First-class travel in the United Nations organizations.

  • Author: UN General Assembly (32nd sess. : 1977)
  • Document source:
    UN General Assembly
  • Date:
    21 December 1977
UN General Assembly (32nd sess. : 1977), First-class travel in the United Nations organizations., A/RES/32/198, UN General Assembly, 21 December 1977, https://www.refworld.org/legal/resolution/unga/1977/en/9615 [accessed 20 May 2025]
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32. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE
198. First-class travel in the United Nations organizations

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 1798 (XVII) of 11 December 1962, 2128 (XX) of 21 December 1965 and 2245 (XXI) of 20 December 1966 regarding the system of travel and subsistence allowances to members of organs and subsidiary organs of the United Nations, Recalling further its resolution 3198 (XXVIII) of 18 December 1973 on the standards of accommodation for official travel of United Nations staff, Aware of the desirability for economy in the conduct of operations of the United Nations, Conscious of the considerable cost differential between first-class, economy class and other air fares, Desiring to achieve substantial savings by reducing as far as possible the amount expended on travel by the United Nations,

1. Notes the report on first-class travel in the United Nations organizations submitted by the Joint Inspection Unit[1] and the comments thereon of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination[2] as well as the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;[3]

2. Decides that the principle of seeking the most economical air-fare structures shall be implemented as follows:

(a) The Secretary-General and one representative of each Member State attending regular, special or emergency special sessions of the General Assembly shall be entitled to first-class travel;

(b) Other persons previously entitled to first-class travel under General Assembly resolutions 2245 (XXI) and 3198 (XXVIII) and those chairmen of intergovernmental. committees at present entitled to travel paid by the United Nations shall be entitled to first-class travel only when the duration of a particular flight exceeds nine hours (by the most direct and economical route), including scheduled stops for such purposes as change of planes or refuelling, but excluding travel time to and from airports;

(c) Payment by the United Nations for travel expenses in all other cases shall be limited to the least costly air-fare structure regularly available, or its equivalent, by recognized public carrier via the shortest and most direct route;

3. Authorizes the Secretary-General to exercise his discretion in making exceptions in the most exigent circumstances to allow first-class travel on a case-by-case basis;

4. equests the Secretary-General to report annually to the General Assembly on the implementation of the present resolution, noting all exceptions made under paragraph 3 above, the reasons therefor and the savings achieved through utilization of economy and other air fares.

110th plenary meeting
21 December 1977
[1] See A/32/272. [2] See A/32/Add.1 and Add.1/Corr.1. [3] A/32/384.
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