Page 47 - Bulletin, Vol.80 No.1, May 2021

report but the different interventions are available on the site of the ILO Section of
Former Officials.

50. The shortage of places in establishments for older persons is still a major problem,
especially in the Pays de Gex. New structures have now been created in Haute-
Savoie, in Régnier and St.Julien.

51. In Switzerland the cost of accommodation in such establishments is very
concerning particularly for retirees with only a modest pension.

viii. Participate actively in the work of FAFICS

52. FAFICS now has 63 member associations around the world making it possible to
reflect on the problems of retirees who live far from a central institution.

th
53. AAFI-AFICS took part in the 48 FAFICS Council in Vienna from 15 to 17 July
2019. This year the FAFICS Council was not held in the same place as the Pension
Board, which entailed travel costs for our representative, Mohammed Sebti. The
problems of travel costs and security dissuaded the representatives of associations
to travel to Nairobi. The Council should therefore have taken into consideration the
lack of a quorum when making decisions. During this meeting AAFI-AFICS
strengthened its legitimate position (representing the retirees of all the organizations
based in Geneva) with the confirmation of the nomination of Mohammed Sebti as a
member of the FAFICS delegation to the 2019 session of the Pension Board. The
traditional autumn meeting of the FAFICS Bureau, which draws up the work
programme and the agenda of the next Council session, was postponed to end-
January in order to have the text of the resolution to be taken by the General
Assembly on the functions of the Pension Board and the management of the
Pension Fund (UNJSPF). However, a virtual FAFICS Bureau meeting in October
2019 made it possible to prepare the ground for future action.

54. AFICS continued to actively assist in the work and success of FAFICS and to
contribute both financially and in person in the smooth running of its meetings held
in Geneva and elsewhere.

55. AAFI-AFICS plays a lead role in FAFICS (Wolfgang Milzow: Treasurer; Katia
Chestopalov: Vice-President until 16 July 2019; Odette Foudral: elected Vice-
President with a large majority since 16 July), and in the working groups where
FAFICS is present (High-level Working Group on ASHI: Katia Chestopalov), Pierre
Sayour, Secretary of FAFICS since 26 July 2018, who is invited to participate in the
monthly AAFI-AFICS Committee meetings. Katia Chestopalov is also a member of
the Working Group on the revision of the FAFICS rules of procedure that will report
to the Council meeting in 2020. To avoid travel costs, the Group practices
teleworking.

56. The FAFICS Headquarters are located in Geneva. Offices are made available to the
Federation by the UNOG Administration.

AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 80 No. 1, 2021-05 45