On 26 July 2000, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan brought together leaders from global business, international labour and civil society organizations to pledge their commitment to universally accepted human rights, labour and environmental principles. He asked world business to implement nine principles derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the Rio Principles on environment and development, all of which enjoy broad recognition among the world's governments.
In their report on the Administration of Justice at the United Nations (JIU/REP/2000/1), Inspectors Fatih Bouayad-Agha and Homero L. Hernandez noted that
"The present flaws in the administration of justice at the United Nations are compounded by the special characteristics of the international civil service, which is not subject to any domestic legal system and, for this reason, may fail to benefit from the most dynamic labour legislation developments. In this context, the Inspectors take note of the fact that important international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Human Rights Covenants and the 1998 Geneva International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work are not incorporated into the United Nations internal regulations and rules."
The recent debates about the renovation of the United Nations Headquarters building in New York illustrate the pervasive effect of the immunity from domestic legal systems and the absence of internal legal references: the building has been allowed to stay behind current safety and security standards.
The United Nations - and the specialized agencies, programmes and funds - should be a role model for the world community. It must apply to itself what it recommends to Member States, world business, etc.
Accordingly, FICSA urges Member States: