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RESPONSIBILITY |
STATUS |
DATE |
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I. |
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE IN THE FIELD |
| 1. |
FICSA to promote, at the common system level, the adoption of best practices/policies on harassment (e.g. ILO policy). Necessary mechanisms to implement these rules should be implemented as a matter of priority. FICSA should encourage its members to ensure that management enforces the policies and reports regularly to Member States and ICSC on this issue |
FICSA |
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2. |
FICSA should encourage its members to educate staff in documenting and reporting incidences of harassment and to consider ways of providing protection to staff who come forward. |
FICSA |
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3. |
FICSA should encourage its membership to consider the use of informal mediation to resolve conflict where it is deemed feasible. |
FICSA |
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4. |
FICSA should request that the Office of Inspector General be more widely established throughout the system, at least in larger organizations. |
FICSA Excom |
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5. |
FICSA should distribute the survey on harassment in the field as a matter of priority and publish its findings in an interim report to its members. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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6. |
FICSA should produce a strategic policy document on conditions of service in the field. |
FICSA Excom
Standing Committee |
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7. |
FICSA should establish a pool of volunteers to translate important documents into French. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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8. |
FICSA should continue to actively encourage the establishment of strong staff representation at field level with the support of the headquarters staff associations/unions. |
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9. |
FICSA should encourage the establishment of FUNSAs at field level. The majority of UN Resident Representatives in fact, encourage this. In addition, FUNSAs are instrumental in:
Addressing issues of common interest;
- Addressing the issue of integration of locally recruited staff in the security plan;
- Addressing the issues of medical insurance for local staff and the medical evacuation of local staff;
- Continuing to pursue the issue of access to medical care for field staff with HIV/AIDS.
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10. |
FICSA should address the following issues with the ICSC and the UNRWA Commissioner-General:
- The ICSC salary survey methodology should be used in the determination of the salaries of locally-recruited UNRWA staff, to ensure that they are compensated on an equal basis with the locally-recruited staff of other UN organizations at the same duty station.
- The 1999 Staff Rules and Regulations and pay policy should be revised to ensure the principle of equal pay for equal work.
- Locally-recruited staff at UNRWA in Gaza and the West Bank should be accorded hazard pay.
- Locally-recruited staff should receive the same amount of DSA as internationally-recruited staff when on duty travel.
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FICSA Excom |
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11. |
If possible, FICSA should continue to provide financial support to selected FUNSAs to attend FICSA Councils. |
FICSA Excom |
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12. |
FICSA should examine the issue of the variety of contracts in use in country offices. |
FICSA Excom |
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13. |
FICSA should provide guidance to field staff associations and FUNSAs regarding their structure and activities. |
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14. |
Safety and security training should be provided to all staff at all duty stations. |
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15. |
Regarding recruitment issues, FICSA should examine the definition of internal candidates in its Standing Committee on Human Resources Management. |
Standing Committee
HRM |
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16. |
FICSA should continue to advocate strongly the issue of the safety and security of all staff. |
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17. |
FICSA should request that the UN Medical Officer attend future meetings of the Working Group on Classification of Duty Stations. |
FICSA Excom |
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18. |
FICSA should stress to its members the importance of thorough completion and submission of the hardship classification questionnaires. |
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19. |
FICSA should review the classification methodology. |
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20. |
FICSA should encourage its members to request the establishment of local arbitration panels to review grievances informally as a first measure. |
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21. |
FICSA should urge the UN to address the issue of the lengthy appeal process. |
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22. |
Field issues should be discussed in plenary at the 56th FICSA Council. |
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23. |
FICSA should review its budget with a view to providing additional means to the Regional Members to carry out their terms of reference. |
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24. |
FICSA should consider establishing annual Regional FICSA Council Meetings to address field issues, distinct from workshops on specific issues. |
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25. |
FICSA should assign field issues first priority in view of the fact that 60-70% of its members are stationed in the field. It was noted by the Committee that attendance was, at best, disappointing and, at worst, dismal. FICSA cannot be perceived as being concerned only with issues related to headquarters duty stations. |
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II. |
GENERAL SERVICE QUESTIONS |
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1. |
FICSA should work to improve communications with administrations concerning the participation of FICSA representatives as advisors to local salary survey committees. |
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2. |
The list of salary survey experts and resource persons should be updated with a clear delineation made between experts and resource persons. A resource person must be an "expert" with excellent proven communication and training skills. One possible criterion would be the results of the evaluation forms filled out by the salary survey workshop participants. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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3. |
FICSA should produce a short, 5 to 10 page, document with guidelines to assist the LSS committees. This would focus on a) pointing out items that have the highest weight in the LSS computation, b) rights and obligations of the UN salary expert and LSS committee, and c) how to challenge or negotiate the outcome of a survey (processed data). |
FICSA Excom
PTC/HQ
PTC/Nonhq |
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4. |
Budget provisions should be made for professional fees for resource persons who would conduct workshops on GS salary survey methodology. |
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5. |
A workshop should be organized to "Train the Trainers". |
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6. |
Workshops approved, for which funds have been allocated, and could not be conducted in 2001 should be carried over to 2002. This would be done without prejudice to two additional workshops in Asia in 2002. Eight workshops had been planned for 2001 but only six were conducted. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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7. |
Additional workshops were requested for Bolivia, Cuba, Paraguay, Trinidad, Moscow, and the two workshops not conducted in 2001. Two workshops are to be offered in the African region, one in English and one in French |
FICSA Secretariat |
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8. |
ICAO should be requested to host another workshop on job classification |
FICSA Secretariat |
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9. |
Member associations/unions to ensure that all staff are kept informed on issues such as classification, entitlements, working hours, salaries, etc. |
FICSA Members |
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Resolution on working conditions of General Service staff |
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The Standing Committee on General Service Questions raised the issue of working conditions of General Service staff:
Takes note that the condition of General Service staff continues to deteriorate, with a direct result on staff morale.
Further takes note that General Service staff experienced more reductions in posts during recent downsizing exercises in various organizations, which resulted in increased responsibilities not reflected in their classified job descriptions;
Desires to promote the harmonious development of the international civil servant, inspired by the greatest impartiality, integrity and devotion to the cause of international co-operation, as stated in the Preamble of FICSA's Statutes.
Requests that the Executive Committee of FICSA, communicate with the Administration of the Members or Associates of the relevant Organizations, when requested or approved by such Members or Associations, to take measures to improve the conditions of work for General Service staff, ensuring fairness and equity in the work place. Such communications should also take place at meetings and other fora, such as ICSC. |
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III. |
PERMANENT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE/HQ |
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1. |
A meeting of the PTC should be scheduled to review the methodology, after the present round of surveys. Ideally there should be two or three meetings a year but this is difficult to arrange due to financial and time constraints. It was suggested that one solution is "virtual meetings" that could be held on the Internet at a prearranged date and time. |
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2. |
FICSA should hire its own consultant to objectively advise and review the current salary survey methodology. |
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3. |
Mr. Varghese Joseph (ITU Staff Union) should continue as Interim Coordinator until the PTC next meeting to be organized during 2002. |
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IV. |
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT |
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Gender issues/Harassment and mobbing |
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1. |
All staff associations/unions were invited to send to the FICSA Secretariat available information on harassment/mobbing policies and standards of conduct developed by their organizations or under preparation for distribution to all the members associations and unions by the FICSA Secretariat. |
FICSA Members |
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Flexibility in the UN workplace |
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2. |
Staff associations and unions were strongly urged to get hold of the ICSC Standards of Classification. |
FICSA Members |
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3. |
The FICSA Secretariat should produce a compendium of the different types of contracts and it was agreed that staff associations and unions would send information on the subject to the FICSA Secretariat. |
FICSA Members
FICSA Secretariat |
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Job classification |
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4. |
The FICSA Secretariat should amend the list of experts to indicate their areas of expertise. Staff associations/unions should send to the FICSA Secretariat all available information. |
FICSA Members
FICSA Secretariat |
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Job satisfaction survey |
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5. |
The FICSA Secretariat should provide the final results of the survey conducted by the SCBD Staff Association to member associations and unions. If similar surveys were carried out elsewhere, staff associations/unions were invited to share information. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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Training opportunities for field staff |
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6. |
It was proposed that the FICSA website be used for the training of staff representatives and that a paper be prepared by the FICSA Secretariat on career development and work/family agenda. |
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7. |
Staff associations/unions were requested to provide information on areas in which training would be useful, as a basis for a list of areas to be recommended by FICSA to the ICSC for further consideration. |
FICSA Members |
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Reduction-in-force |
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8. |
Members to continue keeping the FICSA Secretariat informed on guidelines/practices regarding reduction-in-force. |
FICSA Members |
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V. |
LEGAL QUESTIONS |
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1. |
A small working group was set up to review the status of the Associate Members during the next year. This group is composed of:
- Jean-Pol Matheys (CERN)
- Jos Ohms (IOM)
- Alfredo Garofalo (IMO)
- Richard Kerby (UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS)
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Working group |
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2. |
Legal Insurance: It was agreed that the FICSA secretariat be asked to research and identify 2-3 potential firms. Information would be presented for approval at the next Council. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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3. |
Code of conduct: The newly set-up IT Task Force would be asked to ensure that the website put in place would include this information so that members can populate the site. |
IT Task Force |
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4. |
UNAT: FICSA should monitor the situation and provide input through advocacy action. |
FICSA |
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5. |
UNDP should be closely involved at HLCM level to ensure that the decisions reflect the needs of all parties (and not be focused solely on New York and Geneva as is the current trend). |
UNDP |
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6. |
ILOAT: In this respect, the Standing Committee agreed that FICSA issue a letter to the ILO Staff Union demanding full details of the proposals it was asked to support, without which said support could not be granted. |
FICSA |
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7. |
It was further suggested that the organizations that are served by the ILO Administrative Tribunal pool their ideas about changes to the Tribunal, in particular concerning:
- The benefits of the introduction of a further level of appeal;
- The possibility of the introduction of class appeal.
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Organisations coming under ILO |
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8. |
The Committee further decided that the article in English and French presented in Annex 2 (doc. FICSA/55/LEGAL/CRP.2) should not be given to UN Special for publication. |
FICSA |
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9. |
The issue was raised regarding who could decide whether to support a case or not. The Committee supported the idea that EXCOM should take this decision in close consultation with a panel made of the Chair and the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Legal Questions prior to approving the use of the Legal Defence Fund. |
EXCOM, Chair and Vice-Chair of Legal Standing Committee |
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10. |
It was further noted that the Administrative and Budget documents should reflect more clearly and transparently what each separate fund was used for, possibly by adding explanatory notes. |
FICSA Secretariat, A&B Committee |
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11. |
Examine the reasoning of the ILOAT in the Cuvillier case. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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12. |
The Committee decided to bring to the attention of Council that Members should give their acceptance in writing in order for amendments to the FICSA Statutes, Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules to come into force. |
FICSA Members |
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13. |
It was also suggested that if the amendments again failed to be ratified in such a manner by the Members, Article 41 might be amended to incorporate a deadline for such an acceptance. This could be examined at the next Council. |
FICSA Council 2003 |
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14. |
The Committee amended Article 38 regarding voting rights/sponsoring candidates for members with arrears of 2 years or more (see proposed text under paragraph 29 of the Report of the Standing Committee). |
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15. |
Look into calculation of Members contribution and enforcement of payment. |
A&B Committee |
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16. |
The Committee amended Article 35 introducing new articles for a conflict resolution mechanism. |
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VI. |
PROFESSIONAL SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES |
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1. |
A member of the Standing Committee on Professional Salaries and Allowances should attend the next meeting of the Working Group on the pay and benefits system in Paris, 25 February to 1 March 2002. |
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2. |
FICSA should commission a study of the collected rental data, how it was collected and how it differs from data from other sources. The Standing Committee could not agree on a system-wide study, but staff members from Rome indicated that they themselves might be conducting such a study for Rome. |
FICSA Secretariat
Rome-based
FICSA Members |
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3. |
FICSA should arrange a training course on the post adjustment system; a knowledgeable consultant should prepare training material. Consideration should be given to the initial preparation of course materials on a CD-ROM which could sensitize and introduce the trainees to the material, followed by a "training of trainers" session at one venue conducted by an expert. |
FICSA Excom
FICSA Secretariat |
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4. |
The FICSA Executive Committee should write to the ICSC requesting that the ICSC recommend to the Fifth Committee that Professional salaries be adjusted upwards to the accepted midpoint of 115. The Standing Committee will provide a draft letter. |
FICSA Excom |
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5. |
FICSA should collect or arrange for the collection of information on school costs at both headquarters and principal field duty stations. |
FICSA Secretariat
FICSA Members |
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6. |
FICSA should explore with ICSC possible formulas for liberalizing the definition of dependency status, in particular through a "fair treatment" provision regarding single parents of children aged 21 or more for whom they provide full support. |
FICSA Excom |
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7. |
The Standing Committee felt that its members should be more involved in UN events and reviews of salaries, allowances and conditions of service. They expressed a desire for more information and contact. It was agreed that this view be relayed to the FICSA Secretariat and that a mailing list be set up to enhance communication and participation. The Chairman volunteered to set up such a network through the FAO system. In addition, it was agreed to request the General Secretary to inform the Standing Committee members of the schedule of focus groups, ACPAQ and ICSC sessions with the view that when a meeting is being held in the duty station of one of the organizations or a near by venue, those near by would make every effort to attend and participate. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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VII. |
SOCIAL SECURITY/OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY |
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Pension matters |
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1. |
Review of the recommendations of the Standing Committee of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund:
FICSA should continue to pursue the matter of pensions in the former Soviet Union in an attempt to improve the conditions of these former staff members, in particular those who are in a precarious financial situation. The FICSA Secretariat and the participants' representatives should apply pressure on the Russian authorities through the Pension Board. |
FICSA Excom
FICSA Representative at the UNJSPB |
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2. |
Soft-currency countries
FICSA, through the participants' representatives, should request the Pension Board to study the implications on the Fund if the best 36 months of the last 8 years were considered in the calculation of final average remuneration. |
FICSA Excom |
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3. |
Mandatory age of separation
FICSA should ensure that the proposal to change the mandatory age of separation to 62 be on a voluntary basis. Also there should be no reduction factor if retiring at the age of 60. Early retirement at age 55 must be maintained with no loss in benefit. |
FICSA Excom |
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4. |
HIV/AIDS in the UN Workplace
Medical departments should be instructed to ensure the flow of information to staff members to alleviate fear and apprehension in working with colleagues who are HIV-positive or diagnosed with AIDS. |
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5. |
Long-term care
The FICSA Secretariat should collect and disseminate information to its members and others on the benefits of having a long-term care scheme in place within their organizations. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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6. |
FICSA should address the issue of helping the membership to develop technical expertise and consider providing some form of training to interested staff members. |
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VIII. |
ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY QUESTIONS |
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1. |
It was therefore agreed that, in future, the deposit accounts would be referred to by number. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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2. |
With regard to the long-term liabilities, it was pointed out that the Termination Indemnity Fund included reserves for 'end-of-service repatriation grants' and a footnote to this effect would be included in the audited statement in the future. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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3. |
FICSA should investigate after-service health insurance for its staff, based on the health insurance systems used in Geneva. |
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4. |
FICSA should use the funds from the Rent Guarantee Fund to increase the Terminal Indemnity/Repatriation Grant Fund and also possibly to create a fund for 'after-service health insurance', in accordance with the Financial Rules. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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5. |
FICSA should investigate the possibility of changing banks and negotiating bank charges at a more favourable rate. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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6. |
The Treasurer should ensure that the blocked or partially blocked accounts carry the highest interest rates possible. The line 'Receivables' should be broken down into two items: 'Receivables (members) and 'Other Receivables'. Both items should be explained in detail in a footnote. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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7. |
The practice of paying a supplementary amount of salary to the administrative assistant to compensate for a refusal by the UNOG administration to grant two steps should be terminated forthwith. The General Secretary should determine whether it would be possible, within the Staff Rules of UNOG, to pay the staff member a 'personal transitional allowance' or identify another solution so that the staff member does not incur any salary reduction. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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8. |
The question of writing-off the debts of member associations/unions that would virtually be impossible to collect was discussed. The Treasurer informed the Committee that the accountant (External Auditor) was adamant that these be retained in the accounts. However, an item should be included in the agenda of the Ad hoc Committee at the next Council and a recommendation made to Council that a provision for the writing-off of bad debts (number of years the debt has aged on the FICSA accounts to be considered) be included in the Financial Rules. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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9. |
A questionnaire should be sent to all member associations/unions regarding the methods used for collecting dues and for calculating the amount of those dues in order to provide an overall picture of best practices. The resulting information from this data collection should be disseminated to all FICSA members. |
FICSA Secretariat |
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10.
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FICSA should implement the following solution to the issue of UNESCO dues: (i) that UNESCO withdraw its notice of withdrawal; (ii) that UNESCO be billed for 2002 as normal on the understanding that they would probably only be able to pay 60% of this sum; and (iii) there would be an understanding with UNESCO STU that they would do their best to remedy the current situation.
However, at the 56th Council, if UNESCO is still forced to withdraw due to continuing financial constraints, the remaining 40% of the outstanding dues would be indicated for eventual 'write off'. It is expected that the General Secretary will communicate to the UNESCO STU the decision of Plenary on this item. and further agreed to give UNESCO until 28 February 2002 to inform the Executive Committee of its decision concerning the above proposal. |
Executive Committee |
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11. |
Contributions should be calculated on the basis of contributions that are likely to be received during the course of the year. New Wood and other organizations whose payments are in doubt would henceforth be excluded from the list of contributors. |
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12. |
The Executive Committee should serve notices of withdrawal to both PSI and AHRMIO within the month of February. |
Executive Committee |
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