From Hiring to Firing A Comparative Study on Selected Legal Safeguards for the Independence and Impartiality of International Civil Servants Serving in the United Nations Secretariat and in the European Commission

This present study describes, compares, and analyzes selected legal safeguards that are in place in the United Nations Secretariat and in the European Commission in order to guarantee the independence and impartiality of their staff. Despite the fact that the nature, structure, and functions of the UN and the EU are generally regarded as dissimilar, both organizations are based on the same concept of international civil service, requiring international civil servants to act independently from Member States' governments or any other external authority. This concept defines and underlines the overall human resources policies of both the UN and the EU. The book analyzes specific parts of the UN and EU policies, namely those related to the staff appointment, placement, and separation from service. They mark the entire employment cycle of international staff and are of direct relevance to the independence and impartiality of UN and EU staff. The book focuses on recent developments that have taken place in the UN Secretariat and the European Commission over the last decade, as a result of their extensive human resources management reforms.