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Rome, 28 January 2022

Dear Members,



As we have entered a new year, we want to thank you for the support you have given to FFOA over the past year and wish to remind annual members that their membership will expire unless renewed.



During the past year, despite being seriously limited as a result of the COVID-19 regulations, your Association has been able to:



  *   Maintain our office ‘virtually’ open 5 days a week from 9.30 to 13.00 hours, with our Desk Assistant Gabriella Sborchia available on the telephone for any inquiries and maintaining email services with members; at the same time having members of the Executive Committee on call to support members;
  *   Keep you up to date on developments at the Rome based Agencies (RBAs), related to measures taken as a result of COVID-19 by sending out Newsflashes and Information Notes by email;
  *   Be instrumental for the inclusion of pensioners in the vaccination programme for UN staff and facilitating members and dependents enrolment in the programme;
  *   Protect your interests and monitor the performance of our Health Insurance provider (Cigna); addressing problems raised by members and initiating discussions with Cigna and the RBAs Health Insurance units to address identified problems and seeking improvements in services;

  *   Represent your interests by participating in the FAO/WFP Staff Pension Committee and maintaining our contacts with Agency Social Security Units with a view to ensuring that medical and pension issues were suitably addressed;
  *   Deal assertively with the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) both directly and through FAFICS;
  *   Continue our dialogue with the FAO Director General, who participated in our Annual General Assembly and with the management of the other RBAs;
  *   Prioritize communications on pressing, emerging issues, thus ensuring that you, the members, had the latest factual information, as quickly as possible; and,
  *   Offer a pre-retirement temporary membership for staff members who are retiring within 18 months to smooth the transition towards retirement .

In the coming year, either with our office open or in a lockdown status, key tasks will include:

  *   Our active participation in the FAO Joint Advisory Committee on Medical Coverage in order to monitor the performance of the medical insurance provider, to ensure that pensioners needs are fully met;
  *   Actively participate in overseeing the implementation and performance of the health insurance plans at WFP and IFAD through membership of their individual oversight committees and address medical insurance issues that arise;
  *   Meet regularly with other staff associations and maintain an open dialogue with the managements of the Rome-based Agencies;
  *   Continue an active dialogue with the UNJSPF and raise individual member issues;
  *   Support an interesting and diverse social programme, including COVID permitting monthly Coffee Mornings at FAO and occasionally at WFP, that bring together members to share pleasant moments and stay informed;
  *   Promote the Membership Defence Fund and call for additional voluntary contributions to be used in case legal actions would be required in defence of common membership interests;
  *   Using the Emergency Fund to assist those among us who are less fortunate. and
  *   Continue to support members or their survivors by informing them of the procedures for claiming benefits from the Pension Fund etc.


Your continued membership support ensures a strong FFOA that can actively work for you to ensure efficient services for UN retirees.

We appreciate ​very much the support of our life-members, who should skip the message hereunder.

  *

Renewing your membership is easy, you can make your Euro 25 payment through several different ways:

  *   In cash at the FFOA Office (when back to normal business) or,
  *   By cheque (when back to normal business) in the name of "FFOA" (mail the cheque to FFOA, c/o FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy; or,
  *   By bank transfer (*) to the bank account of "FFOA" with the Intesa San Paolo at FAO Headquarters, IBAN: IT50 T030 6903 3560 0732 637 0137; (BIC: BCITITMM700) or,
  *   By transfer (*) from your UNFCU account to the FFOA UNFCU account No. 10-17710700001.UNFCU Routing Number 226078609;
  *   You can even instruct your bank to make the payment annually, via a standing order – that way you won’t forget to renew. Or you can take out life membership.

(*) When using Bank Transfers please clearly indicate Member’s ID/Surname/First name and period (year(s)) for which the payment is made.

In this regard, you may know we have adjusted two years ago our procedure to convert annual membership into life membership. Members during the first ten years of their membership could convert their annual membership by just paying for the missing years up to 15 years. Thereafter they can convert their annual membership into life membership by paying an additional 5 years. Thus, to get life membership from the 11th year up (until the 15th year and beyond), it would imply the payment of an additional 5 years in all cases, i.e. €125.

If you have any questions about your membership or benefits, or suggestions about how FFOA could better meet your requirements, we would love to hear from you, either by email or letter.  A further positive action you can take is to inform and persuade friends who are not yet members to become members of FFOA. And, if you have the time and want to be more directly involved in the work of your Association, there are many opportunities to put your expertise at the service of FFOA.

Finally, let me take this opportunity to wish you and your families all the best for a joyful and healthful 2022.

Regards,

Edward Seidler,
President, FFOA


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