29 October 2001

FICSA Update No. 54 2001

    FICSA President Addresses a Receptive ACC

  • On 19 October 2001, FICSA President Bernard P. Grandjean addressed the Executive Heads of the United Nations common system organizations assembled in New York for the autumn session of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination (ACC).

  • In a written submission provided in advance of the session, FICSA referred to:
    its annual advocacy campaign with Member States;
    the state of the consultative process in the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and the High Level Committee on Management (HLCM);
    the need for support for the Federation;
    special concerns (see Annex).

  • In his oral presentation, the FICSA President congratulated the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, and the staff of the United Nations on receiving the 2001 Peace Nobel Prize and commented on the need for more support to the Federation.

  • The Chairman of ICSC, Mr. Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor, and the President of CCISUA, Ms. Marlène Sequeira, also made statements.

  • Echoing FICSA, Mr. Kofi Annan opened the floor for discussion by underlining the need for a review of the composition, mandate and functioning of ICSC.

  • The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Louise Fréchette, referred to the recent proposals for the strengthening of the security arrangements. She also stated that she was supportive of the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work and that the HIV/AIDS policies should be harmonized and applied consistently within the United Nations system.

  • Referring to one of the Issue Papers prepared by FICSA for its advocacy campaign with member States, Mr. Joseph Connor (Under-Secretary-General, Department of Management, United Nations), stated that he supported a useful agenda for dialogue.

  • Ms. Carol Bellamy (UNICEF) spoke on the question of the review of the composition, mandate and functioning of ICSC.

  • Mr. Juan Somavía (ILO) urged all participants to address the issues raised, in effect, by FICSA. He referred, in particular, to ILO Conventions 98 (Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949) and 151 (Labour Relations (Public Services) Convention, 1978). He highlighted that it was essential to ensure fairness and suggested that the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work should be applied in all organizations, thus also echoing a request from FICSA.

  • Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei (IAEA) congratulated the Chairman of ICSC on the work done on the pay and benefits system and asked him whether member States had been made aware of the cost of any new system. Referring to FICSA’s Issue Papers, he emphasized that there was a need to identify best practices and extend them to all organizations.

  • Mr. Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (ICSC) replied to Mr. ElBaradei that there was no problem with the group of major contributors (Geneva Group), but that the Group of 77 was split. It would be difficult to make any proposal without costing.

  • The FICSA President finally took the floor to comment on the various points made. In particular, he stated that FICSA had not been invited to the Staff Management Coordination Committee, a joint body of the United Nations, and that this was absurd insofar as some of the items discussed in SMCC were of direct concern to FICSA members.

  • In short, a fairly extensive exchange of views, given the heavy agenda of ACC, which we would like to see reproduced and amplified in HLCM.

    ANNEX

    Extract from FICSA’s Written Submission to ACC

      [...]

      Delegation of Authority, Accountability, Freedom of Association, Fair Treatment of Staff
    1. FICSA wishes to draw the attention of the members of ACC to the increasing number of incidents that are reported to us and result from insufficient checks and balances to the authority that is delegated to high officials in country offices and decentralized units. Here are some examples:

      • Some senior officials try to bend the methodology for the determination of General Service salaries in field duty stations in order to achieve savings, at the expense of the local staff, in the face of UNDP’s financial situation.

      • Some senior officials are using the "reprofiling" exercise within UNDP to eliminate opinionated staff members and, particularly staff representatives.

      • Some senior officials are interfering, sometimes in a grossly abusive manner, in the representation of the staff. We have, in particular, received alarming reports from Nigeria. The situation in the United Nations Staff College is also a source of serious concern.

      • Following the Rana judgement of the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization (No. 2030), the local staff - and FICSA - have requested that the ruling be applied - as per established practice and in accordance with the principle of equal treatment - to all staff members and former staff members in a similar situation. There has been no response.

      • Two and a half months before the United Nations Staff College is fully severed from the International Training Center of the ILO, the staff still does not know what their terms and conditions of service will be. The Office of Internal Oversight Services has made a request for an investigation. There has been no reply.

    2. At the same time, FICSA wishes to praise the majority of the senior officials who are faithful to their oath of office and mindful of their duty of care.

    3. The Federation requests the Executive Heads to take remedial action, as required.

      HIV/AIDS
    4. FICSA wishes to express its satisfaction

      • To the Executive Heads of UNDP, UNICEF, UNOPS and the World Bank for the policy statements which they have issued to flag to all staff, in a concise way, their commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS;

      • To Ms. Carol Bellamy for the leading role taken by UNICEF in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

    5. At the same time, FICSA must express its concern at the slow progress, despite the personal commitment of the individuals involved, of the matter at the common system level.

    6. The Federation requests

      1. The Executive Heads who have not yet done so to issue policy statements similar to those referred to above;

      2. The Executive Heads to take concrete action, similar to UNICEF;

      3. ACC to provide stronger support, in particular increased resources, to the anti-HIV/AIDS activities at the common system level.

      Safety and Security of Staff
    7. FICSA wishes to express its satisfaction to

      • All Executive Heads at the adoption of a cost-sharing formula for the central security system;

      • To Mr. Kofi Annan for his report to the General Assembly (document A/56/384);

      • To Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland for the initiative to create a post of Director, Security Coordinator, for WHO.

    8. The Federation requests all Executive Heads to renew their commitment to the safety and security of the staff including, where relevant, through the creation of a dedicated, high-level position.