English

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE FEDERATION OF FORMER INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVANTS

 

1. DEFINITION OF TERMS OTHER THAN THOSE MADE EXPLICIT IN THESE RULES

 

- “the Federation” means FAFICS

 

- “FAFICS” means the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants

 

- “the Statutes” means the Statutes of FAFICS as adopted by the 36th Council in 2007

 

- “the Bureau” means the Officers of the Federation

 

Words used in the Statutes have the same meaning when used in the Rules of Procedure.

 

2. MEMBERSHIP

 

2.1 To be admitted by the Council as a Member, an association of former international civil servants must meet the following criteria:

 

a. its aims are compatible with the aims and objectives of FAFICS as defined in article 2 of the Statutes of the Federation

 

b. its membership is open to all former officials of the United Nations system and their survivors

 

c. it is independent

 

d. it can meet its financial contribution to FAFICS

 

e. it is of viable size, preferably with no fewer than twenty - five individual members

 

f. it is established in a location where there is no other Member Association of FAFICS, except in locations where more than one organization of the United Nations system has its headquarters

 

2.2 An Association with fewer than twenty - five individual members may be granted Associate Member status provided always that the other criteria for membership outlined in paragraph 2.1 above are met. Associate Members shall have the same rights as Members except that they shall not have the right to vote in Council sessions.

 

2.3 The decisions of the Council in respect of admissions for membership shall be final.

 

2.4 The Council may create additional categories of membership.

 

Membership fees

 

2.5 Annual membership fees shall be decided upon by the Council. They shall be levied on the basis of the number of members of each Association. Fees for Associate Members shall be set at rates that are fifty percent of those levied on Members. Unless the Council decides otherwise, fees shall be paid to the Federation within the first three months of the calendar year.

 

2.6 A Member not having paid the membership fee by the time of the Council session shall lose the right to vote in the Council. Voting rights may be re - established upon payment of all outstanding membership fees.

 

2.7 The Council may reduce, suspend or waive the amount of fees payable by a Member or an Associate Member or permit payment by instalments.

 

Cessation of membership

 

2.8 A Member or Associate Member wishing to cease membership of FAFICS must provide written notification of this intention at least four months in advance of a regular Council session.

 

2.9 The Council may exclude from membership:

 

a. A Member or Associate Member no longer meeting the criteria laid down in paragraph 2.1. above

 

b. A Member or Associate Member whose actions are deemed by the Council to discredit the Federation or which has violated the Statutes or Rules of Procedure of the Federation

 

c. A Member or Associate Member which has, for three consecutive years, not paid the fees levied by the Council

 

2.10 A Member or Associate Member which ceases to be a member in accordance with these provisions remains liable for all fees due up to and including the year in the course of which membership ceases.

 

3.SESIONS OF THE COUNCIL

 

Regular sessions

 

3.1 In accordance with article 4 of the Statutes, the Council shall meet in regular session at least once a year. During a Council session, the Council shall normally decide on the date and place of its next regular session.

 

3.2 All Members and Associate Members shall be invited to be represented at each Council session.

 

3.3 A Member, which, for whatever reason, cannot send a representative to a Council session may give its proxy vote to another Member attending the Council. Except in cases of “force majeure”, it must indicate this intention in writing to the Secretary of the Federation two weeks in advance of the Council session. However, no Member present in the Council session may hold proxy votes for more than two Members.

 

3.4 The working language of the Council shall be English. Documents may be presented in French or Spanish provided that a translation in English is also provided by those submitting such documents.

 

Special sessions

 

3.5 Special sessions of the Council may be held:

 

a. by decision of the Council

 

b. by decision of the President after consultation with the Bureau

 

c. upon the request of at least one half of the Members of the Federation

 

Agenda

 

3.6 The provisional agenda for each session of the Council shall be drawn up by the President of FAFICS in consultation with the Bureau; it shall include a Report of the President. It shall also include an item that provides for the appointment, by the council, of the FAFICS delegation to the Board of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund.

 

3.7 Any Member or Associate Member may propose items for inclusion in the provisional agenda. These should be submitted to the Secretary at least three months before the beginning of a Regular Session and eight weeks before the beginning of a Special Session.

 

3.8 The Secretary shall communicate the provisional agenda for each session to all Members and Associate Members at least six weeks before the beginning of a regular session and two weeks before the beginning of a special session. As far as possible, the Secretary shall distribute the documentation relating to items on the provisional agenda at least two weeks before the beginning of a regular session and one week before the beginning of a special session.

 

3.9 At the beginning of each session, the Council shall adopt its agenda.

 

Quorum

 

3.10 The proceedings of the Council shall be valid only if at least one third of voting Members are represented.

 

Presiding Officer and rapporteur of the session

 

3.11 At the beginning of each session, the Council shall elect a presiding officer who will chair the session of the Council.

 

3.12 The Council shall also elect a rapporteur for each of its sessions.

 

4. COMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS

 

4.1 The Council may establish such Committees and working groups as it deems necessary to conduct the work of the Federation effectively.

 

5. OFFICERS OF THE FEDERATION

 

5.1 The Officers of the Federation, who shall constitute the Bureau of the Federation, are:

 

a. the President

 

b. the Vice - Presidents

 

c. the Secretary

 

d. the Treasurer

 

5.2 The Officers shall be elected in accordance with procedures laid down in these Rules. The President and the Vice - Presidents shall serve in the posts to which they have been elected for a term of one year; each term in these posts shall be renewable for a year at a time up to a maximum of four years. The posts of Secretary and Treasurer shall not be subject to these term limitations.

 

The President

 

5.3 The President shall lead the Federation, shall be its primary representative and spokesperson and shall have general direction of its Bureau. He or she shall be responsible for the implementation of resolutions and decisions taken by the Council.

 

The Vice - Presidents

 

5.4 The Vice - Presidents shall assist the President in his or her functions.

 

5.5 The Bureau may attribute to each of the Vice - Presidents special responsibility for a substantive area of work of the Federation.

 

5.6 In the event of the absence or disability of the President, the Secretary shall invite the Vice - Presidents to determine which among them shall exercise the functions of President. The Acting President shall have such powers and be subject to such restrictions as the President until the President resumes his or her functions or until the next session of the Council.

 

5.7 The Council shall determine the number of Vice - Presidents taking account, inter - alia, of the global nature of the Federation.

 

The Secretary

 

5.8 The Secretary shall keep a record of membership, give notice of meetings, record all votes and arrange for the taking of record of meetings. He or she shall assist the President in the administration of the day - to - day affairs of the Federation, including the maintenance of its records. The functions of the Secretary shall also be guided by such Internal Rules as the Bureau may adopt from time to time for the orderly management of the affairs of the Federation.

 

The Treasurer

 

5.9 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the sound financial administration of the Federation in accordance with the provisions established in these Rules in respect of the Accounts. The budget proposals for the forthcoming financial year shall be prepared by the Treasurer in consultation with the Bureau and circulated to Members and Associate Members at least three months before the beginning of the Council. The functions of the Treasurer shall also be guided by such Internal Rules as the Bureau may adopt from time to time for the orderly management of the affairs of the Federation.

 

Advisors

 

5.10 The Bureau may call upon advisors to assist it on specific matters; such advisors may be invited to attend meetings of the Bureau.

 

6. PROCEDURES FOR ELECTION OF THE OFFICERS OF THE FEDERATION

 

6.1 The Officers of the Federation shall be elected in the course of each Council session.

 

6.2 The Secretary shall issue a call for nominations for election at least six weeks prior to the Council, inviting Associations to pay particular attention to the need for gender balance in the Bureau.

 

6.3 Candidates shall be nominated for election at least one month prior to the Council. To allow Associations to consider candidatures, their names shall be circulated to Associations three weeks before the election takes place.

 

6.4 Candidates must have the support of their Member Association.

 

6.5 The Bureau may also propose candidates, subject to article 6.4 above.

 

6.6 The timing of the elections shall be announced at the beginning of the Council session but shall normally be on the day before the last of the Council.

 

6.7 The names of all candidates shall be announced by the Secretary of the Federation as soon as possible after the opening of the Council and at least forty - eight hours before the election takes place .

 

6.8 Those elected shall be the candidates who receive the most votes from among those present or represented in the Council session.

 

6.9 The Council shall fix the date on which those elected to the Bureau shall take up their seats.

 

7. ACCOUNTS

 

7.1 The Federation shall cause proper books of account to be kept - in a currency determined by the Council – in respect of:

 

a. all receipts and expenditures of the Federation and the matters in respect of which such receipts and expenditures take place

 

b. the assets and liabilities of the Federation

 

7.2 At each Council session, the income and expenditure sheet for the 12 - month period ending on 31st December of each year together with the balance sheet as at the same date shall be presented by the Treasurer.

 

7.3 Copies of these accounts, the balance sheet and other relevant reports shall be provided to the Members and Associate Members of the Federation six weeks before the beginning of the regular Council sessions.

 

8. AUDIT

 

8.1 Once in every year, the accounts of the Federation shall be examined and the correctness of the income and expenditure account and of the balance sheet ascertained by auditors appointed by the Council. The report of the auditors shall be presented to the Council in accordance with article 7 of the Statutes.

 

9. DISSOLUTION

 

9.1 The dissolution of the Federation can be pronounced only after a formal consultation with all Members. The decision shall require a double majority, which is a majority of all Member Associations and a majority of the member ship of all Member Associations. 9.2 The Council shall decide upon the disposal of any assets and arrange for the cessation of activities.

 

10. AMENDMENT OR SUSPENSION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

 

10.1 These Rules of Procedure may be amended or suspended by a decision of the council. The decision shall be by double majority, which is the majority of those Member Associations present or represented in the Council and a majority of the total membership of those Associations.

 

These Rules of Procedure shall come into force on 9 July 2008.

 

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE FEDERATION
OF ASSOCIATIONS OF FORMER INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVANTS

 

Attachment

 

Procedure for the appointment of FAFICS representatives to the Pension Board

 

The FAFICS delegation to the Pension Board consists of four representatives and two alternates.

 

1. The President of the Federation shall be ex officio the head of the FAFICS delegation.

 

2. The Chair of the FAFICS Standing Committee on Pension Issues shall be ex officio member of the FAFICS delegation.

 

3. The remaining two representatives and the two alternates shall be nominated by the President in consultation with the Bureau.

 

4. In establishing the FAFICS delegation to the Pension Board, the following criteria will be applied:

 

5. The representatives should be well versed in pension matters, both policy and practical; have negotiating skills; and be disposed to commit themselves to the work involved for a number of years.

 

a. The representatives should be familiar with the procedures and unique structure of the Pension Board and its Standing Committee.

 

b. The two alternative representatives may be chosen with a view to ensuring the continuity of sound FAFICS representation at the Pension Board.

 

6. The proposed composition of the FAFICS delegation to the Pension Board should be circulated to the Council on the first day of the Council session.

 

7. The representatives and alternates should be formally appointed by the Council

 

 

 

 

 

These procedures were adopted by the 43rd session of the FAFICS Council, held in Rome in July 2014 . The Council decided that they would enter into force in 2014 and that they should be attached to the FAFICS Rules of Procedure.