Message from the FAFICS President and Bureau

As part of our overall support to the UN Development System at the country level, I would like to call your attention to the work of the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants (FAFICS).

The Federation now has 64 Member Associations representing the interests of more than 18,000 UN system retirees and beneficiaries around the world. FAFICS is an NGO accredited to ECOSOC, with representation seats in the Pension Board. Its mandate addresses a full range of issues related to pensions and after-service health insurance, including long-term care. Its voice in the Pension Board, its subsidiary bodies and working groups is highly respected, and vital to UN deliberations on all substantive issues relating to these two critical issues for retirees and their beneficiaries, especially considering longer lifespans and the need for continuing support. As we know, the UN has also declared a decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) coinciding with the last decade of the Sustainable Development Agenda.

Since its establishment in 1975, FAFICs has been working closely with the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund in terms of ensuring financial security for former staff of all UN system organizations and their families. This also includes efforts to ensure the timely delivery of payments to retirees, even in countries experiencing humanitarian crisis or other emergencies, thus making a positive impact on the lives of their beneficiaries.

While FAFICS is primarily concerned with ensuring the continuation and evolution of benefits to retirees, it should be noted that the defined retirement, death, disability, and related benefits are also of significant value in attracting qualified staff to the various UN system organizations worldwide.

Many FAFICS Member Associations hold pre-retirement seminars at the national level, some of them have coordinated efforts with your Offices, including specific reach out to UN Staff Associations and human resources units of various UN agencies. It is in this context that I am reinforcing the value of collaboration with FAFICS in countries where they now exist. You can support FAFICS in at least three ways:

1. Ensure that your Office and the entire UN Country Team is aware of the work of FAFICS and supports the Member Association in your country if there is one and supports any efforts by retired staff in your country to create an Association
2. Collaborate with the Member Association in holding pre-retirement seminars, either across the UN system or within specific agencies. These pre-retirement seminars provide vital information to staff getting ready to retire and help them to ensure they provide all the required information to their parent organization to ensure timely payment of their pensions and a seamless transition to the next chapter of their lives
3. Encourage active staff nearing their retirement to join and participate in their local UN Member Association as they are getting ready to complete their service.

Please find attached relevant background documents, including basic information about FAFICS and the list of countries where there are currently Member Associations. Your support of FAFICS can help preserve and promote the rights and benefits of former UN system staff.

Given that we all will reach retirement sooner or later, facilitating such awareness will be helpful for all staff. For any questions, please contact DCO’s Chief of Human Resources, Mr. Kushal Ramyad (kushal.ramyad@un.org)

Warm regards,

Rosemary Kalapurakal
Deputy Director
UN Development Coordination Office