The snowy Montreal weather did not discourage widespread participation at the 54th FICSA Council from 5 to 9 February 2001, nor the achievement of broad consensus on nearly all issues, including the Federation's policy towards the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).

Mr. Bernard P. Grandjean (ICAO, Montreal) will continue as FICSA President, in fulfilment of his two-year mandate. The General Secretary, Mr. André J. Heitz (WIPO, Geneva), was re-elected for a two-year term of office.

In addition, Council elected the following Executive Committee officers for one-year terms:

Standing Committee deliberations focused on human resources management, field issues, social security, occupational health and safety, General Service questions, Professional salaries and allowances and legal questions.

Council unanimously adopted resolutions on the Federation's relationship with ICSC, Abuse of contractual arrangements in the UN system, Arrears of contributions and the Emergency Fund.

Highlights

New Members

The Federation was pleased to welcome two new members. Council approved an application for membership with observer status from the Federation of United Nations Staff Associations of Lesotho (FUSA), bringing the total number of FUNSAs affiliated to FICSA to seventeen, and granted membership with consultative status to the UNRWA Area Staff Association of Lebanon.

In consideration of the significant challenges posed by the reform process for strengthening the international civil service, and noting the emphasis placed by the UN Secretary-General on the participation of staff in the reform, Council resolved to resume its participation in ICSC, after a 10-year boycott. Council indicated its expectation that the Federation would be treated as a full partner on all matters relating to personnel/human resources policies and practices, noting the Commission's own guiding principles on the role of staff representatives, as spelled out in the Framework for Human Resources Management (A/55/30), especially that of ensuring "that appropriate mechanisms are established to offer the opportunity for staff representatives to participate in and influence decisions affecting personnel/human resources policies and practices".

Abuse of Contractual Arrangements

Noting that successive short-term contracts are routinely used in UN organizations to avoid granting individuals the rights normally attached to employment contracts, and expressing concern that individuals employed under such arrangements are denied employment benefits such as social security, leave days, continuous health insurance coverage, accrual of pension rights and other entitlements normally accorded to UN system staff, Council condemned the widespread abuse of such contractual arrangements and strongly urged the organizations to stand at the forefront of upholding international labour rights.

Participants reviewed the state of human resources management reform throughout the common system, and the extent to which administrations used the ICSC Framework on Human Resources Management to guide their HRM policies and practices. The importance of involving staff representatives in all aspects of human resources management reform was stressed. Participants agreed that there is a tendency to regard staff as a cost rather than an investment; and instead of investing in staff by providing adequate funds for updating or improving skills, organizations turned to prima facie cheaper solutions, such as short-term contracts, appointments of limited duration (ALDs), contracts with lump-sum formulas or outsourcing. These practices were seen as undermining the common system. Staff associations and unions acknowledged the need for more guidance on HRM and identified a number of initiatives in that regard. One such initiative is repeating the course offered by Cranfield University, with enhanced HRM content. This course on HRM and Partnership for staff representatives, held in Geneva from 4 to 8 December 2000, benefitted from the full support of the administrations and was well-received by participants.

Examples of best practice were identified in the following areas: work/family agenda, maternity leave, staff development and training, outsourcing guidelines, and guidelines on outside activities. It was agreed that the staff associations and unions would press for adoption of best practice in all organizations.

The value of job satisfaction surveys was recognized; participants suggested that all organizations carry out such surveys on an annual basis.

Staff security continues to be a major concern. Participants reported that the implementation of the security guidelines and arrangements varied from one duty station to another, depending on the key official responsible for security. They also informed the Council that the Security Manual was not distributed as required to all staff members. There was consternation that local staff were not covered fully in the security plans, and that not all staff received a security briefing.

Participants recommended that:

• Security training should be provided for all staff at all field duty stations, whether or not the country is in crisis;

• The Security Handbook should be revised to include adequate coverage of all staff, irrespective of their contractual status;

• FUNSAs and Member Associations/Unions should report on the status of the security plan in as many duty stations as possible.

An important problem identified by participants was the fact that local staff recruited under extra-budgetary or project posts and special service agreements were not considered for vacant posts in other agencies. A recommendation was made that all staff employed in the common system should be considered as internal candidates and thereby given priority in selection.

A number of recommendations were made to ensure that duty stations were properly classified for hardship and mobility purposes.

Regarding the relationship between international and local staff, it was recommended that each organization should provide mandatory briefing or orientation on cultural sensitivity and interpersonal relations with local staff to international staff members who are assigned to the field.

Participants made a number of recommendations about salary surveys, the role of and need for strong participation by Local Salary Survey Committees, and the need for training. A total of eight workshops on salary survey methodology were proposed with priority given to Bangladesh, Costa Rica and Jamaica.

FICSA was asked to assess closely the implications of the review of the pay and benefits system for General Service staff.

While the need for training on Professional salary issues was acknowledged, it was difficult for staff to take time off to attend workshops. Participants therefore recommended that FICSA post training material on its website.

FICSA was requested to monitor the review of the pay and benefits system and prepare an assessment of the recommendations of the focus groups.

Participants expressed concern over many aspects of the place-to-place surveys and requested FICSA to raise those issues at the upcoming session of the Advisory Committee on Post Adjustment Questions (ACPAQ).

Participants examined regulations on private legal obligations to identify best practice. One participant raised the example of an excessively high recovery of support payments where the administration decided to deduct 100% of the staff member's salary to defray his debts. The following principles were identified as a framework for the settlement of disputes involving private obligations:

• The provisions of the court order or out-of-court settlement related to the payment of sums due shall be respected unless such payment exceeds one-third of the staff member's monthly salary.

• The recovery of sums due shall not jeopardize the staff member's living.

• The Organization and the staff member shall meet to mutually develop a payment plan; the Organization should be encouraged to assist the staff member to resolve the issue and respect obligations.

• The rights of the ex-spouse and children shall be respected.

• The matter will be treated in strict confidentiality.

Enhancing the participation of FICSA Associates in the work of the Federation was also discussed.

The chronic problem of pension rights of retired colleagues from the Russian Federation was tackled by participants. It was recommended that partial payments should be made from the Pension Board's emergency fund. Council urged the former colleagues to move forward with litigation and requested participants' representatives to continue to press for the ratification and implementation of the 1996 agreement with the Russian Government.

Participants addressed another long-standing problem, that of sharp declines in pensionable remuneration in soft-currency duty stations. Relevant supporting data will be collected and analysed to support initiatives to improve the situation. It was recommended that the final average remuneration (FAR) should be determined by using the best 36 months of the last ten years of service.

Participants recommended that the feasibility of "buy-in" schemes for staff be assessed by local pension committees.

Staff representatives were encouraged to pursue the matter of increasing the mandatory age of separation from 60 to 62 for those who entered service prior to 1 January 1990. It was noted that such a change should not affect the normal age of retirement, i.e. the age at which an unreduced pension benefit can be drawn.

With regard to occupational health, participants recommended that greater attention be paid to ensuring that both the workplace and the working environment are "healthy". This means that the workplace should be health promoting, and that health should be promoted in the workplace.

Participants supported the establishment of a mandatory long-term health insurance scheme, as had been proposed by CCAQ in 1998. They also called for improvements in after-service health insurance schemes, particularly as regards the eligibility requirements for staff separating before the age of 55.

FICSA was urged to promote adoption of a new rule to protect staff who have recovered from a disability and who wish to return to work.

Best practice in the areas of medical evacuation and occasional recuperation break was considered. Participants agreed that local staff should be fully eligible for medical evacuation.

In view of the possible health consequences of depleted uranium in Kosovo, where a number of UN system staff are posted, participants recommended that each organization should maintain a list of staff assigned to areas of potential danger, so that their health status may be tracked to monitor any illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous chemicals or other potentially harmful working environments.