CL 127/LIM/5

Council

1. Article 4(a) of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension fund provides that “the Fund shall be administered by the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board, a Staff Pension Committee for each member organisation, and a Secretariat to the Board and to each such committee”. Under Article 6(c) the Staff Pension Committee of each member organisation “shall consist of members and alternate members chosen by the body of the organisation corresponding to the General Assembly, its chief administrative officer, and its participants in service...”

2. The FAO/WFP Staff Pension Committee plays an important role in the general effort to harmonise UN pensions and their administration with the requirements of Organisations of the UN common system and of their staff, who may serve and retire in all countries of the world. The characteristics of the International civil Service of the UN system require particular care as well as in-depth treatment of the issues that are brought to the attention of the UN General Assembly. Its responsibilities are:

1. to review the Pension Fund Regulations and Administrative rules with respect to possible amendments thereto in order to formulate the position of the Committee’s delegation to the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board, which in turn makes recommendations as appropriate, to the United Nations General Assembly;
    
2. to interpret and apply the Regulations and Administrative rules of the Pension Fund in cases of contestation by FAO & WFP participants of a decision by the Secretary of the Staff Pension Committee concerning participants’ entitlements and/or status;
    
3. to grant disability benefits in payment (approximately 25-30 cases per year), in accordance with the Regulations and Rules of the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund.

3. The Committee meets in Rome as the need arises (normally six to eight times a year for meetings lasting half a day). The Committee appoints three members and three alternates (one member and one alternate from among the members designated by the FAO Conference, the Director-General and FAO/WFP Participants respectively) to represent the Organisation in the UN Joint Staff Pension Board, the higher administrative body of the Fund, reporting directly to the UN General Assembly. Regular sessions of the Board are held not less frequently than once every two years.

4. The FAO/WFP Staff Pension Committee consists of:

• three members (with three alternates) appointed by the Conference of FAO;
   
• three members (with three alternates) appointed by the Director-General; and
   
• three members (with three alternates) elected by the FAO & WFP Participants.

5. The Conference-appointed members and alternates at present are:

6. In view of the time factor and to avoid undue travel costs in connection with attendance at Staff Pension Committee meetings which are held in Rome, the Conference has usually appointed representatives who are resident in Rome.

7. In view of the fact that the Conference hold biennial sessions and situations may arise where members or alternates appointed by the Conference may cease their functions, in November 1995 “the Conference authorised the Council to appoint replacements of its representatives on the Staff Pension Committee should any representative resign or be transferred.” Accordingly, the Council has been asked, on a number of past occasions, to appoint replacements for representatives having resigned or been transferred for the remainder of the term of office.

8. The Council is invited to appoint to the Staff Pension Committee His Excellency Don Oscar Antonio Oyuela Castellón, Alternate Permanent Representative of the Republic of Honduras as alternate member until 31 December 2006, to replace and complete the term of Her Excellency Doña Victoria Guardia Alvarado de Hernández, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Costa Rica who has stepped down from the Staff Pension Committee.