UNITED NATSONS AT Administrative Tribunal Distr. LIMITED AT/DEC/478 18 May 1990 ORIGINAI,: ENGLISH case No. 517: SuNnmAM Aviatim Organizatim mEAlx4INI~I OF ?HE UNITED NRI'ICNS, CmposedofMr.JemmeAckeman, Vice-mident,viding; I&. Framisco A. Ebrteza;Mr. IoanVoicut Libras, on 22 June 1989, Sylvia Sundamn, astaffmenbrofthe ~ti~Civi~Aviationorganizati~,hereinafter~~toas I-, filed an amicatian, the pleas of which read as follows Y3ection II - Pleas IlLqlesttha~ a) b) c) W thedecisionofthe Lizcmeq- of Icm (...) dated 26 January 1989 not to grant depesrdlency bnefits in regardtonly~berescinded; thedecisionofthe m dated 1 May 1989 (a..) m3t to grant any zEtma&im and future cypEmwq benefitstorneinregadtomyhusbandberescuded : themofImbeorderedtopay C@xMemybenefitstomeinrespectofmyh~ lLetm&ivelyfarthem periodalluwedunderthe Rules of the organization: m~ofI~beorderedtoaontirmeto paydqeMemybenefitstomeinmspectofmyhusbaM frcm 1 Jamary 1989." -2- ta . . . thetotalgross&aryfrcan~~beforearrytax deducti~orobligatory~~ons . . . j.mxalefmcsther isource (e.g. pmsion,annuities, rental inccane, iwe&mdZ iname,grants,scholarships,etc)isnotincl~in~ 'oazupational ealdngs'." whereasthefactsinthecaseareasfollcYGds: TbeA@kanthasbeenmpluyedbyICA0since1Manh1%1. She cumentlyholdsapemmenta~intnmtatthe Generalservice,o-8level, asaFxzwmelClerkinthelk&nicalAssistanceBureau. Sheismarriedto ulittur s. slmdamm, aformerstaffmrdxerofICAO,andarecipientof a ~i~frrnntheUnitedNatiansJoint~fPerr;ioolFund(~~). InaCmar Mammdum dated 31 May 1988, the Admhistration amomcedtosWffinmceiptofa~ spousealluwance,the requim to qualify for the allmance andtheadministrative~ to be followed in oder to file a claim therefor. In aandame with ICAD Staff Fkgulation 3.7: II . . . 1. AdepemWkspouseshallbeaspouseWhoseoccUpatiCmal eamings,ifany,inanycalendaryearforwhiChm mltit&mentiscl~,donot~the1~entrylevel 0ftheunitedNationsGeneral Semiceg3msssalaryscales a~~cabletotheplaceof~~ofthestaff~'s spcruse II . . . . -3- footnuke (d) of the attachment to the Circular Memorandum, *'only occupational earnings areamsideredindeterminingdependemystatus". Shenutedthat shewas"unaware thatpensionbenefitswerenotconsideredas linccme'll and regue&edretmactivepaymntoftheallowance %n a retroactive basis up to themaximmpennissibletim period". In a reply dated 11 July 1988, the Chief, PemomelBranch,am paymentofthespauseallowance from 31 May 1988 only, the date of the Circular~~inwhid.l"a~~finitionof~ti~earnings adopted by the Organization effective 31 May 1988 and sm any previousdef~tianorinterplretatiangiventOthewordoccupatianal earnings of Staff Regulation 3.7" had been given. On 23 August 1988, the Applicant asked the Chief, ~ersomel Ekanch, toreconsiderhisdecisionnottopayheraspauseall~~ance lzxztmactively. She aquedessentiallythatthe Staff Regulations and-es refer to occupationaleamings arxlthattheclarificationcontained intheCircular Mmmandmhadnotchangedtheintentoftherulesitself. InareplydaW16 lIksWer 1988, the Chief, Persome Branch, informedtkreAFqplicantthatthequestianofdefiningoccupational~ hadbeenreviewedandthe Semetaq-Generalhaddecided, on 7 -1988, 