The Staff Regulations of the ECO Cultural Institute referred to in Article-IX of the Charter of the Institute shall be as follows: – SCOPE AND PURPOSE The Staff Regulations embody the fundamental conditions of service and the basic rights and obligations of the staff of the ECO Cultural Institute.   These regulations will be brought in line with the decisions of the ECO Council of Ministers or the Institute’s Board of Trustees taken from time to time in respect of rights and obligations of the officials and the staff of the Institute. The President of the Institute shall also ensure that administrative orders and instructions are issued as may be necessary to give effect to the principles embodied in these Regulations. These administrative orders and instructions shall be issued by the President of the Institute. DEFINITIONS For the purpose of these Regulations, certain terms used in the Regulations are defined as follows: (a) Institute ECO Cultural Institute. (b) Charter Charter of the ECO Cultural Institute. (c) Member State A State which is a member of the ECO Cultural Institute and contributes to the Budget of the Institute. (d) Council of Ministers The Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization. (e)Board of Trustees Board of Trustees of the ECO Cultural Institute. (f) Council of Permanent Representatives The Council of Permanent Representatives (CPR) of the Economic Cooperation Organization (g) President The President of the ECO Cultural Institute. (h)Officials The officials of the Institute who are nominated by the Member States whose emoluments are a charge against the Institute’s budget. (i) Professional Staff Personnel of the Institute whose emoluments are provided by the Host country and are directly recruited by the Institute. (j)Auxiliary Staff Staff directly recruited to established minor employee positions in the Institute. (k) Temporary Staff Staff either directly recruited or seconded by contributing countries or other international agencies whose services are engaged on a temporary basis by the Institute for special short-term assignment, e.g., experts, specialists, consultants, interpreters, etc. (l) Non-Resident Staff   Non-Iranian staff who are obliged to establish residence in the Islamic Republic of Iran as a consequence of their employment by the Institute. (m) Resident Staff All staff not included in the definition of Non-Resident Staff. CHAPTER – I OBLIGATIONS AND PRIVILEGES Article – 1

• The President and all officials and the staff of the Institute are full time international civil servants of the Institute. Their responsibilities are exclusively international in Officials and the staff of the Institute shall, in the performance of their duties, neither seek nor accept instructions from any Government or any authority other than the President.

• Officials and the staff of the Institute are subject to the general authority of the President and shall be assigned to their duties by him and be responsible to him for their

• While the officials and the staff are not expected to give up their national sentiments or their political and religious convictions, they shall at all times bear in mind the reserve and tact incumbent upon them by reason of their international

• The President may, subject to his overall responsibility, delegate the exercise of his authority in personnel matters to the Executive Director of the

Article – 2   2.1. Officials and the staff shall exercise the utmost discretion in regard to all matters of official business. They shall not communicate to any person any information known to them by reason of their official position which has not previously been made public. Article – 3  

• Officials and the staff of the Institute shall obtain the permission of the President before accepting any favour, gift or monetary reward from any source external to the

• Officials and the staff may exercise the right to vote but shall not engage in any political activity which is inconsistent with or which might reflect upon the independence and impartiality required by their status as international civil

• Officials and the staff of the Institute shall not engage in any activity outside the

• Officials and the staff of the Institute shall conduct themselves as all times in a manner compatible with their status as members of the Institute. They shall avoid any action or activity which may in any way reflect on their position or on the good repute of the

• Officials and the staff of the Institute shall not accept gratuities in cash or in kind or favours of any sort from commercial firms or individuals doing or seeking business with the

• Officials and the staff shall not, except in the normal course of official duties or with the prior approval of the President perform any of the following acts:-

• Issue statements to the Press, Radio or other agencies or public information;

• Accept speaking

• Take part in film, theatre, radio or television productions;

• Submit articles, books or other material for publication.

• In no case may any officials and the staff member accept payment for such activities without the prior approval of the

Article – 4   4-                 Non-citizen and non-resident officials of the Institute at the D grade shall enjoy the same privileges and immunities as are accorded to the diplomatic missions of comparable ranks. The privileges and immunities enjoyed by the official of the Institute (covered by the Host Country Agreement) are accorded for securing the unhindered functioning of the officials during the execution of the duties in relation with the Institute and not of the interest of the individual members of the Institute. These privileges and immunities shall not be used to avoid private obligations or as an excuse for failure to observe local laws and police regulations or to evade the laws and regulations of their own country.   In the event of any incident occurring in which these privileges and immunities might be applicable, the official member of the Institute concerned shall immediately report it to the President who shall with the approval of the member Government to which the official belongs decide whether or not the immunities and privileges shall be waived in that instance. CHAPTER – II   CLASSIFICATION OF POSTS AND GRADING OF STAFF   Article – 5  

• The overall sanctioned officials and the staff strength of the Institute shall be as shown in Annex-I. The officials and the staff strength shall be reviewed from time to time by the Council of Ministers/Board of Trustees.

• With the exception of the President, the officials and the staff of the Institute shall consist of four categories:-

• Category-I :           Directing Staff

• Category-II :           Cultural Expert

• Category-III :           Professional Staff

• Category-IV :           Auxiliary Staff

• Each category of the staff shown in the officials and the staff strength shall be further sub-divided in Grades, in accordance with the duties and responsibilities attached to the The Grades in descending order are as follows:-

• Category-I :           D3, D2, D1

• Category-II :           P3

• Category-III :           P2, P1

• Category-IV :           A3, A2, A1

CHAPTER – III   APPOINTMENT, RECRUITMENT AND PROMOTION Article – 6  

• The President shall be elected and appointed by the Board of Trustees and ECO Council of Ministers in accordance with Article-III of the Charter for a non-renewable term of three years from among cultural dignitaries of the Member States, with following eligibility requirements:

• Must be a national of one of the ECO Member

• Must possess strong substantive managerial skills, wide international cultural background and exposures and preferably full command of English language both written and spoken; and

• Must have a University

• The Board of Trustees shall define the duties and powers of the President in keeping with the provisions of the Charter and shall establish the conditions of his The Board of Trustees/Council of Ministers shall have the authority to terminate the services of the President.

• Appointment to the posts in categories-I (grade D2 and D1) shall be made by the Board of Trustees at the recommendations of the

• The terms of appointment in category-I (grade D2-D1) shall be 4 years extendable for 1 year on the proposal of the President and approval of the Board of Trustees or ECO Council of Ministers, the number of the officials including the President at D grade shall be up to 5 persons.

• The posts in category-I (grade D2 and D1) shall be advertised by the institute through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Member States specifying requisite qualifications and experience of each post as prescribed in Annex-I.

• Recruitment of the staff in categories II and III posts shall be made by the President through a proper selection procedure on the basis of the requisite qualifications and experience for each post as prescribed in Annex-I.

• The terms of appointment to the categories II and III posts shall be 4 years which depending on the overall performance and conduct as well as job requirement can be renewed every 4 years upon contract up to superannuation with approval of the Board of Trustees. However, satisfactory completion of a probationary period of not less than six months and not more than one year, is required for these posts, the number of the posts in categories II and III shall be up to 10 in each

• The President may, in accordance with the relevant rules and subject to approval by Board of Trustees/the council of Permanent Representatives, appoint Temporary Staff for a short-term to carry out specific assignments of highly specialized nature in the event of extreme Only nationals of Member States with requisite qualifications and experience shall be recruited for this purpose. The term of appointment for Temporary Staff shall be specified in their Contracts.

6.8.1   The member states may second staffs to ECO Cultural Institute with the approval of the ECI-CPR for the specified time for ECI projects. These staff shall be paid by their respective governments. (Approved by 18^th CoM, 9 March 2009, Tehran & 4^th BoT, 21 March 2009, Mazarsharif, Afghanistan)

• The President may assign an official or staff member on temporary basis and without compensation to hold charge of a vacant post at the same or higher level within his category in addition to his own post.

• For all appointments, the concurrence of the Government of the national concerned shall be

• The conduct and management of the affairs of the Institute shall vest in an Executive Director (D2) who shall chair the Executive Committee. The Executive Director shall be assisted by cultural experts preferably in different fields from the nationals of the Member States on an equal basis who shall form the Executive Committee and the number of experts may vary according to the needs of the Institute.

6.12          Executive Committee   The Executive Director shall be assisted by cultural experts preferably in different fields from the national of the Member States on an equal basis. The cultural experts shall form the Executive Committee and the number of experts may vary according to the needs of the Institute. (This may also be considered relevant to define the Executive Committee if to be read under the provisions of DEFINITIONS below the captioned part of SCOPE AND PURPOSE under STAFF REGULATIONS). Article – 7  

• The paramount consideration in the appointment of the officials and the staff in all categories shall be the necessity of security the higher standard of efficiency, competence and integrity.

• To the extent compatible with 1 above, every endeavour shall be made to provide for a fair distribution of category-I appointments among the nationals of member countries.

• Considering budget provisions, staff in category-II and III shall be national or resident of the host country to the extent that smooth functioning of the Institute

• Persons closely related by blood or by marriage to a staff member of the Institute shall not normally be selected for

Article – 8  

1. In addition to the provisions contained in the preceding Articles, an appointee to the Institute must meet the following conditions:

• Must be a national of one of the Member States of the Institute.

• Must be at least 21- years of

• Must fulfil the qualification requirements set out in Annex-I of the present

• Must be free of diseases and infirmity that may hinder the exercise of his duties and represent a risk to others.

• In some cases of appointments to Category-III posts at the discretion of the President, a candidate will be required to undergo a medical examination to ensure his physical

Article – 9  

• Members of the Institute shall receive a letter of appointment signed by the President. The letter of appointment shall state:

• that the appointment is subject to the provisions of the ECO Cultural Institute’s Staff Regulations, rules framed thereunder and the Financial Regulations and associated Rules and Procedures and to changes which may be duly made in such regulations and rules from time to time.

• the nature, category and grade of the appointment, the commencing rate of salary, annual increment and the maximum salary attainable and other allowances and benefits admissible;

• the date at which the staff member is required to enter upon his/her duties;

• the period of appointment, the notice required to terminate it and period of probation, if any.

• Staff Members of the Institute, on acceptance of appointment, which document will also bear signatures of either the Executive Director, ECI or the Administrative Officer, ECI below the signatures of the appointee, who shall also make the following oath or declaration:

“I solemnly swear (undertake, affirm, promise) to carry out with loyalty, discretion and conscience the functions entrusted to me as a staff member of the ECO Cultural Institute and to discharge these functions and regulate my conduct with the interest of the Institute utmost in view, and further not to seek or accept instructions in regard to the performance of my duties from any government/organization or other authority external to the Institute”.

• The staff members of the Institute shall affix their signatures on the above declaration before the Executive Director or the concerned administrative officer (either of whom will affix his signatures as witness beneath the signatures of the appointee).

Article – 10    

• The President may make appropriate provisions for the conduct of an annual performance planning and appraisal in respect of all officials and the staff members. The performance planning and appraisal process shall comprise of two components: performance goals setting and assessment of performance relative to the performance

• During the first quarter of each year, every staff member in consultation with his immediate supervisor, shall identify performance goals that directly contribute to or support the achievement of his unit’s goals and

• During the last quarter of each year, the performance of every staff member shall be reviewed and assessed by his immediate supervisor in relation to the performance goals that had previously been agreed upon. The results of the appraisal shall be discussed between he staff and his immediate

• The performance planning and appraisal process shall be geared to give the officials and the staff member the formal occasion to discuss with the supervisor:

1. performance goals;
2. areas of strength on which to build; and

• areas of performance requiring further

• For the review period, the officials and the staff member’s performance shall be rated on one of four categories:

• Excellent – implies rare, consistent, universally recognized and truly outstanding performance results that far exceed, in quality and quantity, the normal results expected of the position and the agreed upon performance goals. The number of officials and the staff to be graded in this category shall not exceed 20% of total staff who shall be eligible for receiving full annual

• Very Good – implies performance that exceeds the requirements of the position and the agreed upon performance goals. The number of officials and the staff to be graded in this category shall not exceed 40% of total staff who shall be eligible for receiving 75% of annual increment.

• Good – implies performance that meets the requirements of the The full responsibilities of the position and the agreed performance goals have been carried out in a satisfactory manner. The number of staff to be graded in this category shall not exceed 40% of the total staff who shall be eligible for receiving 50% of annual increment. (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

• Unsatisfactory – implies performance that does not substantially meet the significant requirements of the position and the agreed performance goals, either because of lack of ability, poor work attitude or some other serious problems including misconduct and doubtful integrity. The staff to be graded in this category shall not be eligible for annual increment. (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

• The process shall involve the use of an individual Performance Planning and Appraisal Form to be accomplished by the officials and the staff member’s immediate supervisor submitted to the President of the Institute for final review and

• An official or a staff member who receives a rating of at least “Good” (2) for two consecutive rating periods shall be eligible for a renewal of contract for the same post, subject to the limit of allowable maximum tenure at the same level.

• A staff member who receives a rating of “Unsatisfactory” for two consecutive rating periods shall be subject to separation from the service, in accordance with Chapter-V of the present

CHAPTER – IV SALARIES, ALLOWANCES, INCREMENTS AND OTHER BENEFITS Article – 11  

• The emoluments to the Official members shall be paid in accordance with the scales of salaries and allowances approved by the Board of Trustees/Council of Ministers as shown in Annex-II of the present Regulations. These scales shall be reviewed from time to time by the Board of Trustees/Council of Ministers at the recommendation of the President and approved by the Board of Trustees/Council of Ministers.

• All personnel of the institute shall be entitled, on their appointment, to the initial step in the salary scale of the Grade to which they are appointed.

• Any personnel of the institute may be appointed at a higher salary within his salary scale, if so justified by this qualification and experience but it should not exceed two advance increments in the same Grade. In addition, some staff members in the Category of Professional Staff may be given proficiency allowance equal to two advance increments, if they qualify a proficiency test undertaken by the

• Any personnel of the institute shall not be entitled to the salary of the period in which he does not work unless otherwise stipulated in the present Regulations.

• When a personnel of the institute is promoted, he shall receive an increase in his salary as much as the step increment next higher in the Grade out of which he is being promoted or at the nearest step increment if the personnel of the institute member is at the highest step of the Grade.

• If a staff member is suspended from duty, pending investigation by the competent authority, he shall receive half salary and other allowances during

the period of suspension. If he is acquitted, his remaining entitlement for the period of suspension shall be disbursed to him. However, if he is punished in a manner other than dismissal, the President shall decide the amount to be disbursed to the staff member out of the remaining part of the entitlement. Article – 12 Annual Increments

• The Grades referred to Article-5.3 shall have the following number of annual increments: –

• Category-I Grades: 3 or 4 increments the terms of their

• Category-II Grades: 10

• Category-III Grades: 10

• Subject to satisfactory performance, any personnel shall be entitled to an annual salary increment upon completion of one year service in his Grade of appointment in accordance with the approved salary scales shown in Annex-II of the present

Article – 13     Allowances     Children Allowance  

• The President and the other personnel having children shall receive a monthly allowance of US$60/- for the first child and US$30/- for every other child upto a maximum of three children less than 21 years of

Conveyance Allowance  

• The President shall be provided with a chauffeur-driven official car. All other officials shall be entitled to a monthly conveyance allowance at fixed rates as shown in Annex-III of the present

Housing Allowance  

• The President shall be provided free-furnished accommodation, befitting the status of an Ambassador within the prescribed budgetary ceiling. A monthly house allowance shall be admissible to the officials in accordance with the approved rates as shown in Annex-II of the present

Article – 14   Special Bonus and Honorarium  

• The President may grant special bonus once a year to deserving staff members in Category-III not more than one month salary on the occasion of their national/religious

• The President may also grant special honorarium upto one month salary or an exceptional scale increase to any staff member in Category-II and III in recognition of extraordinary services rendered including research work relevant to the Institute’s activities and special contribution to the working of the

• The grant of special bonus or special honorarium shall be subject to availability of funds through appropriate allocation in the budget which shall not exceed 5% of the total allocation under the Chapter “Salaries”.

Article – 15   Overtime  

• If the exigencies of the work demand it, the officials and the staff members shall be required to work beyond the normal working hours or on holidays as prescribed by administrative

• There shall be no provision of overtime. In exceptional cases, however, the President may make provision for compensatory leave in lieu of overtime. Only Category-III staff shall receive overtime payment. This payment shall be made at rates to be determined by the President with the approval of the Board of Trustees or the Council of Permanent

Article – 16

1. Entitlement to salary, allowances and other benefits shall end on the date of termination of an

Article – 17   Installation/Transfer Grant  

1. Installation/transfer grant shall be paid to the non-citizen, non-resident President and official members equivalent to one month’s basic salary in case of married persons and half month’s basic salary in case of unmarried persons at the time of commencement and termination of tenure/service to meet the cost of transfer of (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

• The Staffs may, with the approval of the president, receive an advance payment at the commencement of tenure/services in case of the availability of fund, which shall not be more than 2 months of their salaries. It must be reimbursed in 4 months effective from the first salary received. (Approved by 18^th CoM, 9 March 2009, Tehran & 4^th BoT, 21 March 2009, Mazarsharif, Afghanistan)

• The President may pay up to 2 months of the monthly emoluments of the newly installed staff for her/his installation expenses, in advance. This advance payment would be deducted from her/his first four salaries. (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

CHAPTER – V     SEPARATION FROM THE INSTITUTE   Article – 18      

1. Separation from the Institute may take any of the following forms:

• Abolition of the post by a decision of the Board of Trustees/Council of

• Certified physical

• Resignation – separation initiated by staff member

• Termination/completion of the service

• Retirement at the age of 60 for men and 55 for

• Dismissal – disciplinary separation required by the President in accordance with Article-20.

Article – 19    

1. In the case of all staff members, conditions governing separation from the Institute shall be specified in the letter of appointment and the following provisions would normally apply:-

• Staff wishing to resign shall give thirty days notice to the

• The President shall have discretion to dispense with the services of staff, on giving thirty days notice, for the following reasons:

• Owing to a general staff reduction or abolition of the post;

• If the services of the individual concerned prove unsatisfactory;

• If for reasons of health, the individual concerned is unable to render efficient service to the Institute;

• Upon attaining the age of 60, the President may, however, re-employ on yearly basis a retired member of staff for a further period which shall not exceed five

• If there shall be some other compelling reason which, in the opinion of the President, requires the prompt removal of a staff member from his duties, the President shall have discretion to suspend the individual concerned forthwith, with a view to possible

Article – 20   Disciplinary Measures  

• The President may take appropriate disciplinary action in respect of an official/staff member for misconduct or

• Disciplinary measures may comprise:

• Oral warning,
• Written Censure,
• Suspension from duties,

• The President may take appropriate action in respect of the

• After suspension from duties which shall not exceed three months or before dismissal on disciplinary grounds, the concerned official/staff member shall be given a written statement by the President of the charge against him and a reasonable opportunity to answer the charges in This procedure may be dispensed with in cases involving suspension and dismissal on security grounds in which event the President will immediately consult the representative on the Council of Permanent Representatives of the country concerned.

20.5 Before or after disciplinary action in respect of a member of the staff, the President may refer the case for advice, to an impartial panel to be composed of three senior members of the Institute, not involved in the case. Article – 21   Provident Fund    

• A staff savings scheme shall be provided for all official/staff members including the President in the form of Provident Fund contributed by the Institute and the official/staff member @ 2.5% and 5% respectively of the salary of the participating official/staff member. The total amount of the joint contributions plus the interest accruing thereon shall be paid to the official/staff members at the time of the termination of their tenure/service.

• In case of termination of services of an official/staff member by the decision of the President for inefficiency or disciplinary reasons, 50% of the amount contributed by the Institute with proportionate interest accruing thereon shall be

• A staff member may, with the approval of the President, borrow from the amount accumulated in his provident Fund provided that:

• the amount requested as loan does not exceed 75% of the total amount accumulated in the Termination Benefit Fund of the official/staff member concerned,

• re-payment of the loan should be made in 12 equal instalments effective from the first salary received after receiving the loan,

• such loan should not be granted for more than once in each Fiscal

Article – 22  

1. Should the Government of a Member State request the withdrawal of one of its nationals on the grounds of national security or for any other reason, the President shall arrange for the release of the individual concerned, complying as far as possible with the wishes expressed by the concerned Government in respect of the timing of such release.

Article – 23 End of Service Gratuity and Social Security/Pension Insurance Scheme  

• At the time of the termination of the tenure/service, staff members with a minimum of

2 years period of their tenure in the Institute shall be paid as “End of Service Gratuity” an amount equivalent to 15 days last salary and allowances (excluding housing allowance) for every completed year of satisfactory service subject to a maximum of 20 years. Fractions of year may be calculated proportionally. This will be applicable to all, from the President to the lowest level of staff. No end of service gratuity shall be paid in case of termination of service of a staff member on disciplinary grounds. (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

• The staff members in Category-I shall subscribe to Pension and Group Insurance Schemes on their own or through their respective

• All resident staff members in Category-II and III shall be covered by an appropriate Social Security or Pension Scheme of the host Government guaranteeing their health care and retirement benefits applicable to Iranian The contribution towards the Social Security Insurance Scheme shall be paid by the Institute on behalf of the staff members under relevant scheme.
• Staff members shall be entitled to compensation in the event of death, serious injury or illness attributable to their performance of official duties on behalf of the ECO Cultural Institute (ECI), in accordance with the modalities which will be adopted by the ECI – (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

CHAPTER – VI     Article –24   TRAVEL    

• The President, Officials and Staff of the Institute shall travel on official business within the ECO region by sanction and discretion of the President. Approval of the Board of Trustees or Council of Permanent Representatives shall be required in case of travel outside the ECO region, unless covered under the approved programmes of

• Staff of the Institute and other officials authorized to travel on duty on behalf of the Institute under an approved travel order, shall be entitled to the reimbursement of their

travelling expenses. The President shall be entitled to travel in the first class and all other members of the Institute in the economy class.

• The Staff of the Institute and other officials authorized to travel on duty on behalf of the Institute under an approved travel order, shall be entitled to a Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), in accordance with the scales approved by the Board of Trustees, as shown in Annex III. If lodging is provided by the host Government or ECI, 50 percent of the Daily Subsistence Allowance shall be admissible. If the lodging is not provided, the President, Officials and Staff will be paid the actual accommodation charges of single-room accommodation not exceeding the amount of the Daily Subsistence Allowance admissible upon presentation of hotel invoice plus 50% of the respective DSA. (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

• The Institute shall cover the expenses of boarding and lodging of its officials and staffs on the official duty within and outside of the region if local hospitality is not extended by host If lodging is provided by the host government or organization, 50 percent of the Daily Subsistence Allowance shall be admissible. If the lodging is not provided, the actual accommodation charges not exceeding the amount of full Daily Subsistence Allowance shall be admissible upon presentation of Hotel invoice plus %50 of the respective DSA. (Approved by 18^th CoM, 9 March 2009, Tehran & 4^th BoT, 21 March 2009, Mazarsharif, Afghanistan)

Article – 25 Home Leave Passage

1. The cost of return home leave passage in accordance with the entitlement vide Article

24.2. shall be paid to the non-resident President and official/staff members, their spouses and upto a maximum of three dependent children upto the age of 21 years, once every two years. Article –26  

1. The  cost   of   travel   expenses   in   accordance   with   the   entitlement   vide Article 24.2 shall be paid to non-resident President and official/staff members, their spouses and upto a maximum of three dependent children upto the age of 21 years, on appointment and termination of service in the

CHAPTER – VII OFFICIAL WORKING HOURS, HOLIDAYS AND LEAVE Article – 27

1. Normal official working hours of the Institute shall be 40 hours a week and the Institute shall follow the official holidays of the country hosting its

Article – 28 Leave  Annual Leave

• The official/staff of the Institute shall accrue annual leave at the rate of two and one half working days per month of employment. Annual leave is earned for all periods of service except leave without pay in excess of two weeks per year. Depending upon the exigencies of services, the President shall determine the timing of annual leave to be availed by each member of the institute. Only a maximum of 15 days annual leave shall be carried over into subsequent years, and the accumulated leave which may be utilized at any one time shall not exceed 45 (forty five)

• In case where owing to exigencies of service an official/staff member cannot avail annual leave, the encashment thereof on the basis of the basic salary upto a maximum limit of 45 days shall be allowed at the time of termination of tenure/services or

Home Leave

• Non-resident staff of the Institute shall be entitled to utilize their annual leave as home leave after completing each two years of service. The cost of passage of non-resident employees and their dependents would be paid in the form of non-refundable and non-reroutable tickets directly purchased by the Institute.

Leave Without Pay

• Periods of leave without pay aggregating more than two weeks per year will not stand as a credit towards agreed tour of duty, nor towards the year of service for salary increment purposes or termination gratuities, nor will other leave accrue during each Such leave will only be granted under exceptional circumstances for one month for every year of service subject to a maximum of 12 months during the period of service.

Absence for Health Reasons and Sick Leave

• Personnel of the Institute shall be entitled, on production of a medical certificate, to sick leave without full pay and allowances for a maximum period of twenty one days in any one calendar year. This can be extended by another 21 days at half pay. Only in case of serious illness, the President may consider extending the period of leave on half

• Continuous absence due to sickness or accident, extending over more than three months, may be regarded by the President as grounds for termination of service.

• Frequent recurrence of short periods of illness may be regarded by the President as ground for termination of service. In such cases, the President may also require the members of the staff concerned to undergo further medical

• Maternity leave up to eight weeks (not to be charged against sick or annual leave) shall be granted to female members of the Institute on production of an appropriate medical

CHAPTER – VIII MEDICAL CARE/HEALTH INSURANCE Article –29

• Staff members of the Institute including the President and their immediate dependents as mentioned in Para 29.3 below, except resident staff in Category-III who shall be covered under an appropriate social security scheme vide Article 23.3, are entitled to medical and dental treatment at the ECO Cultural Institute’s (ECI) expense vide modalities proposed by the President and adopted by the ECI-Council of Permanent Representatives, within the following limits: (Articles 29.1.1 to 29.1.4 of the ECO Cultural Institute (ECI) Staff Regulations). (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

• Consultation with a medical practioner and the supply of drugs, medicines, therapeutic and pharmaceutical substances and appliances necessary for the treatment of diseases and ailments.

• Hospital treatment operations and specialized examinations and services at institutions approved by the Institute or specified by a medical practioner, provided that the medical practioner certifies that such treatment operations and specialized examinations and services are

• Dental services for the treatment of diseases of the gums and teeth and teeth replacement excluding the use of gold and other precious

• Maternity

Medical Care for Cosmetic Treatments

• Expenses for cosmetic surgeries and treatments such as plastic surgery, teeth implantation, teeth orthodontics, skin beauty creams and relevant medicines, are not covered under this scheme. (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

• The cost of appliances mentioned in paragraph 1.1. above, except in urgent cases of medical necessity, will be met by the Institute only if the official member has obtained the Institute’s approval prior to purchase.

• For the purpose of this medical scheme, immediate dependents must be resident in Tehran with the staff members, and include wife and three children up to the age of 21 years. Age limitation in this Para shall not apply to disabled children. (Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010)

• Non-resident member will normally pay their own medical expenses in the first instance and then submit a claim on the prescribed form supported by receipt bills (which will be retained by the Institute and the appropriate prescriptions certified by the medical or dental practitioner.

• Only in the following special circumstances the refunds will be made by the Institute on production of medical certificate for treatment undertaken without the recommendation of a practitioner nominated by the Institute.

• When the official/staff member falls ill while on duty outside

• When the official staff member or his dependants are on home leave/

• Leave within the Region and need immediate medical

• Non-resident members and their dependants could receive medical treatment abroad provided that three medical practitioners nominated by the President examine him and certify that adequate facilities for treatment of his disease or ailment is not available in the ECO Member countries. In such cases, only the actual expenses of medical treatment shall be paid by the Institute.

• In all cases of medical and dental treatment mentioned in this Chapter, the Institute shall pay 80% of the medical expenses and 50% of the dental expenses. Cost of treatment in respect of diseases or ailments known or subsequently proved to have existed before an official/staff member joins the Institute will not normally be met under this Exceptional cases may be permitted, however, where such treatment is of a temporary nature.

CHAPTER – IX   ENTRY INTO FORCE, IMPLEMENTATION AND AMENDMENTS   Article – 30  

1. The present Regulations, once approved, shall come into force with immediate

Article – 31  

1. Amendment to these Regulations and its Annexes, proposed either by a Member State or by the President shall require the approval of the Council of Ministers or the Board of

Annex-I   Staff Strength of the ECO Cultural Institute  President

1. The Remaining posts are classified into categories and grades as follows:

CATEGOR Y	TITLE  OF POST	NO. OF POST	GRADE	QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT	EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT
I	Executive Director/ Director	2	D2	–   Minimum M.S.s Degree preferably in Social Science/Administration –   Strong Command of English Language	15 Years experience with government and regional international organization or private sectors.
I	Asstt Director/ Cultural Expert	2	D1	– Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science/or other relevant fields Strong command of English Language	10 Years experience with government/non governmental organization.
II **	Cultural Expert	1	P3	– Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science/or other relevant fields Strong command of English Language	10 Years experience with government/non governmental organization
II	Public Relation/ protocol Assistant	1	P2	–   Relevant Bachelor’s Degree –   Good command of English Language	5 Years relevant experience
II	Russian Translator	1	P2	– Relevant Degree/Diploma	5 Years relevant experience
II	Translator Librarian Persian Translator	2	P2	–   Relevant Degree/Diploma –   Good Command of English Language	5 Years relevant experience
II	Accounts/ Administrative Officer	2	P2	–   Relevant Degree/Diploma –   Good command of English Language	5 Years relevant experience
II	Computer/ Telex Operator	1	P1	Relevant Degree/Diploma/Good command of English	5 Years relevant experience
II	Steno-Secretary	2	P1	High School Diploma/good command of English Language, minimum typing speed of 50 word per minute and shorthand speed 100 word per minute and knowledge of computer	5 Years relevant experience
II	Receptionist/ telephone operator	1	P1	H High-school Diploma/good command of English Language	5 Years relevant experience
III	Driver	3	A3	Secondary School	Relevant ability
III	Messenger	1	A2	Secondary School	5 Years relevant experience
III	Office boy/Guard/technician	6	A1	…..	5 Years relevant experience

Total 24 Staff                                       *Grades are in descending order of seniority. Category I                             D3, D2,D1 Category II               P3,P2,P1 Category III             A3,A2,A1 Staff in categories II and III shall be national or resident of the host country as far as possible (600-14E) ** Approved by 2^nd ECI- CPR, 11 January 2010. 10 Annex-II Salary Scale 5 ECO Cultural Institute    

1. The Salary Scale* of the President and the staff of ECO Cultural Institute for various grade shall be as follows:

S.No	Category	Grade	Salary Scale US$	Conveyance Allowance US$	House Allowance US$	Total US$
1.	President	D3	4147-90-4237	Article 13.2 of Staff Regulations provides for a chauffeur driven car in lieu of conveyance allowance	2255	6402
2.	Executive Director	D2	3267-60-3327	440	1815	5522
3.	Asstt. Director	D1	2387-60-2447	330	1540	4257
4.	Cultural Expert	P3	2013-50-2063	198	1100	3311
5.	Professional Staff	P2	1452-50-1502	198	1045	2695
6.	Professional Staff	P1	1166-50-1216	198	990	2354
7.	Auxilary Staff	A3	440-40-480	90	495	1025
8.	Auxiliary Staff	A2	418-40-458	90	495	1003
9.	Auxiliary Staff	A1	352-40-392	90	495	937

*This new Salary Scale has been adopted by ECI-Board of Trustees at its sixth session, held in Khujand, Republic of Tajikistan, on 22 March 2015.

1. The Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rates shall be as follows:

15 REGION	D3	D1-D2	19BP3-P2-P1	20BA3-A2-A1
Within ECO Region	160	140	120	80
OutsideECO Region	250	200	200	100