NOTICE

1. A competitive examination for English-language editors, translators/précis-writers and verbatim reporters will be held on 24, 25 and 26 July 2000 in New York, Geneva, Vienna, London and other locations according to the number and location of qualified candidates convoked for the examination.

2. The purpose of this examination is to establish a roster from which present and future vacancies for English-language editors, translators/précis-writers and verbatim reporters at United Nations Headquarters in New York, and at other duty stations (Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Beirut and Bangkok) will be filled.

3. Candidates who are successful in this examination and are selected for inclusion in the roster will be appointed to fill vacancies as they occur in the Editorial, Translation or Verbatim Reporting Services. When vacancies occur, successful candidates will be recruited from the roster, subject to the requirements of the services in terms of expertise and language combinations. Assignments are subject to rotation and successful candidates may thereafter be called upon to serve at other duty stations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean and Headquarters according to the needs of the Organization. Successful candidates are expected to serve a MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS in language posts. Successful candidates should note that, in accordance with the needs of the service/section, they may be called upon to work outside normal working hours, including weekends and holidays.

4. The examination is open to staff members of the United Nations Secretariat 1/ who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and to qualified external applicants. 2/ The deadline for applications is 16 June 2000.

5. Applicants must have completed their military service or have been exempted therefrom or have otherwise fulfilled their legal obligations in the matter.

6. Applicants outside the Secretariat applying for the examination must:

(a) Have English as their main language 3/;

(b) Have a perfect command of English and an excellent knowledge of French and one of the other official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) 4/.

(c) Hold a degree or an equivalent qualification from a university or institution of equivalent status at which English is the language of instruction or hold a university degree from a school of translation.

(d) Candidates, when applying, will have to attach to the Personal History Form (P.11), which must be filled in English or French, a one-page essay in English explaining the reasons why they wish to take this examination and why they wish to work for the United Nations.

The Board of Examiners, appointed by the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, requires that candidates be able to support their claims to knowledge of languages. For this purpose, candidates are required to attach to their application photocopies of diplomas or certificates from language schools. In addition candidates may explain in paragraph 31 of the Personal History Form (P.11), how they acquired their knowledge of the languages claimed. Failure to provide proof will mean that the application will be disregarded. Applicants are advised to submit photocopies NOT ORIGINALS of such documentation.

7. All applications will be reviewed by the Board of Examiners. Candidates who are invited to sit for the examination will be notified in writing by 23 June 2000 of the Board's decision. The fact that a candidate has not received a written response from the Board by 23 June 2000 indicates that the candidate has not been selected by the Board to sit for the examination. THE BOARD'S DECISIONS ARE FINAL.

8. The written examination will consist of translation/précis-writing, editing and verbatim reporting parts and detailed instructions will be given on each paper. The examination will last for three days:

(a) The translation/précis-writing part will consist of four papers:

(i) Translation into English of a general text in Arabic, French, Russian or Spanish, (three hours, morning of 24 July 2000). It should be noted that this paper is eliminatory. Only candidates who are successful in this paper will have their other papers in the translation, editing and verbatim parts marked;

(ii) Translation into English of a text in one of the official languages of the United Nations other than the language selected for the eliminatory paper (two hours, afternoon of 24 July 2000);

(iii) Summary in English of a speech in French (two hours, morning of 25 July 2000);

(iv) Translation into English of two specialized texts in the other official languages of the United Nations, at least one of which must be in a language other than French, (three hours, afternoon of 25 July 2000). Candidates will be given a choice of economic, legal, scientific, social and technical text in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. If a candidate has not chosen French for either the eliminatory paper or the second general text, one of these specialized papers must be translated from French.

(b) The editing part, will consist of two texts in English for editing, i.e. a general text and a United Nations resolution (three hours, morning of 26 July 2000).

(c) The verbatim reporting part will consist of bringing the transcript of the English interpretation of a speech into line with the original French text of the speech and editing the transcript of a speech delivered in English, (three hours, afternoon of 26 July 2000).

The use of a dictionary or any other reference material will NOT be permitted during the examination. Similarly, candidates may not use personal computers to prepare their papers.

9. On the basis of the results of this examination, the Board of Examiners will invite selected candidates for an interview, which is projected to take place in the course of October or November 2000. Those candidates who have been selected by the Board for the interview will be notified in writing. The fact that a candidate has not received a written response from the Board indicates that the candidate has not been selected by the Board for the interview. The Board will interview each selected candidate to assess personal qualities. Candidates are reminded that the interview is an integral part of the examination. Therefore, candidates who are invited for an interview should NOT assume that they will automatically be offered an appointment.

10. Travel expenses to and from the place of the written examination will not be covered by the United Nations. However, travel expenses for the interview part will be reimbursed by the United Nations.

11. On the basis of the overall results of the examination, the Board will recommend to the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management the names of candidates who qualify for inclusion in the roster. All candidates admitted to the INTERVIEWS will be informed in writing of the Board's final recommendations in respect of their candidature. The Board's recommendations are NOT subject to appeal. The Board DOES NOT release individual scores/results. When a vacancy occurs, successful candidates will be recruited from the roster, subject to the requirements of the services in terms of expertise and language combinations.

12. Successful candidates selected from the roster to fill vacancies are normally offered an initial two-year probationary appointment at the P-2 level. During that period, following on-the-job training if necessary, successful candidates who are recruited should be prepared to use a computer-workstation and to operate a dictaphone. In addition, in order to be confirmed as a verbatim reporter or as an editor, successful candidates would need to have word-processing skills or to acquire them following on-the-job training during the two-year probationary appointment period.

13. The P-2 level comprises 12 steps, each corresponding to an annual increment awarded if performance is satisfactory. The period of probationary service under such an appointment shall normally be two years. In exceptional circumstances, it may be reduced or extended for not more than one additional year. During that period, successful candidates will receive professional training designed flexibly so as to permit their reassignment, if warranted, based on their preferences and demonstrated aptitude for a given language function. In the case of assignments to posts in services away from Headquarters, successful candidates will normally be required to spend the first six months of their trial period in the corresponding service at Headquarters. At the end of the probationary service, the holder of a probationary appointment shall either be granted a permanent appointment or be separated from the service. Fully qualified candidates with several years of internationally recognized professional experience in editing, translation/précis-writing or verbatim reporting may be recruited at the journeyman level (P-3).

14. The base salary is subject to United Nations staff assessment, which operates like an income tax. The whole amount of the assessment is withheld at the source and salaries received are therefore net figures. In the event that a staff member's salary is subject to national income taxation as well as to staff assessment, the United Nations will, within certain limits, refund the amount of such income tax payable in respect of the United Nations salary. Staff members also receive a non-pensionable post adjustment varying with the cost of living at the duty station.

A staff member with no dependants at the P-2 level, step 1, in New York, at present receives $US 16,956.43 net per year as post adjustment. The table below shows the annual salaries, exclusive of post adjustment, for the P-2 and P-3 levels. These figures are subject to periodic review:

Annual Salary In United States dollars	P-2		P-3
	From	To	From	To
Net D	39,251	50,564	47,342	63,440
Net S	36,815	47,155	44,191	58 ,977

D = Applicable to staff members with a dependent spouse or child.

S = Applicable to staff members with no dependent spouse or child.

15. In addition, staff members are entitled to the following benefits:

(a) Dependency benefits: at present $US 1,730.00 per year for each eligible child;

(b) Secondary dependency allowance; $US 619.00 per year for each eligible dependent parent;

(c) Participation in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund;

(d) Rental subsidy, if applicable.

16. Staff members who are assigned to a duty station which is not in their home country are also entitled to:

(a) Education grant up to $US 15,561.00 per scholastic year for each eligible dependent child;

(b) Home leave to their country of nationality every two years, with the travel expenses of the staff member and his or her spouse and eligible dependent children paid by the United Nations. A staff member will not be entitled to the first home leave until he or she has been granted a permanent appointment or an extension of probationary period.

(c) Assignment grant at the time of recruitment and repatriation grant upon separation, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Staff Rules and Regulations;

(d) Removal of household effects, depending on the duty station.

17. Candidates who are not living in Europe should obtain the application form for admission to the examination (personal history form, P.11) from the following address and make sure that the completed application is received at this address no later than 16 June 2000. Applications received after the deadline will NOT be considered.

(2000 Competitive Examination for English Language Editors, Translators/Précis-writers and Verbatim Reporters)
Examinations and Tests Section
Specialist Services Division
Office of Human Resources Management
Room S-2575-E
United Nations Secretariat
New York, N.Y. 10017
U.S.A

Fax: (1-212) 963-3683

19. Candidates living in Europe should obtain the application form for admission to the examination (personal history form, P.11) from the following address and make sure that the completed application is received at this address no later than 16 June 2000. Applications received after the deadline will NOT be considered.

2000 Competitive Examination for English Language Editors,
Translators/Précis-writers and Verbatim Reporters
Staff Development and Learning Section
Villa Le Bocage, 4
United Nations Office at Geneva
8-14, Avenue de la Paix
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

Fax: (41-22) 907-0204

20. Candidates who do not submit a fully completed and signed application form will not have their application reviewed and consequently will be eliminated from the examination process.

Notes

1/ Staff members from subsidiary organs of the United Nations as well as staff members whose service is limited to the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements or special missions are considered outside candidates for the purpose of this examination. Such candidates, if successful, will be offered a new appointment with the United Nations subject to normal United Nations recruitment procedures and standards.

2/ According to the United Nations Staff Rules, candidates bearing a close relationship (father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister) to currently employed United Nations staff members shall not be offered an appointment with the United Nations Secretariat. Consequently, applications from such candidates for this examination will not be considered.

3/ Main language is to be understood as the language in which the candidate is best able to work.

4/ Candidates offering Chinese are required to demonstrate proficiency in two additional official languages, one of which must be French, by translating one specialized text from each of those two languages (paper IV).