ABOUT THE UN DISPUTE TRIBUNAL

The United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) is the court UN system staff members apply to when they decide to challenge an administrative decision made by an entity over which the UNDT has Jurisdiction and which the Applicant believes violates their rights as a staff member. The UNDT first became operational in 2009, as part of the new UN internal justice system which was created by the UN General Assembly at that time.

The UNDT is considered the UN internal justice system’s “first instance court” because it is the first of the UN internal justice system’s two courts staff members and former staff members can apply to. The UN Appeals Tribunal is considered the “second instance” court.

There are nine permanent, professional judges in the UNDT: three full-time judges (one in each of Geneva, Nairobi and New York), and six half-time judges. Half-time judges are deployed up to half a year, as required by caseload and any absences affecting the work of the Tribunal. The President of the Tribunal, following consultations with the Principal Registrar, decides on a quarterly basis whether and where to deploy half-time judges.

The UNDT judges are appointed for a single non-renewable term of seven years.

UNDT cases are considered by a single judge, except for particularly complex or important cases, when a three-judge panel may be convened.

Supported by a Registry in each of its three locations in New York, Geneva and Nairobi, the UNDT has a courtroom at each location, and operates on a full-time basis.

The UNDT conducts hearings, issues orders and renders binding judgments, all relating to the administrative decision being challenged by the Applicant. Both parties, the Applicant, and the Respondent (Administration) have the right to appeal a UNDT judgment to the UN Appeals Tribunal.

Before the UNDT will consider a case, a management evaluation must be first requested by the applicant unless one is not required (see Management Evaluation). Applicants are encouraged and expected to first try to resolve disputes through the informal means of resolution available to them through the UN’s Internal Justice System before applying to the UNDT.

CONTACT UNDT

The UNDT has locations in Geneva, Nairobi and New York. Each UNDT location has its own courtroom and its own Registry which administers its work. Each Registry is headed by a Registrar who reports to the Principal Registrar. You can contact the UNDT by sending an email to the Registry. Each of the three UNDT registries is listed below. Each registry provides services to staff members at duty stations in the geographical area shown. See Distribution of Cases for more information on how cases may be distributed/assigned by the UNDT.

GENEVA REGISTRY

(for Europe and Asia, including the Pacific)
Registry of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal
United Nations Office at Geneva
Palais des Nations, Office S.102
8-14, Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Email: undt.geneva@un.org
UNDT Geneva Registry local hours of operation:
Monday to Friday - 9 am to 5 pm

NAIROBI REGISTRY

(for Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (including Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine)
Registry of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal
Room CW-302, United Nations Office at Nairobi
UN Avenue, Gigiri
P. O. Box 67578 (00200)
Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: undtnairobi@un.org
UNDT Nairobi Registry local hours of operation:
Monday to Thursday – 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Friday – 8:30 am to 2:30 pm

NEW YORK REGISTRY

(for the Americas and the Caribbean)
Registry of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal
United Nations Secretariat
2, United Nations Plaza
Room DC2-2440
New York, New York, 10017, USA
E-mail: undt-newyork@un.org
UNDT New York Registry local hours of operation:
Monday to Friday - 9 am to 5 pm