This being the first round of a major and delicate exercise, the lessons learned will be used to continually improve the process.
The next update is progress on the implementation of continuing appointments, which were approved by the General Assembly in 2009. Progress has been very slow in this area. However, in the Global Joint Consultative Committee meeting held on 25th of May 2016, the Executive Director confirmed that the Director of Human Resources had started working on data collection, based on which a proposal for implementation will be made. It is our expectation and desire that this initiative will take off in the second half of this year and, thus, offer much needed job security for many staff members who are on very short contracts.
Inadequate, or in some cases, a total lack of health care services in hardship duty locations was and still is of great concern to staff and their families. The situation has recently worsened with the collapse of health systems in conflict countries like Yemen, Syria, and the Central African Republic, among others. We have also seen an increase of staff deaths notably in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While no study has been made on the causes of the deaths, poor health care services (both preventive and curative) cannot be ruled out. The Global Staff Association had vowed to work with management to identify suitable solutions and provide a progress report at this Annual Session of the Executive Board.
The GSA has put this item on the agenda at every opportunity, both within UNICEF and at the higher level through the Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA). Based on these discussions, we acknowledge that addressing this issue is a big undertaking, which requires a multi-pronged approach. Within UNICEF, we have engaged more closely with the insurance company, CIGNA, to expand the number of health care facilities on credit contract to facilitate access to the services; and guidance has been given to field offices to submit, through local UN Operations Management Teams, requests to CIGNA for inclusion of health facilities in neighbouring countries with better services. Meanwhile the GSA has been promoting physical activity for health as a preventive measure, and many Staff Associations have introduced routine physical exercises ranging from in-house gym and fitness facilities to organized sports, yoga, periodic health checks, and more. UNICEF staff also actively participate in the annual Inter-Agency Games. Unfortunately, so far support to staff in these games has been lacking and the few who attend do so at their own cost. I urge management to factor in financial support to encourage more staff to participate in these games. More so because UNICEF is a member of the United National Inter Agency Task Force on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases which acknowledges physical activity as a preventive and control measure to keep staff fit and healthy.
At the UN system-wide level, we are aware that the UN Joint Medical Service (UNJMS) is planning to review the health systems in all duty stations with a view to making recommendations to the General Assembly. However, no timeline for this exercise has been given. Since UNICEF is one of the few agencies with a presence in remote locations, it is in our interest to move this agenda forward as quickly as possible. The Global Staff Association has floated the idea of piloting a tele-medicine initiative, a concept that is already being considered by the UNJMS in expanding counselling services.
The last update is on the issue of middle-income countries.
Many countries have been making the transition to middle - and high-income status with subsequent changes in programme priorities and the nature of our operations in those countries. The Global Staff Association has asked for support to staff through training and retooling opportunities, to enable them compete for the new job roles required, as offices adapt to shifting realities. This action is still pending, and GSA will continue to follow up with management.
While that concludes the updates, I would like to finish with two matters of current concern to staff.
First, at the end of 2015, the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) conducted an extensive review of the compensation package for International Professional staff which resulted in huge cuts in entitlements. The most hit are staff in emergency duty stations. The Global Staff Association has raised concerns about the impact of these cuts in attracting and retaining staff generally and especially in the emergency duty stations. The General Assembly asked the Secretary General to maintain data on staff trends following the implementation of the new changes in the compensation package. With a few days left to the implementation of the first phase of the changes on 1st July 2016, there is already concern and fear on the discontinuation of Administrative Place of Assignment (APA) which enabled staff in emergency duty stations to install their families in neighbouring family duty locations.
The ICSC has now embarked on the review of the compensation package for national staff. Given the fact that national staff do not have any other entitlements except salaries, we hope that this will be an opportunity to introduce some entitlements for them, namely: education grant, relocation grant, leave allowance, residential security allowance, harmonized Danger Pay, Rest and Recuperation, among others. The Executive Board is urged to stand by staff when the time comes.
The other issue linked with the compensation review exercise is the implementation of the new mandatory retirement age of 65 years for staff members recruited before 1st January 2014, which the General Assembly approved for adoption by 1st January 2018 at the latest. A survey carried out by the Federation of International Civil Servants Associations (FICSA) confirmed that 75% of staff in the age-bracket 56 to 62 years prefer the option of an earlier implementation date. The UN Staff Associations are lobbying their Heads of Agencies with respect to this and UNICEF staff are appealing for the support of the Executive Board in this effort.
The next issue is that of greening the environment. Mr. Anthony Lake’s speech to the Executive Board meeting of February 2016 reiterated the need for UNICEF to clean-up its own house in terms of greening our work environment, ensure sustainability of programs and operations, and support offices in implementing greening initiatives. The Staff Associations have not been left behind and have joined forces with management to make an impact. The greening activities are varied and include paperless meetings, skype meetings in lieu of travel, double-sided printing, solar lighting, recycling paper and waste, etc. The New York Staff Association is a notable example. They have established a Greening Committee, which has introduced two initiatives: Greening UNICEF and Greening the Blue which are supported by staff on a voluntary basis. This year, the NYSA is focusing on reducing waste, and also plans to partner with Supply Division in the area of environmentally-friendly products. In addition, all the Staff Associations have planned to leverage on the 3% travel carbon footprint tax imposed on all air travel to influence decisions on greening initiatives and making their offices accessible to persons with disabilities.
Finally, I would like to address the plight of former staff in accessing their pensions. The delays have in some cases been for 9 months and more and this has put a lot of financial and psychological burden on the affected former colleagues who depend entirely on their pensions for subsistence. The Global Staff Association together with other UN Staff Associations highlighted this issue and drew the attention of the Secretary General. Consequently, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pension Fund committed to an improvement plan to clear the backlog by end of May 2016. While some progress has been made, the ordeal is far from over. Mr. President, I have just come from Santiago for the Annual General Meeting of the Coordinating of International Staff Un-ions and Associations where it was confirmed that Pension Fund has only met about 40% of its target while at the same time, the backlog is growing as new retirees join the queue. This situation is unacceptable and the Global Staff Association joins forces with the rest of the UN Staff Unions and Associations in demanding for a change of management at the Pension Fund, and those responsible made accountable for the damages caused.
Mr. President, this concludes the substance of my remarks. It may seem that the Global Staff Association is asking for a lot on behalf of staff, so I would like to finish by informing you that UNICEF staff are engaged in many charitable activities within their respective offices as part of social responsibility which further advances the UNICEF mission. To this end, the Global Staff Association raised funds from staff through a Global Appeal in the last quarter of 2014. The funds collected were used to support the earthquake emergency in Nepal and the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan. In April this year, I visited the projects in Kathmandu, Nepal and witnessed the joy of pupils from disadvantaged communities who received full school uniform kits which enabled them to stay in school during the cold winter months. As a result, school attendance and performance have increased and UNICEF profile and visibility has also shot up. Also, during the Annual General Meeting of the Regional Staff Association of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in April 2016, the team visited Za’atari refugee camp in Amman, Jordan, to see the recipients of the funds. We would like to show a short video clip of the visit to the camp.
These efforts are no doubt a drop in ocean compared to the magnitude of the overall global interventions by UNICEF in providing much needed relief to children and women in many emergencies. However, it is the spirit of love and care for others, which is espoused in our mission, which makes UNICEF staff truly committed to the organization.
Mr. President, on behalf of all UNICEF staff, thank you for giving us the opportunity to address you. Let me assure you that the Global Staff Association maintains a cordial working relationship with senior management at all levels and is striving to nurture a culture of fair and transparent engagement, which enables the voices of staff to be raised in the spirit of collaboration and partnership.
We look forward to your feedback and comments.
Thank you for your attention.
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