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SHIF: One hundred years of mutual health insurance

Category : Archives

Please download the PDF file produced by the SHIF for its centenary.

Photos Album :


Angela Merkel awarded in Geneva the Nansen Prize for 2022

Category : Archives , Message69

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the Nansen Prize from UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on 10th October 2022 in Geneva.

The Award is given to an individual, group or organization who has gone beyond the call of duty to protect refugees, internally displaced or Stateless people.

Angela Merkel was named winner of the prestigious Nansen Award, for offering a haven to over 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence at the height of the Syrian conflict, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said.

Each year, the 2022 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award – named after the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen, scientist, diplomat and first High Commissioner for Refugees in the League of Nations, from 1920 to 1930, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.

It is also 100 years since the creation of the Nansen passport, an identity document for refugees that enable holders to move across borders in search of work.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi lauded Ms. Merkel for displaying “great moral and political courage” in helping so many survive and rebuild their lives, who had been forced to flee brutal fighting at home.

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Merkel stressed that that she rejected the selfish instincts of some “with cold hearts”, who wanted Germany to be only for Germans.

“What is important is a future for the country to be self-confident and free”, a Germany which “is open to other human being [… and] can succeed if we do our best”, she said.

The former German Chancellor insisted that the accolade was “also an honour for all the people who have to grips with the tasks we faced.” “My thanks goes first and foremost to all those people”, she said.

Angela Merkel quoted Erich Kästner: “There is nothing good unless you do it.” At the time, many people in the cities and communities as well as many volunteers contributed to meeting the challenges. “From my point of view, this tribute is therefore addressed above all to the countless people who put their hand to the dough at the time, to whom we owe it to have mastered the situation, to have succeeded,” Merkel said.

For UNHCR, this distinction is above all that of “true leadership, appealing to our common humanity, firmly opposing those who preach fear and discrimination. In helping more than a million refugees survive and rebuild, Angela Merkel has shown great moral and political courage,” said Grandi. “Merkel has shown what can be achieved when politicians take the right course of action and strive to find solutions to the world’s challenges rather than simply blaming others,” Grandi added.

Ivan Elsmark
(UNHCR and Internet information)


Nobel Peace Prize for 2022

Category : Message69

The Nobel Peace Prize has this year been awarded to one individual and two to human rights advocates: Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Centre for Civil Liberties organisations.

The Peace Prize laureates represent civil society in their home countries. For many years, they have promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.  “The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honour three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence in the three neighbouring Belarusians, Russia and Ukraine,” said its president Berit Reiss-Andersen.

Ales Bialiatski was one of the initiators of the democracy movement that emerged in Belarus in the mid-1980s. He has devoted his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his home country. Among other things, he founded the organisation Viasna (spring) in 1996 in response to the controversial constitutional amendments that gave the president, dictatorial powers and that triggered widespread demonstrations. Viasna provided support for the jailed demonstrators and their families. In the years that followed, Viasna evolved into a broad-based human rights organisation that documented and protested against the authorities’ use of torture against political prisoners.

Government authorities have repeatedly sought to silence Ales Bialiatski. He was imprisoned from 2011 to 2014. He was again arrested, following large-scale demonstrations against the regime in 2020. He is still detained without trial. Despite tremendous personal hardship, Mr Bialiatski has not yielded an inch in his fight for human rights and democracy in Belarus.

The Centre for Civil Liberties was founded in Kyiv in 2007 for advancing human rights and democracy in Ukraine. The centre has taken a stand to strengthen Ukrainian civil society and pressure the authorities to make Ukraine a full-fledged democracy. To develop Ukraine into a state governed by rule of law, the Centre for Civil Liberties has actively advocated that Ukraine become affiliated with the International Criminal Court.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Centre for Civil Liberties has engaged in efforts to identify and document Russian war crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population. In collaboration with international partners, the centre is playing a pioneering role with a view to holding the guilty parties accountable for their crimes.

Human rights activists in the former Soviet Union who wanted to ensure that the victims of the communist regime’s oppression would never be forgotten established the human rights organisation Memorial in 1987. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov and human rights advocate Svetlana Gannushkina were among the founders. Memorial is based on the notion that confronting past crimes is essential in preventing new ones.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Memorial grew to become the largest human rights organisation in Russia. In addition to establishing a centre of documentation on victims of the Stalinist era, Memorial compiled and systematised information on political oppression and human rights violations in Russia. Memorial became the most authoritative source of information on political prisoners in Russian detention facilities. The organisation has also been standing at the forefront of efforts to combat militarism and promote human rights and government based on rule of law.

By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 to Ales Bialiatski, Memorial and the Centre for Civil Liberties, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honour three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful co-existence in the neighbour countries Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Through their consistent efforts in favour of humanist values, anti-militarism and principles of law, this year’s laureates have revitalised and honoured Alfred Nobel’s vision of peace and fraternity between nations – a vision most needed in the world today.

Ivan Elsmark
(UNHCR and Internet sources)


List 2022 of former officials who died

Category : Message69

Personnes décédées: informations transmises par le BIT depuis janvier 2022

Le Bureau de la Section des Anciens adressent ses condoléances aux familles des personnes décédées, étant dans l’impossibilité d’envoyer des condoléances plus personnalisées.

Information communicated by the Office since January 2022

In memoriam: The Bureau of the Section of Former Officials of the ILO Staff Union extends its sincere condolences to the bereaved families of the colleagues whose names are listed below, as it is currently impossible to send more personalised condolences.

Mme AMO Mary Elizabeth 09.06.21
M. ANNONI Alberto 13.08.22
Mme AUBRY Suzanne 10.04.22
M. BAKRI Abdullahi 10.07.21
M. BASTARD Thierry G. 02.12.21
M. BERGERIE PAGADOY Bernado Julio
M. BONADEI Giovanni 08.10.22
Mme Vve BREDE Ilse 27.01.22
Mme BIGNENS Jacqueline 23.10.21
M. BRUNELLO Antonio 16.11.22
M. CHAPERON Claude 03.07.22
Mme CLARKE Barbara 10.01.22
Mme CRIBELLIER Denise 07.01.22
Mme CUVILLIER Rolande 09.06.22
Mme DAURAU Marguerite 26.12.21
M. DAVERIO Pierre 28.05.22
Mme DE BENEDETTI Agnès 22.02.22
Mme DOSSO Christiane 06.03.22
M. FALAIZE Robert 27.02.22
Mme FINKELSTEIN Caroline 16.07.22
Mme FLATEAU Mildred 15.11.22
M. FRICK Hans-Jürgen 11.07.22
M. FURTH Warren 30.06.22
M. GEMMET Yvon Sr. 01.03.22
Mme GUERTCHAKOFF Marianne 08.10.22
M. HABTE MARIAM Haile Michael 15.01.22
Mme HARTSHORN Judith 06.03.22
M. HOSSENMAMODE Hakim 09.02.20
Mme JENKS Jane 13.07.22
Mme JORDAN Margaret 29.06.22
M. KABELKA Vladimir 24.02.22
M. NARASIMHAN Krishnamurti 04.09.22
M. LESUEUR DE GIVRY Jean-Marie 05.04.22
M. MCDONALD Robert 02.07.22
Mme Vve MEYLAN Jeannine 23.01.22
Mme MITCHELL Monica Th. 27.05.22
Mme MONAT Mariana 17.10.22
Mme Vve PALLUD-GARIN Violette 18.05.22
Mme Vve PANT Bhagwati Devi 01.02.22
Mme Vve PUYSSEGUR Marie-Rose 21.09.22
M. QUINTER FERRO Carlos Arturo 07.06?22
M. RAM Balak 01.09.22
Mme RATAJSKI Charlotte 13.12.21
M. RICHARD KEITH Johanson 06.03.22
Mme RIVA Maria 25.12.21
M. RYS Vladimir 15.05.22
Mme ROSSI Christiane 08.04.22
Mme SHACKLADY Barbara Joan 24.11.22
M. SCHULZ Hans Dieter 01.02.22
M. SCHREGLE Johannes 27.04.22
Mme TAMISIER-CAZELAIS Suzanne 25.05.22
M. TCHAPTCHET Jean Martin 19.11.22
Mme THEVENOT Clorinda 20.02.22
Mme THOMPSON Joyce Mary 04.06.22
M. THUKRAL Tilak Raj 17.02.22
M. THULLEN George 17.08.22
Mme UMPLEBY Evelyne Cécile 03.08.22
Mme URIZAR Patricia 18.09.22
Mme VAN ZWEEDEN Cornelia 16.09.22
M. VITEK Jan 15.11.22
Mme WANNAZ Marie-L. 03.01.22
M. WEDER Gérald 04.02.22
M. ZHANG Jiawang 07.02.22
M. ZWAHLEN Gerald Marcel 19.10.22

 

 

 

 

 

 


Retirees’ reception, Thursday 8 December 2022

Category : Archives

Message from HR/POL:

Dear all,

After 2 years without being able to host this reception, HRD is happy to confirm that the next reception is planned on Thursday 8 December, from 17.00 to 19.30.  The invitation letter will be sent later this month.

Kind regards,

Fiona HR/POL


Tribute to Hélène Pour: EARLY RETIREMENT- More work or something new?

Category : Message69

Coping admirably with complications of a lung disease, Hélène Pour left us on 8 April 2022, shortly after her 81st birthday. Her final message was “Toujours à la recherche d’un monde meilleur” She insisted that there be no ceremony or speeches. In lieu of those formalities, this tribute presents a short recap of her ILO journey and nearly 30 years of her retirement.

Many of us wonder what retirees do after the ILO. Do they (or we) wander from the familiar path followed throughout a career? What particular goals motivate them (or us) to turn to new horizons? This is one story, certainly among many, and a simple way to say adieu to a dear friend and colleague.

Hélène joined the ILO in 1965 in the Press Department. She loved to write – and somehow managed to keep most of her work (philosophical and political musings and poetry) to herself, which we discovered after she died. But as a young official she quickly worked for UNION on the editorial board. Her articles were sprinkled throughout issues of UNION in the late1960s and the 1970s. Her interviews gave the staff insights into the backgrounds and personalities of new high level officials (Bertil Bolin and Albert Tevoedjre) and a personal exchange with David Morse on art in 1970. She organized a round table of “young professionals” to discuss their attitudes to and expectations of work in the ILO, and wrote a long summary (UNION no. 11 & 12). This summary intrigued Francis Blanchard, who later made it a point to seek out the work of young professionals. When equality of treatment and opportunity for women came to the fore in the 1980s, Hélène interviewed Antionette Beguin who had led a task force, which included SUC members, The Task Force recommendations had little impact for many years, but laid the basis for later progress.

On the professional front, Hélène was never far from information, education and communication (IEC). From writing extracts on vocational training and editing reports on management development, she moved to Workers’ Education with a UNFPA funded programme and later to the Employment Department. Developing and producing educational and communication materials on population issues, conducting training programmes in many countries in Asia and Africa and providing technical backstopping to IEC projects in Africa, she considered this work one of the highlights of her career. After a leave of absence for about 2 years with UNFPA /FAO programmes, she returned to the ILO’s Employment and Development Department in 1992. Shortly thereafter she took a gamble: early retirement with a huge cut in retirement benefits at the age of 52.

So what do young retirees do with their “free” time? Like many of her colleagues, for a number of years Hélène continued along the familiar path of IEC, focusing increasingly on communications as a consultant. The horizons widened and she turned to films, always on substantive issues. She produced, for example, the ILO film “Tremors” marking the ILO 75th anniversary. And then older stronger sirens called, linked to the arts, building and antiques. Delving into interior design and ecological questions, Hélène embarked on renovating properties with friends. The result was a lovely cottage in the Touraine (complete with a sculpture garden one summer), an unfinished flat and a large apartment in Thoiry. Along the way she pursued her passion for antiques and “brocante”, going to different fairs, setting up stands, buying and selling. Her last brocante was in Ferney Voltaire in October 2021. The arts took on a bigger role year after year. She would not miss the Avignon Theatre Festival, nor would she miss the annual photojournalism exhibit Visa pour l’Image in Perpignan.

While she never lost her interest in development cooperation and the Third World, she became increasingly indignant about the state of the world and the planet. She channeled some of her combative energy into the Cercle Condorcet-Voltaire du Pays de Gex in which she served as Vice-President and played a large role in identifying and inviting speakers on topical and challenging issues of the day. Indignant about social injustices, political oppression, human rights violations, racism, violence against women and environmental destruction, among others, Hélène also became more and more of an activist. She participated in every march and demonstration that her health would allow, and then some.

Leaving behind the status and decorum of an international civil servant, perhaps many retirees become more militant and speak out more freely. I am not sure this was a rationale for Hélène. But her acts spoke for themselves. It came as no surprise that her final message was “toujours à la recherché d’un monde meilleur”. And it should come as no surprise that she left the bulk of her wealth to a number of human rights, refugee and women’s and feminist organisations.

Sally Christine Cornwell
October 2022


ILO access for retirees – badges

Category : Archives

Message received from the INTSERV Secretariat:

Dear Retired Colleagues,

Following the announcement made by the DDG/MR through broadcast dated 15 September 2022 (document attached) the ILO Building is once again open for entry to ILO retirees,
To be able to access the ILO, retired officials must update their access badge.
To do so, it will be necessary to go to the Accreditation office to activate the access rights of their respective badges.
Accreditation office’s opening hours: 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. / 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Localization: Parking P1, R2-North.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Best regards.
INTSERV secretariat.



Pension Fund

Category : Message69

1 July 2022

Pedro Guazo is the Representative of the Secretary-General for the investments of the UNJSPF assets.

Dear participants, dear retirees and dear beneficiaries,

As confirmed by the last actuarial valuation, our Pension Fund is in a strong financial position and fully funded, even under the difficult global financial circumstances we are all facing. At the Office of Investment Management (OIM), we are ever mindful of our responsibilities not only as employees of the Fund, but also as participants and future retirees. Please be assured that the interests of the Fund are of paramount consideration in every decision we take.

Our Fund operates according to these three important values stemming from the values and principles of the United Nations:

1) we embrace our fiduciary duty to protect the assets of our Fund;

2) we are open and transparent and will always share information in a truthful way;

3) we are accountable to all our stakeholders, and we value productive and respectful dialogue.

As such, in keeping with our continuous commitment to transparency, we want to update you on the status of the plan to migrate – safely and effectively – the fixed income portfolio to the new asset allocation and benchmarks by September 2022, as endorsed by the Fund’s governing bodies in 2021.

Given the recent positive trend in the performance of two sub-asset classes of the fixed income portfolio, US Treasuries and Mortgage-Backed Securities, OIM Fixed Income team will continue to manage 100 per cent of these two portfolios internally, compared to the previous plan to manage 50 per cent internally and 50 per cent externally.

Regarding the fixed income credit portfolio, the team will temporarily manage between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of this portfolio internally, and between 80 per cent and 85 per cent externally. This is a shift from the previous plan to temporarily manage the credit portfolio 100 per cent externally. Overall, the total part of the fixed income portfolio that will be temporarily managed externally will represent between 5 to 7 per cent of the Fund’s total assets, compared to 18 per cent under the previous plan.

As we have previously stated, these are short-term tactical decisions that will provide additional support in the management of certain portfolios to bridge capacity gaps inside the Office of Investment Management and ensure the safe and efficient management of the portfolios. Our Pension Fund has done this several times over its many years of successful operations without any issues in portfolios such as small capitalization public equities and even fixed income.  As such, it is foreseen that once the Fixed Income team reaches full capacity, including the recruitment of additional investment officers with the necessary expertise, the credit portfolio will be entirely managed on an internal basis. The OIM Fixed Income team will reassess this whole approach by 31 March 2023.

We are committed to the principle of managing the maximum percentage of our portfolios internally, since it is the most cost-effective approach.  However, we must also continually seek to mitigate risks in the management of those portfolios.

We are aware of the cost-benefit analysis undertaken by a group concerned about the plan to use external managers on a temporary basis for a part of the fixed income portfolio. We have reviewed the analysis and find it to be static and partial, without consideration of implementation risks or the current capabilities of the team, even suggesting that we tolerate underperformance for certain portfolios.

For those who wish to better understand what the fixed income portfolio is and the factors that the experts consider in its management, we once again invite you to follow the sessions being conducted by Mr. Tomasz Wojciechowski, Head of OIM Fixed Income team. You can find the recordings of the first five of the eight sessions and the meeting links to follow the forthcoming sessions on our website here. The remaining sessions will take place every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. New York time in the next three weeks.

Let me reiterate that the use of external managers is a short-term tactical approach to support the OIM teams with the capacity to manage specific portfolios or sub-portfolios. There is no strategy nor plan to completely outsource the management of the Fund’s assets. We are committed to continuing to manage the Fund’s portfolios safely and efficiently as ever. We hope that such assurances will provide peace of mind regarding the financial health of your pension.