UN Palestine Commission – Continued Employment of Palestinian personnel – Letter from United Kingdom

15 March 1948

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

Communications Received frog the United Kingdom
Delegation concerning the Continued Employment
of Palestinian Personnel under the Commission.

The following communication, regarding the texts of announcements made by the Government of Palestine on behalf of the Commission respecting continued employment of Palestinian personnel under the Commission, has been received from Mr. Fletcher-Cooke of the United Kingdom Delegation.

UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Empire State Building

New York 1, N.Y.

15th March, 1948.

My dear Bunche,

May I refer you to paragraph 4 of my letter of 12th March, regarding the texts of announcements made by the Government of Palestine on behalf of the Commission in respect of the continued employment of Palestinian personnel under the Commission.

I have now received from Jerusalem a copy (enclosed) of General Circular No..7 which as you will see was issued on 18th February.

I have also received a draft of a further General Circular (enclosed) under cover of a communication dated 2nd March, in which I was informed that the second circular was due to be issued shortly.

You will no doubt bring this information to the notice of the Commission.

Sincerely,

(signed) J. FLETCHER-COOKE

(J. Fletcher-Cooke)

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche

Principal Secretary to the United Nations

Commission on Palestine,

United Nations,

Lake Success.

GENERAL CIRCULAR No. 7.

I am directed to inform you that the United Nations Palestine Commission have requested that the following statement of their policy regarding the continuance in service of Palestinian officials of this Administration should be brought to the notice of all officers concerned. They have also asked that an indication should be obtained from such employees of their intention with respect to continuing employment after the British withdrawal. The statement reads:-

“In view of changes in the Palestine Administration consequent upon the termination of the Mandate and implementation of the resolution of the General Assembly of United Nations, the United Nations Palestine Commission states for information of all interested parties that it will be its policy to ensure the maintenance of existing conditions of employment for all employees of Palestine Administration who continue in the service after the termination of the Mandate.”

2. Declarations of officers’ wishes regarding continuing employment with the Successor States, the City of Jerusalem or the Joint Economic Board should in due course be notified to the United Nations Palestine Commission through Heads of Departments. The address of the Commission will be notified later.

3. It is to be clearly understood that the contents of this circular are communicated to you at the express desire of the United Nations’ Palestine Commission, and you are requested to bring it to the notice of all members of your department.

4. An announcement regarding benefits payable to officers on the termination of employment will be issued very shortly.

Distribution: heads of Departments and. District Commissioners.

COPY

DRAFT GENERAL CIRCULAR

I am directed to refer to my General Circular No 7 of 18.2.48. and to inform you that in view of the announcement of the compensation payable to Government Officers and employees on the termination of the Mandate under Staff Circular No. 2/48, the United Nations Palestine Commission has asked that a further communication should be made on their behalf to all employees of the Palestine Administration in the following terms:-

I am to request you to bring this Circular to the notice of all officers and employees of your Department as soon as possible, and to secure their replies to the Commission is requested at the earliest possible moment. I will inform you shortly of the address to which these replies should be forwarded.