts or other fixed-term contracts of less than one year's duration, provided that said rate does not exceed the rates established under paragraph (a).

(k) A staff member on home leave is entitled to one day of travel subsistence allowance for the staff member and one half day for each qualified dependent traveling with the staff member.

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Rule 108.15  Special Travel Subsistence Allowance

(a) The Secretary General may authorize a special rate of travel subsistence allowance to be paid to staff members whose services are required for conferences or meetings for which the General Secretariat provides secretariat services.

(b) In certain cases, by direction of the Secretary General, a special subsistence rate may be given General Secretariat personnel traveling with special delegations or special missions of organs of the Organization when their work situation necessarily requires their proximity to the members of the delegations or missions.

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Rule 108.16 Reduced Travel Subsistence Allowance

When another organization or a host government pays the staff member's expenses or provides him with food and/or lodging, the subsistence allowance shall be reduced as follows:

(i) If the staff member receives an allowance from the other organization or host government that is less than the applicable General Secretariat rate, he shall be entitled to receive the difference and this amount shall be stipulated in his travel authorization.

(ii) The applicable General Secretariat subsistence allowance rate shall be reduced by 40 percent if either food or lodging is provided, and by 80 percent if both are provided.

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Rule 108.17 Computation of the Travel Subsistence Allowance

(a) The allowance shall commence from the date of departure from the official duty station. The allowance is calculated for the period covered by multiplying the applicable rate by the number of nights on official travel.

(b) The applicable rate shall be that of the country in which expenses for lodging accommodations are incurred for the date in question.

(c) When the travel is completed in a period of less than 24 hours, and no overnight stay is required, the staff member will receive, in lieu of actual and necessary expenses incurred, 25 percent of the applicable daily rate for each quarter of a day. However, upon request, he may be reimbursed for those expenses.

(d) When the nature of the work requires that a staff member be stationed in one place for an extended period of time, he will be paid the regular subsistence allowance for the first 60 days of assignment. After this period, he will be expected to make new arrangements for lodging and other services, and will be paid the reduced per diem rate for "all personnel after 60 days" set out in the schedule of such rates.

(e) If a staff member who is entitled only to the reduced allowance is required for official reasons to leave for a brief period the place where he has been stationed, he will be paid the full rate applicable to the place being visited from the date of his departure for it. Upon his return to his temporary duty station, he will be paid the full rate applicable to that place for a period equal to the number of nights spent on official travel away from it, after which time his allowance will again be calculated on the "all personnel after 60 days" basis.

(f) When it is necessary, for purposes of computing the amount of travel subsistence allowance payable to a staff member, to specify the "hour of departure" and/or the "hour of arrival", these shall be considered as the time when the train, vessel, or airplane used by the traveler actually leaves or arrives at its regular terminal.

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Rule 108.18 Miscellaneous Travel Expenses

Necessary additional expenses incurred by a staff member in connection with the transaction of official business or the performance of authorized travel shall be reimbursed by the General Secretariat after completion of the travel, provided that the necessity and nature of the expenses are satisfactorily explained and supported by proper receipts. Such expenses, for which advance authorization shall be obtained to the extent possible, shall normally be limited to telephone, telegraph, radio, and cable messages of official business.

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Rule 108.19 Excess Baggage and Transportation of Personal Effects

(a) Baggage in excess of the weight or volume carried without extra charge by transportation companies shall be considered excess baggage within the meaning of this Rule.

(b) Charges for excess baggage shall be reimbursed only when authorized prior to commencement of travel except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) below.

(c) Charges for excess baggage transported by a staff member because it is required for the official business of the Organization shall be reimbursed, provided the staff member presents with his claim a receipt from the transportation company which sets out the charges for the excess baggage.

(d) When baggage is carried without charge by one transportation company, but considered as excess by a company furnishing subsequent transportation, the traveler may be reimbursed for the charges involved provided that he obtains a receipt from the second company stating the charge it made for excess baggage.

(e) Charges for excess baggage relating to air travel by staff members or eligible dependents on home leave or education-grant travel may be reimbursed up to a maximum of 10 kg (22 pounds) per person. Each dependent child who is not granted a baggage allowance by the airline shall be entitled to a maximum of 30 kg (66 pounds). These reimbursements will cover only costs of transporting clothing and other personal effects. Vouchers will be required on expenses incurred for these purposes. At the request of the staff member, this entitlement may be converted to 50 additional kg (110 pounds) or 0.31 cubic meters (11 cubic feet) of unaccompanied shipment by surface means per eligible person.

(f) On appointment, transfer, or separation where there is no entitlement to payment of moving expenses and on travel to or from a mission assignment of one year or more, a staff member may be reimbursed expenses of transporting his personal effects and household goods by land and/or sea up to a maximum weight of (i) 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds or 6.23 cubic meters (220 cubic feet) for the staff member; (ii) 500 kg (1,100 pounds) or 3.11 cubic meters (110 cubic feet) for the first authorized dependent; and 300 kg (660 pounds) or 1.87 cubic meters (66 cubic feet) for each additional authorized dependent.

(g) When traveling on appointment or assignment for less than one year or on separation from service in the case of an appointment for less than one year, a staff member may be reimbursed the expenses of transporting his personal effects and household goods by land and/or sea up to a maximum of 100 kg (220 pounds) or 0.62 cubic meters (22 cubic feet). Where the appointment or assignment is extended for a total period of one year or more, the staff member shall be paid expenses for an additional shipment of personal effects and household goods up to the maximum entitlement established in paragraph (f) above.

(h) The reimbursement for the shipping expenses specified in paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) above shall include the weight or volume of packing excluding crating and lift vans. It shall also include reasonable costs for the packing, crating, cartage, unpacking, and uncrating of those personal effects within the limits therein specified. Unless otherwise provided in these Rules, shipment shall be by the most economical mode of transportation feasible in the circumstances, as determined by the General Secretariat, which shall also select the company to be used in each place. No payment shall be made for storage charges other than those directly related to the shipment or for the servicing of appliances, the dismantling or installation of fixtures, or special packing. The General Secretariat shall also pay insurance premiums in accordance with Rule 108.26.

(i) On appointment, transfer, or separation where entitlement to payment of moving expenses does exist, a staff member may be reimbursed for expenses in transporting a reasonable amount of excess baggage by land and/or sea up to the maximum weight allowable under paragraph (f) of this Rule. The weight of such shipment shall be deducted from the maximum allowable under Rule 108.20(d).

(j) Where surface shipment under paragraph (f) or (g) is the most economical means of transport, such shipment may be converted to air freight on the basis of one half of the weight or volume of the authorized surface entitlement:

(i) When a staff member elects to convert the whole surface entitlement to air freight; or

(ii) When, in the opinion of the Secretary General, the conversion to air freight of a portion of the surface entitlement is necessary to meet the needs of the Organization.

If the entitlement is under subparagraph (i), above, twice the weight or volume of the air freight shipment shall be deducted from the staff member's entitlement under Rule 108.20.

(k) Notwithstanding the one-half rule in paragraph (j) above, conversion to air freight on the basis of the full weight or volume may be authorized in the following cases:

(i) Where the cost of air freight is lower than surface shipment;

(ii) Where there is an extraordinary risk of damage to, or loss of, the shipment in transit; or

(iii) Where an excessive shipping delay is expected, particularly for shipment to land-locked countries.

However, for cases involving conversion of surface shipments pertaining to education-grant travel, conversion on the basis of the full weight or volume may be authorized only in the cases indicated above in paragraph (k)(i) and (ii).

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Rule 108.20 Moving Expenses

(a) When a staff member in the professional category or any other who has been recruited internationally is to serve at a duty station outside his home country for a continuous period of two years or more, the Secretary General shall decide whether the General Secretariat should pay an assignment allowance, as called for in Rule 103.15, or pay the expenses of moving the staff member's personal effects and household goods. In exceptional circumstances, when the services are expected to last at least one year but less than two years, the Secretary General may authorize the payment of moving expenses under this Rule in lieu of assignment allowance under Rule 103.15. Moving expenses may be paid in the following circumstances:

(i) On initial appointment for a period of two years or longer;

(ii) Upon completion of two years of continuous service;

(iii) On change of duty station from one country to another, provided that the staff member is expected to serve at the new duty station for a period of two years or longer; and

(iv) Upon separation from service, provided that the staff member had an appointment for a period of two years or longer or had completed not less than two years of continuous service.

(b) Subject to paragraph (a) above, the General Secretariat shall pay the expenses of moving a staff member's personal effects and household goods either from the place of his recruitment or from the place recognized as his home for purposes of home leave in accordance with Rule 106.4, provided that the personal effects and household goods were in the staff member's possession at the time of his appointment and are being transported for his personal use. In exceptional cases, the Secretary General may authorize the payment of moving expenses from a place other than that specified, under conditions that he deems appropriate.

(c) Subject to paragraph (a) above, the General Secretariat shall pay the expenses of moving a staff member's personal effects and household goods from his official duty station to any one place to which he is entitled to be repatriated in accordance with Rule 108.1 or, in exceptional cases, to any other one place authorized by the Secretary General on such terms and conditions as he deems appropriate, provided that the goods and effects were in the staff member's possession at the time of separation and are being transported for his own use.

(d) The payment shall include reasonable costs for the packing, crating, cartage, unpacking, and uncrating of household goods weighing up to a maximum of 4,900 kg (10,800 pounds) gross or 3,930 kg net or 30.58 cubic meters (8,640 pounds or 1,080 cubic feet) for a staff member without authorized dependents, and 8,150 kg (18,000 pounds) gross or 6,545 kg net or 50.97 cubic meters (14,400 pounds or 1,800 cubic feet) for a staff member with eligible dependents, and for their shipment by the most economical mode of transportation feasible in the circumstances, as determined by the General Secretariat, which shall also select the company to be used in each place. A higher maximum may be authorized by the Department of Human Resource Services, however, if a staff member has one or more dependents residing with him at his official duty station and presents convincing evidence that his normal and necessary personal effects and household goods to be moved exceed 50.97 cubic meters (1,800 cubic feet). Within the foregoing weight limits, a privately owned automobile may be transported. No payment shall be made for storage charges other than those directly related to the shipment, or for the servicing of appliances, the dismantling or installation of fixtures, or special packing. The General Secretariat shall also pay insurance premiums in accordance with Rule 108.26.

(e) This Rule shall not apply to staff members moving in the case of mission service.

(f) Where both husband and wife are staff members, and each is entitled to the moving of personal effects and household goods, the maximum weight or volume that may be moved at the General Secretariat's expense for both of them shall be that provided for one staff member with dependents residing with him at his duty station.

(g) The General Secretariat may lend money for moving expenses at market rates to a staff member who is ineligible to receive moving expenses under this Rule, or who is otherwise denied payment of moving expenses under the discretionary authority provided in paragraph (a) above. In no event, however, shall the amount loaned to any staff member for moving expenses exceed the total of the separation benefits the staff member is expected to receive upon the expiration date of his contract or appointment, and no such loan shall be made unless the lender grants the General Secretariat a security interest for the amount of the loan in all separation benefits, retirement and pension benefits, and all other emoluments and salary payments due him. All loans made pursuant to this paragraph shall be "indebtedness to the General Secretariat" under Rule 103.20. Further guidelines for such loans shall be established by the Secretary General in the administrative issuances of the General Secretariat.

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Rule 108.21 Loss of Entitlement to Moving Expenses

(a) In general, a staff member who resigns before completing two years of service shall not be entitled to payment of moving expenses under Rule 108.20.

(b) The General Secretariat will not pay the moving expenses indicated in Rule 108.20(a) if the move has not commenced within one year after the date on which the staff member became entitled to it, or if the staff member's services are not expected to continue for more than six months beyond the proposed date of arrival of the household goods and personal effects.

(c) The General Secretariat will not pay moving expenses on separation from service if the move has not commenced within one year after the date of separation, except that where both husband and wife are staff members and the spouse who separates first is entitled to moving expenses, and taking into account Rule 104.14(b), his or her entitlement shall not cease until one year after the date of separation of the other spouse.

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Rule 108.22 Travel Advances

(a) Staff members authorized to travel shall provide themselves with sufficient funds to meet all normal expenses, and the General Secretariat shall give them a travel advance for this purpose, if necessary. A reasonable advance of funds against the estimated reimbursable travel expenses, and other expenses authorized by these Rules, may be granted to a staff member or to his dependents.

(b) If, in the course of travel, a staff member is authorized to extend the travel for an additional period of time or to incur additional expenses associated with the official business of the Organization, the staff member will be advanced the balance of the estimated reimbursable expenditures.

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Rule 108.23 Illness or Accident During Travel

When a staff member becomes ill or is injured during official travel, the General Secretariat shall pay or reimburse reasonable hospital and medical expenses that are not covered by the health insurance plan.

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Rule 108.24 Rejection of Claims for Travel Expenses

The Secretary General may reject any claim for payment or reimbursement of travel or moving expenses that are incurred by a staff member in contravention of any provision of these Rules.

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Rule 108.25 Transportation of Decedents

Upon the death of a staff member or of a dependent, the General Secretariat shall pay the expenses of transportation of the body from the place of death to the place to which the staff member or his dependents were entitled to be repatriated under Rules 108.1 and 108.2. The reimbursable expenses shall include reasonable costs for the casket and for preparation of the body. The Department of Human Resource Services shall assist the relatives in making the necessary arrangements.

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Rule 108.26 Travel and Shipping Insurance

(a) Staff members shall not be reimbursed for the cost of personal accident insurance or of insurance of accompanied personal baggage; however, compensation may be paid in respect of loss or damage to accompanied personal baggage, in accordance with such arrangements as may be in force under Rule 107.5.

(b) In the case of unaccompanied shipments authorized under rule 108.19, except those connected with home leave or education grant travel, insurance coverage will be provided by the General Secretariat up to a maximum of:

(i) $8,000 for the staff member;

(ii) $4,000 for the first eligible dependent whose travel is paid by the General Secretariat;

(iii) $2,400 for each additional eligible dependent whose travel is paid by the General Secretariat.

Such insurance coverage shall not include articles of special value for which special premium rates are charged. The General Secretariat will not be responsible for loss or damage to unaccompanied baggage.

(c) The cost of insurance of personal effects and household goods in transit (excluding articles of special value for which special premium rates are charged) under Rule 108.20 shall be reimbursed, up to a maximum valuation of $40,000 for a staff member without a spouse or dependent child and $65,000 for a staff member with a spouse or dependent child residing at the official duty station. The General Secretariat shall in no case be responsible for loss or damage.

(d) For unaccompanied shipments authorized under Rule 108.19, except those connected with home leave, education grant travel, or under Rule 108.20, the staff member shall furnish the General Secretariat, prior to shipment, with an itemized inventory in duplicate of all articles, including containers such as suitcases, and the replacement value in United States dollars of each article in the shipments. Failure of the staff member to provide this inventory to the General Secretariat's satisfaction will constitute a forfeiture and waiver of any rights the staff member may have to claim the insurance benefits provided under this Rule.

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