Consultation

The second area of action of the Ethics Officer is the advisory function. The Ethics Officer will counsel, on request, the administration and colleagues on questions of ethics and those governing outside activities. The consultation is not intended to replace existing procedures, in particular as far as outside activities are concerned, but merely to provide interested officials with guidance before they initiate the proper procedure, where appropriate.

This is a 360 degrees advisory function, since it embraces both the administration and the officials, whose interests are not necessarily the same. The Ethics Officer decided, in agreement with the Legal Adviser, that once he has been seized by an official to give advice, he will not deal with the same matter should it be submitted to the Office of the Legal Adviser.