A word from the Executive Secretary – June 2018

A word from the Executive Secretary – June 2018

We are fast approaching the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organization in 2019, and it promises to be a landmark year. Hundreds of events, both here in Geneva and globally, are planned to mark the occasion, which we hope will have wide coverage in the media.

For decades, ILO retirees have made their contribution to the ILO by participating in the implementation of its goals throughout the world. In our circular letter of 30 January 2018, we asked you to contribute by recalling moments in this history, and many of you have already answered the call. Some of these recollections feature in 63th issue of Message and others will be published later; all contributions will be put on our website (anciens-bit-ilo.org). As noted in the circular, we will also transmit your responses to the ILO’s Department of Communication, which will be able to integrate them into specific communication topics.

Mention of this topic affords me the opportunity to tell you that we are working closely with various branches of the ILO in connection with the preparation of events for the Centenary, and Director General Guy Ryder has expressed the wish that former officials, who shaped the Organization, should be fully involved. We are delighted to have already had two meetings in the first half of the year with the ILO officials in charge of the Centenary. Although we cannot give you a precise date at the moment, a milestone event will be held for retirees which will be attended by the Director General. We submitted a number of suggestions that have been adapted and integrated into the general programme of planned events. As soon as the timetable has been finalized, you will all be informed, especially those of you who reside some distance away.

This start of year has been an intensely busy one for the Former Officials Section. In addition to our regular activities, 14 May saw us holding a seminar in collaboration with other international organization retirees, which brought together some 200 participants on the theme “Stay younger for longer”. We hope you will all be able to benefit from the results of this event, which we will be posting on our website as well as sharing via mail. The spring reception held on 17 May in the presence of the Director General was the usual resounding success.

This spring, the SHIF sent out new amendments to the Regulations and Administrative Rules that take into account some of the long-standing demands of retirees. Be especially aware of the codes set out towards the end of the Schedule of Benefits, which incorporate coverage of new procedures such as vaccinations, preventive screenings and alternative medicines.

Let me conclude by drawing your attention to recent action taken by the Staff Union, including the staff coming out on strike to defend the status of the international civil service after the recommendation of the ICSC (International Civil Service Commission) to slash salaries in Geneva, and the ILO Governing Body’s decision to implement it.