77e Conseil de la FICSA – Février 2024 – UPU à Berne
FICSA (Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations) is a group of 31 staff associations and unions belonging to the United Nations Common System. The FICSA Council is held annually, around the end of January/beginning of February. This year, three representatives from the CERN Staff Association attended the 77th FICSA Council, held at the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Berne.
The FICSA Council sets out the broad guidelines to be followed by the Executive Committee during the year and hosts the elections for the Federation’s key positions and for regional representatives in the different regions of the world where UN Common System organisations are present. The CERN Staff Association has been an associate member of the Federation for over twenty years, allowing us to follow the broader debates about the employment conditions for international civil servants.
About FICSA
During the week-long FICSA Council, much of the time is devoted to meetings of the eight Standing Committees. One specific Standing Committee is reserved for heads of delegation, which meets to discuss strategy, the budget and the administration of FICSA. This committee proposes the general guidelines to the Council to defend the rights of international civil servants. Two other Federations, CCSUIA and UNISERV, work in coordination with FICSA, representing members of personnel from several other United Nations Common System organisations. Their statements are reported to the FICSA Council, so that their point of view can also be heard on important issues to be dealt with during the year.
The three Federations cooperate to defend the interests of their personnel on official committees, and all three are recognised as interlocutors by the management of their organisations and high-level UN bodies (such as the Secretary General and the 5th Committee[1]). However, FICSA is the only Federation that allows associate members to take part in the various internal Standing Committees and the Federation Council.
FICSA's internal Standing Committees
FICSA's internal Standing Committees play an important role in the efficient operation of the Federation, facilitating the dissemination of information from FICSA members, and holding discussions on general themes or specific subjects leading to recommendations submitted to plenary meetings of the Council. Recommendations that are adopted by the Council set the course of action which the Federation's Executive Committee will follow. During the year, this allows the Executive Committee, President, and General Secretary to put specific points onto the agendas of meetings with the governing bodies of organisations belonging to the United Nations Common System.
The Standing Committees are also an opportunity to get an idea of the current subjects which are being discussed (or scheduled for discussion) with the organisations' management. As an associate member, the CERN Staff Association participates in these Standing Committees.
The following Committees are the most useful to situate ourselves in relation to our colleagues in other international organisations: relations between staff representatives and administrations (SMR), human resources management (HRM), issues relating to social protection, health cover and pensions (SOCSEC), legal issues (LEGAL), and finally on remuneration issues for local or international members of the personnel (GSQ or PSA).
What subjects were discussed this year?
The main topics this year in Berne were the implementation of the reform of the compensation and post adjustment package for the professional category of personnel, and the adjustment of local salaries to keep in line with inflation. The changes to the rules (and their implementation) follow on from the judgements won at ILOAT by ILO members of personnel, when the former method was not applied to the salary adjustment in Geneva.
A recurring problem for local members of personnel is the fluctuation in the exchange rate between the US dollar and the local currency, which can lead to significant devaluation or inflation. This point has been addressed in the new method, and we now need to ensure that it is applied correctly. The issue of acquired rights has also been linked to these changes, which will be applied in part to people who already have a Staff contract.
For several years now, at FICSA's invitation, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the UN’s 5th Committee (ICSC), together with technical specialists, have been attending the first day of the Council to listen to delegates' questions and concerns and to try to provide answers. Often, though, diplomatic language is used, which lacks the power to convince.
Another interesting topic that regularly features in the discussions of the SOSEC Standing Committee is "well-being at work": burnout and its consequences for the health of those affected, as well as diversity and the integration of people with disabilities.
A joint session of the HRM, LEGAL and FIELD Standing Committees was held, to take stock of the place and development of the use of artificial intelligence in United Nations Common System agencies. This current topic was a source of concern for many delegates, who could not help but highlight the replacement of personnel by automated systems.
The Legal Standing Committee intends to continue exploring the various options and possibilities for providing professional legal assistance at a reasonable cost to the Federation's Staff Associations.
One of the most important subjects discussed during the Committee's sessions was the JIU (Joint Inspection Unit) report on "the internal pre-tribunal-stage appeal mechanisms available to staff of the UN system organisations". This can be compared with the work of the Working Group on the reform of internal justice at CERN. Delegates participating in the Committee frequently ask for training sessions on the functioning of the justice process, from the filing of an internal appeal to exchanges in court (ILOAT and UNDT/UNAT).
The FICSA Council is an opportunity to identify areas for improvement, to facilitate everybody's work at Council level and work during the year for the Federation's secretariat and Executive Committee.
Throughout our 24 years as an associate member of the Federation, it is clear how important it is to exchange experiences, to work together in federations and to have a collective voice in the decision-making circles of international organisations. Through FICSA, we see that problems raised are often encountered at other organisations, and that Staff Associations are not alone the questions they face. Through FICSA’s permanent secretariat, which keeps communication lines open during the year, Staff Associations can find support and advice based on expertise acquired over many years.
[1] Responsible for defining the conditions of service of United Nations employees.
