IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, FICSA...

1. FICSA held its annual Council in Montreal from 5 to 9 February. A recount has been given in FICSA Update No. 6/2001.

   ...Visited India, Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand

2. Dr. Ali Basaran, Executive Committee member for Asia, visited four duty stations - New Delhi, Kathmandu, Islamabad and Bangkok - from 10 to 22 January 2001. The main purpose of his visits was to introduce FICSA to the staff in those duty stations and, where relevant, to advise them on how to organise themselves in order to promote and defend their rights and interests.

   ...Organized a Workshop on General Service Salary Surveys Methodology in New Delhi

3. FICSA organized a workshop on the General Service salary survey methodology for non-headquarter duty stations at the World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia, New Delhi, India, from 8 to 13 January 2001. Mr. R.L. Rai, FICSA Expert/Resource Person, conducted the workshop.

4. Twenty-five participants, representing both the staff and the administrations, from seven organizations (FAO, ILO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR and WHO) from 15 countries, (Armenia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Thailand) took part in the workshop.

5. The workshop was at no cost to FICSA, the facilities having been provided by WHO/SEARO on a complimentary basis and Mr. R.L. Rai having offered his expertise. We wish to acknowledge, with deep appreciation, their generosity.

   ...Welcomed a New Consultative Member and three New FUNSAs

6. Following a postal vote, FICSA admitted to its membership, with observer status, the Federation of United Nations Staff Associations in Madagascar and the Local Federation of United Nations Staff in Morocco. At the Council, the FICSA members voted the admission of the Federation of United Nations Staff Associations of Lesotho (FUSA). This brought the number of FUNSAs associated with FICSA to 17.

7. At the Council, the FICSA members voted the admission of the Area Staff Association of UNRWA/Lebanon as a consultative member. This brought the number of consultative members to 25.

   ...Met with the New Secretary of the Pension Board and CEO of the Pension Fund

8. On 22 February, the FICSA General Secretary met with Mr. Bernard Cochemé, the new Secretary of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (UNJSPB) and Chief Executive Officer of the Pension Fund, on the occasion of the latter's visit to Geneva.

   ...Assisted Staff in Nigeria

9. The Offices of the United Nations organizations in Nigeria are due to move from Lagos to Abuja. FICSA provided information on relocation packages offered by organizations which had faced a similar situation in the past.

   ...Assisted Staff in IFAD

10. FICSA provided liaison and specific information and advice to the IFAD Staff Association with regard to separation packages.

    ...Received Support for its Positions on the Reform of the Administration of Justice in the United Nations

11. FICSA received the following communication from Mr. Peter Van Laere, Assistant Director and Chief of the Division for Human Resources Management of UNOPS: "We have conducted a careful comparison of the recommendations and comments laid out by the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU/REP/2000/1), the Secretary-General (A/55/57/Add.1), and FICSA (Issue Paper 9/2000). We would like to inform you that we are in significant agreement with many of FICSAs comments."

    ...Participated in a Meeting of CCISUA

12. From 11 to 13 January, the General Secretary and the, then, Executive Committee member for Europe participated in a meeting which, had there been no crisis within CCISUA, would have been the annual CCISUA Assembly.

    And...

13. FICSA monitored developments and intervened with regard to:
    • staff detained in Rwanda;

    • problems encountered by some staff in the Dominican Republic who had worked for a UNDP project;

    • problems that arose in staff/management relations in Lesotho;

    • depleted uranium in Kosovo;

    • the adjustment of a deferred pension;

    • the definition of the lead agency for a General Service salary survey to be conducted in Madrid;

    • the rights of former collaborators of WHO/EMRO in Somalia who had worked on the basis of a "Contract for the performance of local services in Mogadishu on a when actually employed basis."