bulletin of the former itu staff associationlife.itu.int/retraites/pdf/bull_33e.pdf ·...

Bulletin of the Former ITU Staff Association

July 2015Bulletin No 33

The Former Staff Members’

Association, founded in 1999, wishes to express its support for the 150th anniversary celebrations of the ITU.

The many staff members who belong to this Association are proud to have enjoyed the opportunity, during their years of activity in this venerable international organization, to contribute to the transition from the era of the Telegraph to that of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

As we celebrate this 150th anniversary, this is briefly how we could summarize the history of the International Telecommunication Union:

ITU was founded in Paris in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union. It took its present name in 1932, and in 1947 became a specialized agency of the United Nations. Although ITU began with the telegraph, its work now covers the whole ICT sector, ranging from digital broadcasting to the Internet and from mobile technologies to 3D TV.

In order to have a clearer picture of these changes, it is worth looking up some of the texts contained in the Conventions that have marked this period of 150 years. The following extracts were all taken from the History of ITU Portal of the ITU Library and Archives

Service (https:www.itu.int/net/itunews/).

International Telegraph Convention (Paris, 1865)

Art. 3

The Morse Transmitter shall be provisionally adopted for the international wire service.

Art. 29

The High Contracting Parties shall take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the delivery to their destination of messages sent by sea by the means of semaphore stations either established or to be established on the coast of any one

Contents

1 Editorial

3 Minutes of General Assembly

8 Health insurance

8 Second vote results CMIP

9 Complementary insurance

10 Welcoming the new leadership of ITU

11 Member statistics

11 Autumn luncheon 2014

12 Spring luncheon 2015

13 River cruise May 2014

20 River cruise October 2014

25 Reminder concerning emails and phone calls to the secretariat

26 Urgent call for help

26 Web site

27 They have passed away

28 Committee of the Former Staff Members’ Association

EDITORIAL

1865 – 2015ITU-150

Bulletin of the Association

Art. 4 of the new Constitution - Instruments of the Union

The instruments of the Union are:

• this Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union,

• the Convention of the International Telecommunication Union, and

• the Administrative Regulations.

International Telecommunication Convention (Busan, 2014)

Extract from ITU News (No. 6 – November – December 2014)

Highlights of the Conference:

For the first time since 1992, the Conference introduced no amendment in the ITU Constitution and Convention, the international treaties that govern the activities of the Union.

The 2014 Plenipotentiary Conference (PP – 14) strengthened the mandate of ITU in all its areas of activity, such as bridging the digital divide, accelerating the deployment of broadband, using green information and communication technologies (ICTs) to combat climate change, the role of ICTs in dealing with natural disasters and using ICTs to assist the access of disabled persons.

In a Resolution dubbed Connect 2020, the Plenipotentiary Conference set the vision for the future of the world information and communication technology

(ICT) sector. This includes four key goals:

• Growth – enable and foster access to and increased use of ICTs;

• Inclusiveness – bridge the digital divide and provide broadband for all;

• Sustainability – manage challenges resulting from ICT development;

• Innovation and Partnership – lead, improve and adapt to the changing technology environment.

Definition

Telecommunication : Any transmission, emission or reception of signs, signals, writing, images and sounds or intelligence of any nature by wire, radio, optical or other electromagnetic systems.

Personal comments

These few extracts illustrate the transition from the Telegraph to the Internet and the evolving definition of the term Telecommunication (between 1932 and 2015).

It may be noted that the term Telecommunication is increasingly accompanied by the acronym ICT, which stands for Information and Communication Technology. Looking ahead, we may expect the abbreviation ITU to gradually turn into IICTU, which would stand for International Information and Communication Technology Union.

of the States signatory to the present Convention.

International Telecommunication Convention (Madrid,1932)

Art.1 – Composition of the Union

The countries, parties to the present Convention, form the International Telecommunication Union, which replaces the Telegraph Union, and which is governed by the following provisions.

…

Art. 40 – Entry into Force of the Convention

The present Convention will come into force on the first of January one thousand nine hundred and thirty-four.

Annexe – Definition

Telecommunication: Any telegraphic or telephonic communication of signs, signals, writing, facsimiles and sounds of any kind, by wire, wireless or other systems or processes of electronic signalling or visual signalling (semaphores).

Additional Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1992)

It was on the occasion of this Additional Plenipotentiary Conference that a Constitution was added to the basic instruments of the Union.

July 2015

operation of telecommunications/ICTs.

Pierre-André Traub

English version by Peter Whiting

the space of a few years to serve as a link in the efforts to facilitate the peaceful relations and cooperation between peoples needed for the successful

We as members of the ITU Former Staff Members’ Association follow the development of the Union’s area of activities with the greatest of interest. We are happy to have been given the opportunity for

MINUTES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ITU FORMER STAFF MEMBERS’ ASSOCIATION

ITU - 30 March 2015, 10.10 a.m.

1. Opening of the Assembly

Mr. Bigi welcomed the members of the Association and Mr. Malcolm Johnson, Deputy Secretary General of ITU.

Mr. Johnson said that he was very pleased to attend the General Assembly of the ITU Former Staff Members’ Association for the first time as Deputy Secretary General. He trusted that the Association Committee would work closely with the Union’s Administration.

Referring back to the former Plenipotentiary Conference, he said that a number of points still remained to be settled by the next Council, including the budget and the renovation of the Varembé building. In 2015, ITU was celebrating its 150th anniversary. The ceremony would take place at the CICG conference centre on 17 May 2015, and would be attended by distinguished guests and the whole of the Union’s present and retired staff.

He thought it was very important to ensure that the health insurance concerns of all active and retired staff were met and he hoped that the Management Committee, which had met for the first time on 27 March 2015, would succeed in improving the situation.

Some way had to be found of reducing medical costs in Geneva. The Administration was doing its best to find a solution by introducing a variable franchise, which would depend not only on the income of the insured members but also on their geographical location. He would be in favour of fully refunding all preventive examinations, such as annual check-ups. He lastly expressed the hope that whatever measures were taken would prove satisfactory for all insured members, regardless of their place of residence.

Mr. Escudero thanked Mr. Johnson on behalf of the Assembly, assuring him of the full support of retired staff and wishing him a long and successful career with ITU.

Mr. Bigi thanked the representatives of the Administration (Ms. Wilson and Mr. Dahlen), the health insurance representative (Ms. Trompet) and the President of the Staff Union (Ms. Debroye) for attending the meeting.

2. Appointment of Chairperson and Rapporteur

Mr. Pierre André Traub was appointed Assembly Chairperson.


Mr. Traub thanked all those who had come to the meeting and sent a message of friendship to all ITU retirees throughout the world.

Ms. Sibyl De Peic was appointed Rapporteur for the Assembly.

3. Presentation of the Committee

Mr. Bigi introduced the members of the Committee and their duties:

Mr. Fabio Bigi, President Mr. Eddy Augsburger, Vice-President Ms. Paulette Clerc, Treasurer Ms. Liliane de Michely-Jeanmonod, Secretary Mr. Georges Araman, Computing and Secretariat Mr. Jean-Pierre Berthet, Web Site Mr. Jean-Marie Estero, his spouse Cécile and Mr. Willi Justrich, Outings and Travel.

He also thanked Ms. Lydia Scolari Molina, recently co-opted member, as well as Mr. P. Johner and Mr. P. Whiting. He was sorry that Mr. Bacaly, Mr. Bourloud and Mr. Balfroid, President of Honour, had been unfortunately unable to attend. He thanked all the members of the Commmittee for accepting their appointed duties, and announced that in future all assemblies could be webcast over the Internet so that all members would have a chance to follow the Assembly’s proceedings wherever they were located.

He said that the Association had 425 members out of more than 800 retirees of the Union. He then requested a minute’s silence in memory of all those who had passed away.

4. Activities report

Mr. Bigi said that the Committee met once a month to consider priorities. Continuity was provided by Ms. Liliane de Michely and Mr. Georges Araman. He expressed the Committee’s thanks to the Administration for making an office and computing material available to the Association. He recalled that the Association’s aim was to maintain good relations between the Administration and retirees. He personally took part in the activities of AAFI-AFICS focused on pensions and health insurance.

For the Health Fund, six persons had stood for election as representatives of insured retirees, and three

had been elected: Mr. Carlos Sanchez (Incumbent), Ms. Claude Briand (Alternate) and Mr. Alfons Noll (Alternate).

• Complementary insurance

Mr. Augsberger said that the situation of the complementary insurance fund was satisfactory. The former complementary insurance fund had been taken over by a new company, which was working well and which had kept the same name of MSPINT. There would be no increase in contributions. The complementary fund would assume 25 % of the franchise and would propose the option, subject to the payment of an increased contribution, of assuming in addition either 50% or 100% of the franchise. The figures of the new fund would be available by the end of April. It had run into some difficulties with reimbursements on account of the change in the underlying health insurance and the fact that some insured retirees had reached the threshold of complementary benefits and were still claiming compensation from MSPINT. The differences encountered arose from the exchange rate applied at the time of the conversion from dollars to francs to set the benefit threshold.

The President of the Union said that problems had arisen between MSPINT and ITU when setting the threshold of access to complementary benefits. Once the threshold was reached, MSPINT could no longer intervene. The threshold had increased when the insurance had been changed.

Ms. Wilson explained that the difficulties had arisen on account of the exchange rates. The problem should be settled because, from 2015 onwards, the threshold would be calculated in francs.

The President of the Union was of the view that the exchange rate could not have made such a difference.

Ms. Wilson said that anyone encountering problems with access to the complementary threshold could contact the Administration, which would provide them with the necessary information. The access threshold was calculated differently for retirees and for working staff. For retirees, the reference figure was based either on the amount of the full pension (even if all or part of the one third of the pension capital has been cashed in) or on the amount the pension had been worth after 25 years of service.

July 2015

Mr. Descalzi said that the problem was knowing where to find the information. Service order 14/10 should have been translated, but it appeared that that was still not the case. The CIGNA site invariably referred all enquiries back to the ITU Personnel Department. He would like to see for himself the contract signed between CIGNA and ITU in order to check the terms of the contract, in case he could be of assistance.

Mr. Dahlen confirmed the Administration’s support for the Association and thanked the Association members who had contributed their assistance and experience with such matters as taxation and AVS to the retirement seminars. The same approach would be repeated in 2015. Service Order 14/10 (rev.) concerning the new Fund gave a description of the benefits and all details regarding the Fund. It had appeared in French with a slight delay. All service orders would be made available for consultation on the Association’s website. The CIGNA contract would be transmitted to the Management Committee and he personally would be happy to provide whatever explanations might be required.

Ms. Schumacher asked whether persons who, for health reasons, had no access to computers could be sent the information in paper form.

Mr. Dahlen said that paper copies were in any case available on request.

• Leisure activities

Ms. de Michely said that the Association organised 2 meals a year, one in the spring and one in the autumn (in November). The lunches were a great success. The dates of the next meals had not yet been decided. Very often they were held in France, simply because the costs were lower. Participants were asked to pay for their own meals, but the Association provided a contribution based on an ITU subsidy.

Mr. Estero said those who took part in the outings and travel covered their own costs, although the Association made a contribution to travel expenses based on a Union subsidy. The group organized walks and outings of different kinds. In 2014, 172 members had taken part, compared with 107 in 2013. The annual lunch had been a great success, with 32 members taking part. The highlight for 2015 would be a river cruise on the Douro in Portugal.

He wished to thank his wife Cécile, Mr. Justrich and Mr. Berthet for helping out with the walks and for keeping the Rando Plaisir website up to date. He also thanked participants for their help and their reports. Highlights for 2016 would include a cruise on the Guadalquivir river in Spain, a visit to a chocolate factory and the Christmas market.

Mr. Traub thanked all the Rando Plaisir organizers on behalf of the Association.

Mr. Berthet pointed out that the Association’s website had been in existence for some 10 years or so but was very rarely consulted. If anyone was interested, the address was www.life.itu.int/retraites.

• Association Bulletin

Mr. Bigi said that the Association Bulletin, which used to appear twice a year, would henceforth be issued only once a year. It was available either on paper or in electronic form on the Association’s website.

• Presentation of accounts and budget estimate

Ms. Clerc (Treasurer) said that the accounts showed an income surplus of CHF 4894.07. The Association had gained 23 new members. It had received a subsidy of CHF 5300 and was grateful to the Administration for that valuable contribution. The subsidy had been used only to pay the costs of the General Assembly and part expenses for the two Association lunches. The input to outings and travel was limited because participants paid their own expenses. The Association paid for the Committee’s annual luncheon and a contribution towards the parking costs of Committee members who had to call at Union premises to deal with Association business. The budget was balanced and the financial situation sound. The budget estimate for 2015 was roughly the same as for 2014, with no increase.

Mr. Traub thanked the Treasurer for her skillful handling of the Association’s accounts and expressed the hope that she would continue to serve the Association in that capacity as long as possible.

• Auditor’s report and approval of the accounts

The Association’s auditors were Mr. Carlos Sanchez and Mr. Willi Justrich.


Voyage à Malte 2011

Du 10 au 17 septembre 2011

Mr. Justrich read out the report of the Association’s auditors, who had checked the accounts at 3 February 2015 and found them to be correct. The auditors recommended that the Assembly approve the accounts and the work of the Treasurer.

The accounts were approved by the Assembly.

Mr. Traub proposed that the auditors’ appointment be renewed.

Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Justrich were reappointed unanimously.

Mr. Sanchez pointed out that, according to the Statutes, an alternate should be appointed.

Mr. Descalzi was appointed alternate.

5. New Health Insurance Fund

Mr. Traub thanked the representatives who had just recently been elected to the Management Committee to defend the interests of the retirees: Mr. Sanchez, Ms. Briand and Mr. Noll. He also thanked the other members of the Association who had stood for election, Mr. Diaby, Mr. Masson and Mr. Rosa.

Ms. Briand thanked the members for their support. At their first meeting, the three representatives had found that they shared the same future-oriented outlook, which consisted in ensuring efficient management of the Fund and keeping the insured members regularly informed. The ITU Administration had been asked to set up an e-mail address, at which all retired members could make enquiries regarding the management of the Fund. She made it clear that the representatives would be dealing not with questions concerning specific claims, but with general management issues. The insured would be informed as soon as the address had been activated. It had also been decided to consult the views and proposals of Mr. Masson, Mr. Diaby and Mr. Rosa. The representatives further intended to be present whenever necessary at Staff Council meetings. She said that the three representatives deplored the total lack of documentation concerning the Health Insurance Fund. To date they had received no document or figures whatever.

Mr. Noll thanked the Association Committee and its President for their standing invitation to attend Committee meetings. The three representatives had every intention of maintaining contact with all the insured, both working staff and retired. In his opinion,

there had not in the past been enough initiative on the part of the insured, nor indeed of the insurance.

The representatives would not be taking up the personal problems of the insured, but rather dealing with general matters that required attention. It was absolutely essential that they should be informed of every detail of the contract signed between ITU and Vanbreda, from which Cigna had taken over, including any subsequent changes or amendments. In addition, the representatives had no idea of the financial situation of the Fund. The Administration should supply them as soon as possible with the Fund’s accounts and balance sheets, or they would be unable to work out the statutory reserve of the Fund, take any action or offer meaningful recommendations to the ITU Secretary General. It was essential that they should be in possession of all that documentation in order to assess the situation. The Management Committee would certainly be looking into the question of reviewing and adjusting the franchises according to a scale. He reminded the Assembly that the representatives were determined to keep the insured informed of the situation of the Fund, both for the better and for the worse. Their motto was: “We look to the future; we do not look back at the past”. He concluded by saying that all the meetings of the Management Committee would be preceded by a meeting of the retirees’ representatives and where necessary by a meeting with the group of active insured members, and that the three representatives (incumbent plus alternates) would be attending the meetings of the Management Committee.

Mr. Sanchez explained that the Management Committee was made up of representatives of the Administration, working staff, retired staff and the Health Fund. The Administration was represented by Mr. Perewostchikow, Mr. Jamoussi and Mr. Dahlen (with Ms. Teltscher, Ms. Benitez and Ms. Zeng as alternates), working staff by Mr. Buonomo and Mr. Monast, with Ms. Gimenez as alternate.

The Committee had elected Mr. Jamoussi Chairperson and Mr. Buonomo as Vice-Chairperson. Decisions would be arrived at by consensus, failing which the Secretary General was have the deciding vote. Several meetings were already planned for 6 May, 24 June, 23 September and 22 October.

He said that only the representatives of retired staff had been elected, while those of working staff had been appointed. Working staff and retired staff had

July 2015

Voyage à Malte 2011

Du 10 au 17 septembre 2011

the same number of representatives, but the former had 2 incumbents and one alternate, compared with one incumbent and 2 alternates for retirees, whose number overall was as great if not greater than that of the former. The rules of procedure of the Management Committee might be revised to take account of that situation.

The main objective of the retired staff representatives for the time being was to obtain the basic documentation (contract and accounts), which were indispensible if the committee was to be in a position to set up and discuss the franchises. The main objective was the prevention and stability of costs with a view to preserving benefits and reducing franchises. The retired staff representatives would remain in touch with the retirees and would attend Staff Union meetings on request.

The President of the Union added that, despite her suggestion, the representatives of the Administration had not stood for election, but that the Staff Council’s choice was very satisfactory. However, it was worth noting that there was no gender parity, insofar as all the women were alternates. The Staff Union would be inviting the Health Fund Committee to attend its next meeting.

Ms. Scolari expressed her dissatisfaction with the way expenses were refunded and said that CIGNA’s services were not as good as those of the CAPS. She was in favour of renegotiating the services offered.

Ms. Trompet gave some explanations of current prices and lump sums.

Mr. Dahlen said that services had been replicated: there were no changes compared with CAPS. It had to be understood that the Administration faced constraints and that health insurance had to remain viable. There had been a suggestion for franchises to be adjusted according to the geographic location of the insured. It had to borne in mind that insurance was ultimately funded by the contributions of the insured and by the Member States. It had also been suggested that the insured could be transferred back to their national insurance service, but that idea had been abandoned. The main point to remember was that the viability of the Fund had to be secured for the longer term. For the time being, the situation could only be estimated and it would need to be analysed in more detail in the light of the reactions of the insured and health costs. Costs had to be kept under control and

every effort had to be made to avoid overcharging. He encouraged insured members who had difficulties to contact Ms. Trompet.

In reply to a comment by Ms. Magistris concerning the cost of LAMAL in Switzerland, he said that ITU’s insurance was based on three principles: free choice of doctor, world-wide coverage and unlimited care.

Mr. Muccioli noted that the contributions of retired staff were calculated on the basis of gross income and those of active staff on net income. He did not think that CIGNA’s services could match those offered by the CAPS. The franchise should be calculated on a pro rata basis.

The President of the Union asked the Management Committee to study overcharging in and around the Canton of Geneva. She asked CIGNA to enter on the insured’s profile information concerning access to the threshold of complementary benefits, together with any other relevant data. She also hoped that the terminology would be duly included in the information supplied.

Mr. Traub thanked the three elected members of the Management Committee for their presentation and urged them to continue defending the interests of retired staff.

6. Other matters

Mr. De Groot asked whether a motion to amend the statutes supported by 48 members could be discussed.

Mr. Traub recalled that under the Statutes of the Association, as revised by the General Assembly on 12 February 2014, article 6 set out the necessary conditions for modifying the Statutes.

Mr. Bigi thanked the Assembly and the Chair, as well as all the members of the Committee and the Rapporteur. He invited all those present to join him for a verre de l’amitié.

The meeting rose at 1.10 p.m.

Sibyl de Peic - Claude Briand

English version by Peter Whiting


Second vote results for the election of the representatives of insured retired staff to the

Management Committee of the CMIP

325 votes received (out of 820 insured retirees asked to vote)

White votes 0

Invalid votes 6

P. Rosa 35

M. Diaby 45

R. Masson 152

C. Briand 205 alternate

A. Noll 206 alternate

C. Sanchez 213 titular

Health insurance

Your elected representatives on the Health Insurance Management Committee (Mr. C. Sanchez, full member, Mr. A. Noll and Ms. C. Briand, substitutes) attended the initial meetings of the Management Committee. While the first two meetings, on 27 March and 6 May 2015, were held chiefly for information and contact purposes, the third (26 June 2015) led to some practical decisions. By the end of July you will be receiving a note explaining the advantages of pre-notification (which we strongly recommend), (i.e. informing CIGNA of any forthcoming surgical operation or medical treatment, so that it can negotiate the costs involved, which could produce significant savings without restricting your freedom of choice in any way), and concerning specific cases where the franchise may lapse if CIGNA is used as complementary insurance. This specific type of derogation will be applied provisionally for one year, to give us time to collect more data on the advantages the system might offer for both the insured and the Fund. A standing sub-committee has been set up to deal rapidly with contested cases, and has already met. CIGNA has been asked to add more information on its site on

individual profiles, especially with regard to dental and optical claims, so that every insured person has instant access to his outstanding credit in that respect. However, it should be borne in mind that it will take some time for all the necessary personal details to be added to the site.

As we had occasion to point out at the General Assembly, we still very much regret the lack of basic documents, such as the contract signed with CIGNA; the data we have received so far are not sufficient to give us a clear picture of expenditure and contributions, which would give us a more accurate idea of how the Fund has progressed since we left SHIF. We hope to be able to arrive at preliminary results of our first year with CIGNA at our next meeting in September. Our priority objective will be to review the tariffs applied for the franchise, always bearing in mind cost control and balance, in your interest and that of the Fund.

Claude Briand - English version by Peter Whiting

July 2015

COMPLEMENTARY INSURANCE

The Association’s meeting with the insurers, which had been announced at our General Assembly of 30 March 2015, took place on 26 May 2015. As usual, the meeting was attended by the MSPINT Administrators, The Staff Union, represented by its President and members of the Staff Union Committee, and a representative of our Association.

You may recall that the Complementary Health Insurance contract also includes repatriation cover (by SOS International).

At the close, the 2012 accounts showed a satisfactory balance. Paid refunds amounted to CHF 714’000.

The 2013 accounts, which close on 31 December, will be published as usual when the majority of claims for that year will have reached MSPINT.

The estimate for the time being is that expenditure will come to roughly CHF 750’000.

For the 2014 financial year, for which the figures are still provisional, refunds amounting to CHF 713’000 have already been paid out.

The Staff Union mentioned that at this stage it would like more details of the distribution of expenditure between active and retired staff.

A certain overconsumption had been observed on the part of the insured, which is probably largely due to the change in basic insurance and the resulting delays in the invoicing.

The picture that emerges after 8 months of the new health insurance scheme becoming effective and the introduction of franchises by ITU’s Collective Medical Insurance Plan is somewhat mixed.

The refund of 25% of the franchise by MSPINT represents 1/3 of total refunds. Too few insured members opted to buy back the whole of the franchise, which has upset the balance of that part of the contract.

In order to maintain stability, there will be a need to review the options available in terms of franchise cover.

As far as contributions are concerned, it is worth noting that the rates have not risen for the last 4 years. MSPINT suggested, however, that the time had come to think of raising contributions in 2016. An increase of 10% is a possibility for the medium term. A number of ways are being looked into of offsetting the effects of such an adjustment.

Your Representative was quick to point out that the rates applied to insured retirees were twice those applied to active retirees.

Finally, here are some useful details: Mutuelle Santé Prévoyance Internationale,

Rue du Prince 8, CH 1204 Genève (on appointment). Tel. 022 810.39.39 – E-mail address : [email protected]. Claims for refunds of medical expenses must be sent in scanned pdf format to [email protected]. The claims boxes are still available at ITU.

Please remember that the Staff Union, your Association representatives and the Vigny de Pierre MSPINT team are always prepared to answer your queries and attend to your concerns.

Lydia Molina-Scolari - Eddy Augsburger English version by Peter Whiting


Welcoming the new leadership of ITU

Secretary-General : Houlin Zhao (China) Deputy Secretary-General : Malcolm Johnson (United Kingdom) Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau : François Rancy (France) Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau : Brahima Sanou (Burkina Faso) Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau : Chaesub Lee (Republic of Korea)

According to tradition, the Association Committee contacted the new ITU leadership recently elected

at the Busan Plenipotentiary Conference in order to extend the Association’s congratulations and best wishes. And as usual, we were very warmly received as representatives of the ITU retired staff.

The newly elected leaders promised their full support for our Association and its activities. We shall continue to enjoy the same advantages and to be invited to take part in all official events, such as the Staff Party and the celebration of the Union’s 150th anniversary on the occasion of World Telecommunications Day.

July 2015

Members statistics

2014 2015Members 417 426Men 180 187Women 237 239Local 331 332Non local 86 94With email 285 305

Country of residence

2014 2015Switzerland 223 224France 129 132Spain 12 12Great Britain 7 7

Other countries

AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM , CANADA, CYPRUS, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA , USA , ETHIOPIA FIJI ISLANDS, FINLAND , GREECE, IRELAND, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN , JORDAN, MACEDONIA , MALI , NEW ZEALAND , THE NETHERLANDS, POLAND, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, SENEGAL , TURKEY, URUGUAY

New members

2010 192011 152012 122013 272014 21

Autumn lunch 2014

It was raining that day in November last year when some sixty of us met at the Auberge de Meyrin for our Autumn lunch. We had decided to switch venues

on the advice of our friend Jean-Marie, who knew the place well. Unfortunately, neither Cécile nor he were able to join us on account of a sad event in their

family. In fact, our lunch had to end earlier than expected as several of us were attending the funeral, which took place the same day. We hope our next lunch will take place in more cheerful circumstances!

Liliane de

Michely-Jeanmonod


SPRING LUNCHEON

(9 June 2015)

This year, once again, we have decided to venture outside Geneva to rediscover the nearby countryside. For this reason, Combloux was chosen for our Spring Luncheon as we remembered well how we enjoyed our previous visit. Our departure, as usual from rue de Varembé, took place under an overcast sky but on arrival in Combloux brilliant sunshine greeted us. We were indeed happy to be able to enjoy our aperitif on the sunny terrace opposite the breath-taking mountain scenery.

As ever, the hotel “Au Coeur de Près” did us proud with an excellent and copious meal. The afternoon

passed agreeably, either chatting comfortably seated or at will wandering nearby. What a pity we were not able to take advantage of the spa which had just been newly installed!

We returned contentedly sated having appreciated this convivial occasion to meet up with ex-colleagues, whom we are not always fortunate to be able to meet during the year except for these outings.

Liliane de Michely-Jeanmonod

July 2015

River Cruise on the Estuary of the Gironde

23 - 27 May 2014

A few of the participants

On this occasion, on behalf of the Association of Former ITU Staff Members, our colleague Jean-Marie Estero opted to « take us for a boat ride ». Many of us were delighted with his choice, having had a look at the abundant documentation that had been carefully prepared and perused the data supplied by his tour operator. With only a limited number of places available, our friendly organizer was soon overwhelmed by the number of candidates. Faced with the frustration of the late applicants, he succeeded, after some laudable effort, in laying on a second similar cruise, which was to take place between 21 and 25 October 2014.

And so we were among the 27 « lucky few» to join the first team setting off to cruise down the biggest estuary in Europe. Covering a surface area of 600 km2, the Gironde is in fact the largest estuary in Western Europe, and the best protected. Emerging

from the confluence of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, the Gironde, with all the grandeur of a European Mississipi, spreads out its train of islands and marshlands as it saunters past the prestigious winegrowing estates of the Medoc and the vineyards of Blaye and Bourg.

However, before embarking on our river cruise, we had to board an easyJet flight from Geneva to Bordeaux, then a super comfortable coach to reach our cruise ship, the « Princesse d’Aquitaine ». On arrival at the quayside, before we had a chance to become better acquainted with our Princess, we had to drop our luggage on board, as the crew were still busy brushing up and polishing our vessel. So as not to waste any time, we set off for a quick tour of the city of Bordeaux in a double-decker coach. Then by late afternoon, we were back safely on the Chartrons Quay ready to embark. We were warmly welcomed by the ship’s staff


and were finally awarded the keys to our cabins, to find that our luggage had preceded us to our quarters.

Here’s a brief description of the Gironde cruise, which was organized by the company « CroisiEurope » based in Strasbourg (www.croisieurope.com).

Tour of the city of Bordeaux by double-decker… Under the pouring rain !

Day 1 - Friday 23 May - BORDEAUX (start of the cruise)

6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Boarding in Bordeaux. Passengers to cabins. Welcome drinks in the ship’s saloon and presentation of the crew. Dinner on board followed by a welcome evening reception.

Welcome drinks

Day 2 - Saturday 24 May - BORDEAUX – BLAYE

We started the cruise on the Garonne river, which took us down to the estuary, then on as far as Pauillac. This small town was once built by wine merchants and seafarers, and its dockside is still lined by smart stone houses. From Pauillac, we set off by coach to discover the famous vineyards of Medoc. Our route led us through most of the best known vineyards of the region (Saint Julien, Haut-Medoc, etc.) and on round the famous tour of the châteaux (Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild).

We made a stop at the Château Paveil de Luze, where we had the opportunity to visit the lovely family estate of 120 hectares, acquired in 1862 by Baron Alfred de Luze, whose sixth generation of descendants are still today at the helm.

As soon as we were back on board again, the ship left Pauillac and headed for our next night stop at Blaye. After dinner, we were invited to a special evening entertainment prepared and organized by the ship’s crew.

Château Paveil de Luze

Day 3 - Sunday 25 May - BLAYE – LIBOURNE

Before we left Blaye to take the « corniche » road as far as Bourg, for Day 3’s excursion we began by visiting the superb acropolis, on which the French Marshal Sébastien Vauban (1633 – 1707) undertook

July 2015

the construction of the citadel of Blaye, 38 hectares of military fortifications built between 1685 and 1689 to protect the estuary. Then, winding along the narrow but picturesque « corniche road » to Bourg, we drove along the final stretch of the Dordogne until the whole spread of the Gironde Estuary opened up before us. Along the way we caught sight of some lovely gardens, some old fishermen’s houses, perched on the cliff face, and the famous « carrelets », curious looking huts perched over the water. The village of Bourg is an attrative town built on a rock and ringed with medieval ramparts. We were soon off back to Blaye, where we boarded the ship again and, while we enjoyed our well-deserved lunch, we cruised quietly up the lower stretches of the Dordogne river to the small town of Libourne, which we reached by sundown ready for the evening’s gala celebrations.

Visiting the citadel of Blaye

Day 4 – Monday 26 May - LIBOURNE - SAINT-EMILION – BORDEAUX

Day 4’s delectable excursion took us to Saint EMILION, where a guided tour took us round the mononolithic church, entirely hewn out of the limestone rock, which is the largest of its kind by size in the whole of Europe. Then on to visit a winegrower’s estates, where we were given a detailed explanation of all the stages needed to prepare the precious St Emilion wine. This exquisite beverage we then had occasion to sample as an apéritif, before returning to the ship at the port of Libourne for lunch. In the course of the afternoon the ship slipped its moorings and glided down to Bordeaux, which we reached by late

afternoon. Soon after dinner, a coach was waiting to take us on a panoramic tour of the city lights.

Immersed in the St-EMILION wine cellars

Day 5 – Tuesday 27 May - BORDEAUX (end of the cruise)

After enjoying our last breakfast on board, we had to leave our cabins by 9 o’clock to allow the crew time to prepare the ship for the next batch of happy cruisers, expected for late afternoon. We were allowed to leave our luggage in the ship’s saloon until we were ready to depart, at 3 o’clock, for Bordeaux’s Mérignac airport.

In conclusion, I would like to express a few personal thoughts (which - if may say -faithfully reflect the mood of all the other participants). This river cruise once again offered a perfect illustration of the superb organization laid on by Jean-Marie. It gave us also a chance to meet up with old colleagues in the relaxed atmosphere of a spectacular boat trip. The « river cruise » idea met with general approval and may well be repeated in future.

Our warmest thanks go to Jean-Marie himself, but also to his wife Cécile, who did her very best by his side to ensure our uninterrupted comfort and well-being.


Anne-Marie Rémy

René Rose

Françoise Paul

Jack Danièle

July 2015

Liliane Eddy

Jean-Marc Claudine

Cécile Jean-Marie

Georges Magda


Jacky Frédéric

Pierre-André Janine

Mary Anne Doreen

Janine Janine

July 2015

Paulette Danièle

Nicole Manon

Narrated by Pierre-André Traub. English version by Peter Whiting

Photographs courtesy of Jean-Marie Estero


Autumn river cruise on the Estuary of the Gironde

21 - 25 October 2014

Our full group of participants

As anticipated by Pierre André Traub in his account of the initial May cruise on the Garonne, and in view of the success of that earlier event, Jean Marie organized a second trip, which took place in late October.

We set off as a group of 19 travellers to board an Easyjet flight to Bordeaux on 21 October.

Just like our predecessors of the first cruise, we arrived brimming with enthusiasm in the wonderful city of Bordeaux, glistening in the sunshine. We had the whole afternoon to tour the city sights, before boarding our ship, the “Princesse d’Aquitaine”, where we were led to our comfortable cabins and then introduced to our friendly crew.

I shall not recount the details of our various excursions, since we followed practically the same programme as Cruise 1. But let it be said that we too had the occasion to appreciate the amiability and efficiency of the ship’s crew, and that we thoroughly enjoyed the fine and tasty meals “lovingly” prepared by

the ship’s chef. The family atmosphere aboard soon encouraged us to take part in all available activities … including the daily sessions of aerobics on the bridge, which turned out to be memorable.

Aerobics …

July 2015

… and more aerobics

All the outings went off without a hitch … even though our path led us through a number of wine cellars, where the visits were followed by much appreciated tasting sessions. We also had the chance to purchase some of the best of the local produce, though our exiguous suitcases demanded caution when it came to acquiring some of the tempting bottles. We were held back by the stern prospect of facing the easyJet baggage controllers on our return.

The smiles broadened as we visited more wine cellars

We were lucky enough to catch sight of the Mascaret wave, a natural and spectacular phenomenon that occurs twice a day on the Garonne and Dordogne rivers at the time of the rising tide. Unfortunately when we were there the current was not strong enough to allow for surfing or chasing the wave by kayak as at other times of the year.

The wavelets of a somewhat low-key Mascaret

Because the summery weather continued well into October, the vineyards laden their heavy crop of grapes had not yet taken on their rich Autumn hues, which was a trifle disappointing, although the loss of colour was made up for by the ambient luminosity. This allowed us to take some superb photographs of the chateaux, the landscape and the waterways, whose banks were littered with a string of beautiful villages, all bearing well known names and rich in history.

The vineyards of the Médoc

The four days we spent on that lovely ship sped by only too quickly and before we knew it we were back in Bordeaux for our last evening, where we took full advantage of a “Bordeaux by night” tour of the city lights. The floodlit monuments and historic buildings gave us a different view of that very lovely city. Once again, our cameras, all flashes blazing, proved to be our trusted allies.


Lulled by the gentle motion of the Garonne beneath us, we spent the last night on board dreaming of all the wonders we had glimpsed and visited in the few days

we had spent there – just enough to whet our appetites and make us long to return as soon as possible.

Account by Cécile Darx Estero. English version by Peter Whiting.Photographs courtesy of Jean-Marie Estero.

Catherine Simon

Mehdi Ellen

July 2015

Danièle Maïté

Evelyne Patricia

Liliane Sushila

Maryse Claude


Angelines Marie-Jo

Willi Sylvie

Violeta

Libourne

July 2015

Saint-Emilion

Reminder concerning emails and phone calls to the secretariat

Please do not forget that

the secretariat email address [email protected] is a generic address

accessing it from outside ITU is not easy

consequently urgent messages to this address can remain unread and unanswered for several days.

To avoid such delays, please send a copy of your urgent emails to the following committee members

[email protected] [email protected] first letter is a lower case L [email protected] [email protected]

The same applies for phone calls to 022 730 5584 (the secretariat number). Callers are urged to systematically leave a voice message clearly stating their request.


Urgent call for help

Help needed

Who can help our Committee members in their current secretarial tasks and for occasional new projects ?

This concerns not only members living in the Geneva area but also those who have no longer "vue sur le Jet d'eau". They can contribute intellectually if not physically. We thank all in advance for any collaboration. Please indicate in which of the following you are willing to offer your help:

• Secretarial work (with computer skills) • Secretarial work (without computer skills) • Translation into English • Translation into French • Mailing work (for example fi lling envelopes) • Drafting/Correcting articles for the Bulletin • Other (for example, readiness to etc)

Who wants to be part of the Committee ?

In order to ensure regular renewal of the Committee, we are relying on the willingness of new retirees

residing locally to join us and help in the proper functioning of our Association.

Here is a brief list of what they might be asked to do apart from the participation to the monthly meetings of the Committe :

• Liaison with the medical complementary insurance (MSPINT)

• Liaison with AFICS• Liaison ITU Staff Union• Be on duty at the Secretariat according to a pre-

established schedule• Consultation and follow-up of emails and voice

messages.• Consultation and follow-up of regular mail• Assistance to the secretariate for the production of

the Bulletin

Please send an email to

[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Do you want to know the dates when the Former Staff 's offi ce is manned, or obtain a copy of an article from an older Bulletin, or fi nd out the year’s programme of trips,

outings and visits?

Check out the Website of ITU Former Staff Members

http://life.itu.int/retraites/

The site provides all manner of useful information. We hope you will visit the site regularly and help to improve it by sending us your suggestions

(write to: [email protected]). Many thanks.

July 2015

They have passed away…

Jan KLOOS (13.07.2014)

Victor ZAMUDIO (28.07.2014)

Souha BACHOUR MALEH (02.08.2014)

Denis BLOUD (30.08.2014)

Guido POZZA (19.10.2014)

Laurent LAUNARO (30.10.2014)

Jacqueline ESTRABAUT (20.12.2014)

Germaine L’EPLATTENIER (02.01.2015)

Moreshwar SANT (05.01.2015)

William BELLCHAMBERS (10.01.2015)

Marie-Henriette SANE (24.04.2015)

Catherine BARAMBON (23.06.2015)


Comité de l’Association des anciens fonctionnaires de l’UIT Committee of the Former Staff Members’ Association

CompositionPrésident d’honneur/Honorary Chairman Jean BalfroidPrésident/President Fabio BigiVice-Président/Vice-President Eddy AugsburgerSecrétaires/Secretaries Liliane de Michely-Jeanmonod, Lydia Scolari-MolinaTrésorière/Treasurer Paulette ClercMembres/Members G. Araman, J. Bacaly, J.-P. Berthet, , J.-M. Estero, P.

Johner, P. Whiting,Répartition des tâches/Distribution of dutiesLiaison avec l’Association des anciens fonctionnaires internationaux de Genève(AAFI)/Contacts with the Association of Former International Civil Servants in Geneva (AFICS)

F. Bigi, J. Bacaly

Questions de pensions/Pensions F. Bigi, E. AugsburgerCaisse-maladie, Comité de gestion CCAM/Health Fund, CMIP management committee

M. Carlos Sanchez, titulaire/titular member; Mme Claude Briand, M. Alfons Noll, suppléants/substitute members [email protected]

Caisse complémentaire/Complementary Insurance E. Augsburger, L. Scolari-Molina, P. JohnerPréparation du Bulletin/Preparation of the Bulletin L. de Michely-Jeanmonod assistée des autres

membres du Comité ainsi que de/with the help of the other members of the Committee as well as F.Sala, G. Araman, P.-A. Traub, P. Whiting, M. McMahon

Activités récréatives et Randonnées /Leisure Activities And outings

L. de Michely-Jeanmonod , Jean-Marie Estero, Willi Justrich

Informatique et site Web/Computer and Website G. Araman, J.-P. BerthetPour nous contacter/To contact usTél./Tel. 0041 22 730 55 84Courriel/E-mail [email protected] Web/Web site http://life.itu.int/retraitesPermanences/Office opening hours 1er et 3ème mardi du mois Bureau V23 bâtiment

Varembé. de 14h à 16h/1st and 3rd Tuesday Office V23, Varembé Building from 2 PM to 4 PM

Numéros utiles/Useful numbersSecrétaire du Syndicat/Staff Union Secretariat 0041 22 730 57 99 www.syndicat-itu.orgService Social/Social Service [email protected] 0041 22 730 53 80Pensions/Pensions 0041 22 730 53 81

[email protected] [email protected]/Health insurance CAPS [email protected] E. Valauskaite 0041 22 730 5385Assurance-maladie/Health insurance

CCAM/CMIP Vanbreda CIGNA

0032 3 217 67 22

[email protected] [email protected] UIT/ITU: Marianne Wilson [email protected] 0041 22 730 53 81Contact CIGNA : Inge Trompet (à l’UIT les vendredis/at ITU every Friday)

Rendez-vous/Appointment 0041 79 364 6965

Assurance complémentaire/Complementary Insurance MSPINT /Vigny Depierre SA

0041 22 810 39 39 [email protected] Remboursements/Claims : [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]











bulletin of the former itu staff associationlife.itu.int/retraites/pdf/bull_33e.pdf ·...

Documents