The Law of the International Civil Service

Institutional Law and Practice in International Organisations

By (author) Gerhard Ullrich

Book cover: The Law of the International Civil Service

Extent: 555 pages

Publisher: Duncker & Humblot

Subjects: German Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Forthcoming)

(October 2026)

ISBN: 9783428198191

6.18 x 9.17 inches

Price: $174.00

Gerhard Ullrich provides an overall review of the employment law of international intergovernmental organisations. In the first part of the book, he explains the basics of employment law. The core of the book is dedicated to the examination of the legal sources for international civil service law. Here, the general principles of law occupy a particularly broad area. A second legal source are the structures and elements of the statutory employment in international organisations. The author finally comments on the system of legal protection for the staff of the international civil service.


Gerhard Ullrich provides an overall review of the employment law of international intergovernmental organisations. In the first part of the book, he explains the basics of employment law and provides statistical data. He comments extensively on the privileges and immunities of international officials. The core of the book is dedicated to the examination of the legal sources for international civil service law. Here, the international administrative tribunals’ case law on the general principles of law occupies a particularly broad area. A second legal source are the structures and elements of the statutory employment in international organisations. The author finally comments on the system of legal protection for the staff of the international civil service.

Despite the differences in the employment laws across international organisations, in many aspects it is more than justified today to speak of a unity of the law of the international civil service within diversity. This trend continues. With his overall presentation of the law of the international civil service, Gerhard Ullrich makes an important practice-oriented and legal-dogmatic contribution to this increasingly important part of international institutional law.

Introduction
The civil service law of international organisations – unity within diversity — Objectives

Part 1: Basic Elements

Chapter 1: The international organisations
The legal nature of international organisations — The classification of international organisations — Other types of international organisations — The number of public international organisations

Chapter 2: The employment law of the international civil service
Legal basis for the employment law of the international organisations — The four large civil service systems of the international organisations as pars pro toto — The law of the international civil service and national law — The privileges and immunities of the international organisations and international civil servants — The liability for employment derived damages — The criminal responsibility of the officials

Part 2: The sources of international civil service law

Chapter 1: Organisational practice, general legal principles and statutory employment law – basics and survey

Chapter 2: The organisational practice as a source of the international civil service law

Chapter 3: The general legal principles of the international civil service law
Introduction — The application of human (fundamental) rights in the international civil service — Objective legal principles of the international civil service law — The specific general legal principles of the international civil service

Chapter 4: Statutory employment law - The typical structures and elements of employment rules
The legal nature of employment — Recruitment, development and termination of employment — Rights and obligations of staff

Part 3: The system of legal protection for the international civil service – The international administrative tribunals

Chapter 1: General
The obligation to grant legal protection — The legal basis for establishing an international administrative tribunal — The limited jurisdiction of the international administrative tribunals — The international administrative tribunals as genuine judicial organs — The legal status of the international administrative tribunals and their judges — The number of international administrative tribunals — The success rate of complaints — Legal assistance for staff in employment disputes — Conflict of jurisdiction — Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms (arbitration, mediation, ombudsman services, amicable settlement)

Chapter 2: International administrative tribunals and their legal proceedings (formal litigation)
International administrative tribunals — The most important international administrative tribunals — The right to bring an action (locus standi) — Persons taking part in the proceedings — The admissibility of a complaint — Procedural matters — The judgment — Res judicata, stare decisis — Enforcement (execution)

Bibliography

Index

  • By (author) Gerhard Ullrich