decision is still pending. A total of 19 staff members were dismissed (mostly summarily dismissed for serious misconduct), and another 14 employees were separated without dismissal. Criminal proceedings took place in only four cases, three of them concerning staff members. 150. The Board is certainly not in a position to assess the personal responsibility of the staff members involved, as this is exclusively within the discretion of the Administration. However, more consistency in this assessment is deemed desirable, in particular, regarding dismissals as against other forms of separation or other action taken. In our view, consistency in this respect is of special importance to attain some effect of deterrence, since in the vast majority of cases UNDP refrains from legal proceedings of any kind. This renunciation of legal proceedings is certainly a matter of policy, yet the Administration should be fully aware that this policy is likely to have an adverse effect as far as general deterrence is concerned. In our view, it would be important to create an environment that would discourage the perpetration of fraud. It should also be taken into consideration that staff members in the United Nations system are, in this respect, privileged as compared to other citizens, 151. In this regard, it was pointed out by the Administration that the question of whether to pursue legal action in local courts was evaluated on a case-by-case basis and that it was at the discretion of the Secretary-General to determine whether it was in the interest of the Organization to pursue criminal proceedings. In most cases, either recovery was effected, or the amounts in question were considered too small for legal action to be regarded as practical or cost-effective. 152. The Administration’s reply does not, in our view, give due consideration to the aspect of general deterrence, which is our major concern. As pointed out, it 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the internal management and administrative practices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) regarding staff misconduct and fraud. The language used is formal and bureaucratic, indicating a focus on organizational policies and procedures rather than specific economic or environmental issues. The discussion centers around the handling of cases involving staff members, including dismissals, separations, and criminal proceedings, suggesting a category related to employment or organizational management.

**Category**
Employment, Humanitarian aid and relief