LEGAL SAFEGUARDS OF PROFESSIONAL INDEPENDENCE OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVANTS – EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL DIMENSION

Abstract

This article explores legal safeguards of professional independence of international civil servants. The author identifies two dimensions of this issue – external and internal. The external dimension appears in the relation between the officials and the international organisation’s secretariat and the national authorities of member States of an international organisation, whilst the internal dimension is related to the relations within the secretariat of the international organisation, particularly between an official and his hierarchical superiors. Following the analysis of relevant legal texts, establishing treaties and headquarters arrangements and staff regulations of some international organisations, the author concludes that legal safeguards to ensure independence of officials from the intrusion of national authorities are sufficiently well developed, on the one hand, whilst there is room for improvement of legal instruments protecting the international civil servants in relation to their hierarchical superiors within the secretariat of an international organisation, on the other hand.