15 MARCH 2016

Officials of AFICS (Association of Former International Civil Servants) circulated the following email on 15 February:

"Dear AFICS/NY Member,

During the past several weeks, the leadership of AFICS/NY and FAFICS has continued to draw to the attention of our colleagues in the UNJSPF the deep and serious concerns regarding the Pension Fund backlog for processing of new pensions and the 2015 Statement of Benefits letters. The AFICS/NY Governing Board invited members of the Pension Fund secretariat to its most recent AFICS/NY Governing Board meeting to discuss these issues.

We are pleased to report progress with respect to the Statements of Benefits. Provided you gave the necessary instructions to the Pension Fund when you retired, mailing of the Statements will begin 15 February 2016 for those who retired prior to 2015. Those who retired in 2015 should already have received their Statement.

As for the payment of new pensions, the Pension Fund has informed us that things are already improving, as demonstrated by the accelerated processing rates achieved in December. There is still a ways to go to clear the backlog, which is a tripartite process in which the staff member about to retire, the releasing organizations and the Pension Fund all have a role to play.

AFICS/NY and FAFICS will continue to monitor progress over the next weeks and months in an effort to ensure that the momentum achieved is maintained.

The above information is also available on the UNJSPF website at www.unjspf.org and on the AFICS/NY website at www.un.org/other/afics."