After a very busy month of July for ARICSA (hosting the international FAFICS meeting and involvement with the annual Pension Fund Board meeting), we are starting to look towards planning for the autumn. Our ARICSA Annual General Meeting is tentatively scheduled for November 3rd, and we are hoping to find a date when representatives of the Pension Fund can come and explain the new web site services and other pension matters.
Concerning Pension Fund matters, there was a great deal of direct conversation with senior Pension Fund staff during July. Our positions remain unchanged - the Pension Fund is in a good financial position, the backlog of processing caused by the implementation of a new computer system last July has all but been eliminated, there is no fraud, the new financial rules will give yet another way to monitor the Fund's activities - not separate the Fund from the UN, and client services are beginning to improve.
We see increased willingness now to address the staffing issues - especially in the area of client services - but remain concerned about the long hiring delays particularly in the Investment Management Division. We have greeted the hiring of a Director of Investments and a Communications Officer.
The 'Town Hall' meeting in the VIC on Thursday 21 July was very well attended and many people raised their concerns. Facts were presented by the CEO of the Pension Fund, the Representative of the Secretary General responsible for the Investments of the Pension Fund, the Controller of the United Nations and the Chair of the Pension Board.
At the end of the Pension Board, the Board issued a statement, that you can find on the UNJSPF web site and on our web site. The link is: http://www.aricsa.org/tiki-download_file.php?fileId=189.
We remain in contact with the Pension Fund officials and of course will continue to help mediate any open cases.
We wish you a healthy and relaxing August.
ARICSA Office
VIC, Room C0249B
Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
tel: +43 1 2600 26116 office@aricsa.org