Page 63 - Bulletin, Vol.83 No.2, September 2024

Alongside these efforts, on August 30, 2017, the then FAFICS President wrote to the
Secretary-General, bringing to his attention a decision taken by FAFICS at its July 2017
Council regarding the participation of retirees in the health insurance committees.
Specifically, this concerned the representation and voting rights of retirees in their
internal management committees. It was mentioned that while in some organizations,
retirees are duly represented as full members, in many organizations retiree
representation, if any, is limited to observer status. This is the case with respect to the
United Nations; therefore, it was emphasised that it was imperative for retirees to be
fully represented in the relevant management committees of their former organizations.
FAFICS also requested that the Secretary-General, as Chair of the High-Level
Committee on Management, activate mechanisms to provide such full representation.

On another note, it was reiterated that in most of the specialized agencies with their own
schemes, retirees had full membership status. However, in the UN Secretariat in New
York and the UN Office at Geneva, representatives of retirees on such committees only
have observer status. It was stressed that in view of the special features, retirees age,
ageing factors, adapted medical treatments, remedy action should be taken.

Regrettably no action has been taken. FAFICS Representatives on the HLCM FB
network WG on ASHI had requested the full representation of the retirees and that the
issue be placed on the Agenda of the Working Group and discussed. However, most of
the representatives considered that the issue is not within the purview of the Working
Group.

Follow-up on this matter should be made with the United Nations Administration which
is the main and concerned forum to take action on this matter. It appeared that the
Office of Human Resources Management has previously stated that legal advice had to
be obtained. So far, the issue is still pending and has not receives any development to
date, continuing depriving Retirees of the status of full representatives in the
Management Committees.

Annex

Resolution on the participation of retirees in the management committees of the
organizations’ health insurance schemes

The forty-first session of the FAFICS Council meeting in 2012:

1. Noting that the number of retirees participating in and paying contributions to the
Organizations’ health insurance schemes had risen to approximately one third of the
number of participants in those insurance schemes;

2. Aware that the presence and participation of retirees in the management of the
Organizations’ health insurance schemes varied ; these ranged from instances in which
retirees were formally present as voting members to situations in which retirees were
neither present nor voting;

AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 83 No.2, 2024-09 61

<<< TDM / TOC