Effat University

College of Humanities & Social Sciences

English & Translation Department

MTSH 5311

Course Instructor: Dr. Obiada Al Momani

Ola Mahmood Hamada

An Overview about Translators Code of Ethics and Professional Practice Adopted by Two

Different International Bodies

G17104750

Spring 2018
Outline

1. Introduction

2. Definitions

2.1 International Organization

2.2 Code of Ethics

3. International Organizations

3.1 United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (UNMICT)

3.2 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

3.2.1 ICAO’s Language and Publications Services

4. Code of Ethics

4.1 Code of Ethics for Interpreters and Translators Employed by the (UNMICT)

4.2 The ICAO Service Code

5. Conclusion

6. References
1. Introduction

All professions have certain principles that should be respected by all employee. Usually, these

principles are referred to as code of ethics or professional practice. These principles should be

thoroughly read and understood because they state the responsibilities, duties, and rights of both

parties; the employer and the employee. Failure to adhere to any of the stated principles will result

in civil, financial and criminal consequences depending on the level and kind of violation.

2. Definitions

2.1 International Organization

The term International Organization IO is widely recognized. It consists of two common words;

international and organization. Separated, each word has its own meaning. However, when

combined they have a completely different meaning. According to Archer (2001), “An

international organization in this context represents a form of institution that refers to a formal

system of rules and objectives, a rationalized administrative instrument and which has a formal

technical and material organization: constitutions, local chapters, physical equipment, machines,

emblems, letterhead stationery, a staff, an administrative hierarchy and so forth” (p.2). There are

different organizations that advocate for certain issues such as peace, human rights, education,

health, women and children, environment, economy and so. Some examples of IO are the United

Nations; known as UN, World Bank WB, World Health Organization; knowns as WHO, World

Trade Organization WTO and many others. Most of these organizations require translation

services to translate the official documents, publications and reports issued. Further, they require

interpreting services for the conferences and meetings that are held. These organization have
adopted certain professional practice and code of ethics for the candidate or applicant for a

translator or interpreter position.

2.2 Code of Ethics

According to Collins Dictionary, the term code of ethics means “an agreement on ethical

standards for a profession or business.” This paper will discuss the code of ethics adopted by two

International Organizations in details as well as highlight the similarities and differences of the

professional practice. For this purpose, code of ethics of United Nations Mechanism for

International Criminal Tribunals (UNMICT) and International Civil Aviation Organization

(ICAO) will be discussed that translators and interpreters must adhere to during their employment

at the organization.

3. International Organizations

3.1 United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (UNMICT)

It is one of the agencies under the United Nations. It was formally known as the International

Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. as listed below the Mechanism strives to reflect best

practices in the field of international criminal justice.

3.2 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

It is one of the UN specialized agencies. This organization was established back in 1944 to

oversee the Convention on International Civil Aviation. ICAO objective is to ensure the

application of the polices enshrined in Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) to

guarantee the safety, security, efficiency, and accountability of the civil aviation sector.

3.2.1 ICAO’s Language and Publications Services

 One of ICAO’s departments is the office of “Language and Publications Services” that is known

as LPS. LPS duties are the translation and interpreting services into the main six working languages

of ICAO. Further, LPS duties include translating and editing the publications and documents of

ICAO, issuance of documents to the council. Additional duties include the sales, reproduction, and

external distribution of ICAO’S publications and journals.

4. Code of Ethics

4.1 Code of Ethics for Interpreters and Translators Employed by the (UNMICT)

The document “Code of Ethics for Interpreters and Translator Employed by the Mechanism for

International Criminal Tribunal” that was published in November 2017 consists of 9 articles and

has the following principles. The preamble of the document states that translators and interpreters

should maintain high standards of professional conduct. Thus, they should be truthful and

independent. Further, they should be objective. Meaning they should be unbiased. Interpreters and

translators should show full respect regarding the confidentiality of the tasks they are assigned to.

It is important for interpreters and translators to understand that adhering to these principles does

not end by quitting or leaving the job. Their commitment to these principles continue after

termination or expiration of the job and they might to be held accountable for any breach or

violation. Therefore, interpreters and translators should be completely aware of their duties and

responsibilities. According to the article 1 of document, the translation department at Mechanism

is known as “The Language Support Services” or LSS. Article 1 states the definitions of translators

and interpreters; a translator is a person employed by the organization in the LSS with a contract,

including short-term contracts or special services and he/she is required to translate the written

document assigned to the LSS. An interpreter is a person employed by the organization and part
of the LSS with a contract to carry out interpreting tasks whether simultaneous or consecutive.

Articles 1 and 2 state that the provisions of this document apply to both interpreters and translator

regardless of the type of employment whether it was full- or part-time. Interpreters and translators

are required to demonstrate these characteristics regardless of the workplace or work mode

whether simultaneous or consecutive. Potential candidates for the LSS should be informed prior

to their employment about these provisions. In addition, translators and interpreters who are

employed at Mechanism shall adhere to the to the rules and regulations for staff members of the

United Nations and all orders issued by the administration. Article 3 states that it is mandatory for

interpreters and translators to act in a polite way and show good manners at all time. Meaning that

they should be courteous and civilized. Interpreters, are required to show a positive behavior when

dealing with judges and personnel in the judicial system such as court officers, lawyers, and

witnesses. Article 4 is about dignity and integrity. It states that it is a must for interpreters and

translators to separate between their professional and personal life. Thus, they should not allow

any personal interest or benefits to affect the way they carry their duties. Meaning, they must avoid

conflict of interest and eliminate any potential source for it because this well affect the validity

and credibility of the task. Moreover, they should refrain from accepting any kind of gift or

exchange of benefits. Furthermore, they should not misuse the authority they have or mistreat the

clients, listeners, or readers. Lastly, interpreters and translators are required to uphold their

independency and integrity always. The following article is about reliability, interpreters and

translators should be reliable. Meaning, they should be punctual, and on time for their

appointments and respect their clients’ time. They should meet the deadlines for the assigned tasks

and strive to maintain consistency in their work. If, for any case they feel that it is not possible to

commit or attend to the assigned task, then they should inform the supervisor in charge so that the
necessary arrangements will be made. Reliability has an additional meaning for interpreters

because they should always prepare in advance for the delegated task and read about it in both

source and target language. Interpreters are obliged to inform the judge in case he/she did not know

the meaning of a word or in doubt about a word. The following articles is about confidentiality.

Confidentiality means maintaining the privacy of the clients and not disclosing it to the public or

media or family members. The general responsibilities listed under it state that it mandatory for

interpreters and translators to exercise extreme caution in all issues related to the information of

work and avoid sharing or discussing the details of their tasks with the public, media, family

members, or friends. For example, they cannot share names, contact details, or anything in general

related to their tasks at Mechanism. They should never disclose any piece of information that they

were trusted with or happen to know about while executing a task. This includes translated

documents, meaning that all translated documents belong to the organization and can never be

released to a third party without the permission of the “Chief” of LSS or direct orders from the

organization. Further, interpreters and translators are not allowed to take advantage of any

confidential information they knew about while doing their job. The persistence of accountability

means that confidentiality continues to be a must even after the end of the contract or in case of

termination of the contract between the translator and the organization. Thus, a translator or an

interpreter can be held accountable for any leak or breach of confidential information even if he/she

are no longer employed at Mechanism. Article 7 is about impartiality. Impartiality means being

objective, fair, and unbiased. Both interpreters and translators are obligated to be neutral while

performing their tasks. They should not let personal preferences, nationality, ethnicity or religion

affect the way they perform their duties. In addition, they cannot offer legal advice or offer to help

suspects or guide them by any manner, direct or indirect way. If the interpreter or translator feels
that he/she is getting personally involved in the task or that there is any kind of personal conflict,

then he/she should inform their supervisor and withdraw from the task. The following article is

about competency. Competency means the ability to perform the task successfully and accurately.

It is related to the qualifications, experience, and task research. Competency in term of

qualifications and experience means that they should not accept the task if they do not have

required skills or the ability to perform it. When they accept a task, then they discover that they

are unable to do it correctly, they should inform their supervisor to delegate the task to a colleague

in the LSS. It is the responsibility of translators and interpreters to check working conditions and

the quality of the interpreting equipment including the headset and microphone as well as the

legibility of the copied papers. Competency in terms of task research means that translators and

particularly interpreters must prepare for a given task by researching and reading previously

written work. lastly, article number 9 that is accuracy. This means that translators and interpreters

shall convey the full and correct meaning as well as be faithful to the source. To ensure accuracy,

interpreters and translators must be extremely faithful and neutral when delivering the message.

Additionally, they shall never omit or drop any part of the message even if they think it is not

important and it will not affect the meaning. Further, if false or untrue words were spoken or

written in the source language, interpreters must express them the way they were said and not

change them or correct them. Moreover, if a mistake happens during performing the task, the

translator or the interpreter should admit it and correct it, and if interpreters are uncertain about

some words or phrases, they should ask for repetition and more explanation. Lastly, interpreters

must strive for clarity, meaning that they must speak clearly and slowly as well as ensure that they

are being heard by the audience.

4.2 The ICAO Service Code

“The ICAO Service Code” or as it is called “Framework of Ethics” contains the guidelines for

professional practice for all ICAO staff. The purpose of this document is to inform all staff

members at ICAO of the ethics they must follow to reach a clear understanding of their duties,

responsibilities and rights. Further, it will help in protecting staff against retaliation. However, The

ICAO Service Code does not indicate if translators are included. Therefore, the communication

team at ICAO were contacted at communications@icao.int and enquired about the validity of this

code for translators. Their answer was “All personnel are required to respect this code of ethics”.

ICAO’s Service Code has 6 main titles; principles and values, ethical aspects in working relations,

misconduct, management and staff relations, protection against retaliation, and organizational

aspects.

The first part of ICAO’s Service Code is principles and values. The articles listed under the

principles and values are integrity, loyalty, independence, impartiality, tolerance and

understanding, non-discrimination, gender equality, accountability, respect for human rights, and

standards of conduct. Integrity and imperiality are explained above. Loyalty, means faithfulness.

Faithfulness towards ICAO’s principles, standards, and the purposes that its serves. Translators

must perform their tasks with the best interests of ICAO. Independence is another essential value

which states that translators should remain independent of any authority other than ICAO. Thus,

they cannot accept instructions and orders from any external source such as governments and

organizations other than ICAO. the following article is tolerance and understanding. These two

values are primary human values; all employees should respect each other equally and should have

mutual understanding. After that, comes non-discrimination; it refers to the right of being treated

equally without any distinction. Non-discrimination includes gender-equality; which means that
all males and females staff members should be treated equally. The following article is

accountability. It means that staff members are completely responsible for the performance of their

tasks and the consequences. Following, respect for human rights is a significant value that is

mandatory under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Finally, standard of conduct; it

means that all the provisions stated in this document should be respected by all staff members

working at ICAO.

The second part of ICAO’s Service Code is ethical aspects in working relations. There are

eleven articles in this part that govern the ethical principles.

1. Personal conduct: Staff members are obliged to act according to their situation as an

“international civil servant” and they should not get involved in any act that conflicts the

way they perform their duties.

2. Mutual respect: All staff members should deal each other with respect and show manners,

as well as they should respect their colleague’s point of view and accept suggestions and

feedback.

3. Conflict of interest: Staff members must avoid any conflict of interest while performing

their duties, so they can gain confidence of the public; as well as they cannot misuse the

privilege and the authority they have for personal benefit.

4. Use and protection of information: All staff members should follow extreme cautions

measures when it comes to information usage and sharing. Thus, they shall never revel any

piece of information or discuss it with individuals outside ICAO.

5. Respect to different customs and culture: All staff members should show extreme respect

and appreciation towards their colleague’s background and cultures. Additionally,

 translators are required to accept the traditions and customs of the country they are assigned

to translate to.

6. Outside employment and activities: staff members are not allowed to get committed to a

second job or occupation, whether if it paid or not, without the approval of the Secretary

General of ICAO.

7. Use or properties and assets: All staff members should use the possessions and properties

of ICAO wisely and properly and make good use of them as well exercise caution while

using the devices or equipment.

8. Gifts, honors and remuneration from outside sources: Staff members are not allowed to

accept any kinds of gifts, honor, giveaway, or favors in exchange to their duties. The only

kind of reward they can receive is the one of “nominal value” such as appreciation cards,

and gratitude letters.

9. Financial disclosure: All staff members are required to submit a report regarding their

financial status at specific periods of the year; the financial report should include the

employee, the spouse, and the dependents. The financial reports should be submitted to the

Officer of the Office of Ethics and they can be accessed by the officer and Secretary

General only; all reports shall be kept confidential and in a secure location.

10. Notification of lobby: All staff members are required to report any attempt of advocacy to

influence a decision or a conclusion and help an organization or group; the attempt should

be documented and reported to the Secretary General or the supervisors, so they can take

the necessary action.

11. Conduct of staff member’s household: Staff members should consider the activities they

get involved in or their family members get involved in and ensure that these activities do
 not contradict or conflict with ICAO’s Service Code or compromise the image of the

Organization.

The third part of ICAO Service Code is management and staff relations. There are 6 articles

under this part to set the guidelines of communication between staff members, management, the

public, and the media. The general relationship at the organization should be professional and

based on mutual respect. Employees in management positions such as supervisors, advisors, and

managers should guarantee a healthy work environment; that is stress free, balanced, safe and fair.

Additionally, leaders should accept suggestions and welcome feedback from their employees.

Staff members are required to follow the directions related to their duties and they get from their

supervisors, they should report to their assigned supervisor, and respect the hierarchy and

organizational structure of ICAO. Moreover, staff members shall never disrespect any Member

State of the Organization or act in any way that undermines a Member State; whether directly or

indirectly. Further, staff members are responsible of the image they reflect about the Organization

to the public. They are required to promote a clear, positive, and faithful image about the

Organization which corresponds with the oath of loyalty. They shall never degrade or discredit

the Organization in public. Finally, staff members are not allowed to address the media or make

announcements without the authorization of the Organization.

The next part of ICAO Service Code is misconduct. Misconduct means the disobedience of

staff members through acts or failure to accomplish their duties. There are four categories for

misconduct; unethical, unlawful, wasteful conduct, and violations of established polices and

standards. Unethical conduct refers to the clear violations of the principles enshrined in this Service

Code. This includes harassments, discrimination, intimidation, abuse of authority, disrespect,

corruption, and breach of confidentiality. Unlawful conduct refers to behaviors against the law
such as bribery, theft, destruction of property, and possession of illegal substance. Wasteful

misconduct refers to the mishandling of the Organization’s resources whether intentionally or not.

Lastly, violations of established polices and standards refers to the failure of meeting the standards

stated in this document; such as failure in addressing the media or failure in submitting a finical

report. Staff members should follow the protocol in reporting a misconduct. Staff should report to

the ethics officer via email so that the officer investigates the incident and decides on the necessary

action to be taken.

The next part of ICAO’s Service Code is protection against retaliation. Retaliation means the

action of seeking revenge from a fellow colleague because he/she has participated or perhaps

reported an incident about the person. It is mandatory for all staff to report any form of misconduct

to the ethics officer and cooperate with the audits and investigators; and staff members should rest

assure that they will be protected against retaliation for reporting a misconduct or cooperating with

the investigators. Civil, financial, and criminal actions can be taken as disciplinary measures

against any staff member who seeks revenge against another ICAO staff member for reporting a

misconduct.

The last part of ICAO’s Service Code is the organizational aspects. This part lists the job titles

and the duties of each position. It includes the duties of the ethics officer, Secretary General,

directors, administrators, internal audits, evaluators, chief, supervisor, director of Legal Affairs,

Service Bureau, Ombudsman, and staff members.

5. Conclusion

There are similarities between ICAO’s and UNMICT code of ethics. Both have the following

principles; integrity, impartiality, confidentiality, reliability or accountability, personal conduct,

independency, and elimination of conflict of interest. The additional principles stated in ICAO
Service Code are there to govern the relationship between staff members working at the

Organization such as respect for human rights and mutual respect. Even though these principles

were not mentioned in UNMICT code of ethics, yet they should be respected by translators

working at ICAO or any staff member. The purpose of creating such documents is to govern the

professional practice in the workplace and set the rules for all staff members at an organization

regardless of their occupation or position.

References

Archer, C. (2001). International Organization. London: Routledge.

Collins Dictionary

The Council. The ICAO Service Code (9th ed., Publication No. Doc 7350/9). (2011).

Accessed April 15,2018, from International Civil Aviation Website:

https://www.icao.int/secretariat/Documents/ICAO_Framework_Ethics.pdf

United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunal. Code of Ethics for Interpreters

and Translators Employed by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunal

(Publication No. MICT/20). (2017, November 02). Accessed April 18, 2018, from United

Nations website: http://www.unmict.org/en/about