Qu o r t e , I y

@Wffiof tlte Association of Fortner IVHO St"lT

WHO, CH-1211 Geneaa 27, Sutiaerland ( TP:+41 22 791 31 03; IX: +41 22 791 07 46; e-mail: <a$ru_aams@ubo.ch>

Pensions

ATTen 20 YEARS oF DEFIcIT, A SURPLUSThe recently-concluded, rwo-

year valuation by the Actuaries ofthe U.N. staff pension fund showeda clear surplus of 4.25 per cent ofpensionable remuneration as com-pared to e meagre 0.36 per centin December 1997, according to a

report by the \fHO Staff PensionCcmmittee.

And largely due to earningsfrom equities, which make up 70 percent of invesrments, the market valueof the fund grew from US$ 20.2billion rwo yeârs ago to $26.1 bil-lion today. Smart investing broughtin returns at 18 per cent interestor, after inflation, 13.8 per cent,still heftv. The reporr came afterthe 50th session of the U.N. JointStaff Pension Board, which was heldthis year from 5 rc 14 July at the'§ÿ'orld Meteorological Organisationin Geneva.

Following a meeting amongthemselves rwo days later to takestock of developmenrs, representa-tives of former staff associations inGeneva declared that, should theU.N. go out of business today, thefund could continue paying pen-sions both to former and servingstaff. Their mood of exuberanceis understandable as the report said

that the fund "had previously expe-rienced a deficit for some 20 years."

The soundness of the financialposition led the Board to make

rwo favourable recommendations tothe U.N. General Assembly, whichopens later this year, namely:

. That, effective 1 April 2001,pension is raised when the cost ofliving increases by 2 rather than 3per cent; and

. That, effective I January2001, the penalry is lowered to 6instead of 6.5 per cent for commut-ing to a lump sum.

Other changes with financialimplications, such as possibly reduc-ing contributions, were put off untilwhat the next actuarial report willshow rwo years hence.

In non-financial matters, theBoard agreed to permit alimonydeductions from pensions, of course,

subject to a court order and theagreement of the pensioner, a movecriticised editorially in U.N. Special.(See "Perpetuating Stereoÿp€s, ?. 4')

In another decision - one thatscarcely does the Board proud - itrefused to grant ex grdtia paymentsto retirees from the ex-Soviet Unionwho left service berween 1981 and1990, and who receive less than$20 monthly in pensions. Thoughrelief was considered, the news thatAFICS/AAFI, Moscow "was takinglegal action against the fund changedthe mood," explained a long-servingrepresentative in Geneva.

In its most eyebrow-raisingdecision, the Board selected from a

short list of four, including threeinsiders, the sole outsider as thefundt next Secretary. Essentially,to quote regulations, it gave moreweight to "the inflow of fresh tal-ent" than to "the promotion ofpersons already in service." So

Bernard Cochème, now Director ofthe Retirement Branch of FrancetCaisse des Depôts et Consignements,

Paris, will replace retiring RaymondGieri from 1 January 2001.

"Tltis summer, we decided to stay home and com?lain."

FraruREs

A GI-IMPSE OF EnnLY TIMEsarly in 1950, on learning that my first \[HO duty station was to be in south-east Asia, I had become

increasingly conscious that my father, grandfather and half a dozen other family members had spent

their active lives in that Bengal and Burma over which we were now gliding. Many of them are buried

there. Their yesterdays had made possible my o\À/n today.

On leaving the plane at Bangkok the change of temperature !ÿas as physical as the blow of a fist.\W'e were met by Sam Keeney, director of UNICEF's regional office, whose advisor I was to be. He had

come over my horizon in 1946 as chief of the UNRRA mission in Italy, where his social sense and deft

administration had brought brilliant results.

A week or so later I went to New Delhi; it was the only occasion in which I had direct contact with

Prime Minister Jawaharal Nehru, who showed that wonderful Indian capacity for creating instant friendly

understanding. A few days later, when I went to take leave, he said laughingly, ''§ÿ'ell I know it's going to

work - how can it not with three Tiiniry men on the job, especially as rwo of them are Indians and the

third has an Indian bacÇround."

eville \7adia, who had been in my year et Cambridge, was now a leading Parsee industrialist. He

was interested in manufacturing penicillin. I went down to Bombay to discuss this possibiliry which,

for U.N. bureaucratic reasons, was harder to implement than was State ownership. I would dearly

have liked to have helped a member of the '§ÿ'adia family make penicillin. In my grandparents' day the '§ÿ'adias

had been our partners in a ship-building project based on Burmese teak. The symmetry of the relationship

appealed to me but, alas, it was not to be.

I have extremely hrppy memories of my colleagues and my superiors in the U.N. at this earlier period

in its history and even more so within \ürHO, where recruitment was still made in each and every cese on

the sole criterion of proven professional competence. Dr Chandra Mani, Regional Director, SEARO, had

been a colonel in the Indian medical service of imperial times; he brought the best of that servicet tradition

with him, but remarked that it was very hard to create an egrit de corps in an international service largely

composed of experts on short-term contracts.

By the mid-1970s, not only had those \fHO veterans been retired but the organisation was itself

applying new criteria in the recruitment of their replacements, guided by what were euphemistically called

considerations of "geographical distribution." This really meant considerations of political expediency as

glimpsed momentarily by senior bureaucrars.

t is easier to hire than to fire. As a Third'§7orld scientist once remârked, this, in '§7HO, has resulted in

the blocking of certain jobs by only modestly qualified candidates. Such people tend to end up doing very

little as their pseudo-utiliry had but temporary appeal. However, with nowhere else to go, they stay put --occupying a budget-line that could have carried a more active , if less politically decorative, appointee .

-Kenneth Sinclair-Loutit

(Excerpted frorn unpublished rnemoirs Chapter 24)

(formerly EMRO)

page 2

Health Corner

OeESITY

CC T ook at that" whispered Albert ironically,

I gazing intensely in the direction of ourI-./neighbouring table. "The lady doesnt

seem to lack appetite. How can she eat thai much atthis time of the day?"

The object of Albertt conrempt ,ÿvas an explic-itly stout solitary lady, sipping , .rrp of chocolaà incompany of rwo sizeable slices of chocolate cake; itwas just about 10 a.m. - and she seemed to enjoy thetreat. "Isn't it a shame o be that fat?"

My friend is thus one of rhose numerousmembers of our sociery who feel rhar overeating isa.bad, even disgusting habit, and that the result"ingobesiry is a most unwanred condition. \7hile I dànot rrl/ant to comment on the.complicated question^ of the sociology of obesiry (there are societies in which beingobese is a status symbol), medically sp.aking, significant obesiry is"indeed

" high-.irk condition.

tT-P]lst of *t-",tt potentially associated with obesiry includes hypertension, diaberes, coronary eræry! disease, gallbladder disease, gout, deep vein thrombosis, pulm on^ry embolism, osteoarthritis, decubitusJ- ulcers, intertrigo,^incr^eased risk in case of surgery and, in gèneral,

" de.re"sed span of life. Not all, thoughmany, obese persons suffer from these diseases; the piobabiliry"of developing some'of the above corrjitior* i,proportionate to the degree of their obesiry.

Obese-persons are classified into three categories: mild, moderate and severe obesity. Mildly obese personsare considered to be.thoservhose body..weight.ii 10.to.40 per cenr over the average *Lr..orr.rporrài.rg,otheir age, sex- and height. Obesity is càIed Âoder"t. if the excess welght is berween?g and 100 p.', cent, andsevere.orpatho.logical obesity exists if body.weight is more than doub"le the average. The arrerag! *.igt,,,..given in the following, grossly simplified table:

r75 180

75

80

Thevalues refer to persons over age 60, and are raken from Ciba-Geigy, ScientificTâbles, 1982

Some 90 per-cent of obese persons belong,to_ the category of mild obesiry 9 per cent are moderarely obese,while severe (pathological) obesiry is rare,

"p ,J0.5 p., ...,r1

The most common cause of obesiry especially in elderly people, is overeating, coupled with decreasedphysical activity. Hormonal changes also play " ,à1., ,"d hé.àiÇ seems ro accounr for about one fourthofexcess body fat.

o what to do? Severe.obesiry is a severe medical problem, and needs to be treated by specialists. Moderateobesiry may !e treated by one of the numerous làw calorie diets, and increased ptryri.it activiry. Appetite-supp^ressing^drugs (anorexigens) were much used in the past, but are ", pr.r..r, considered les, desir"bl.

because of their freq-uent side-effects. The most common form, mild obesiry if t.."t-..rt is desired at all, callsfor behaviour modification, including physical activity. The latter h"s othÉr beneficial effects as well, e.g. onthe cardiovascular system. Advanced age is ,ro ,.rron to become physically inactive, unless o.r. ,,rfi.r, ?o*severe rheumatism or other incapaciry.

. Eating and overeating is a complicated chapter of human psychology. Most obese persons I know aregentle, good-natured characters, not at all unhappy rbo,rt their'e*cess bidy weight. TË.r. is no point instigmatising.them.

_So, to come back to the beginning of my story I said to my friËnd Albert: "Let hei eat herchocolate cakes. \Why dont you have one, roo?"-

Height/cm 150 155 160 165 170§Teightikg women 59 GO G4 68 70Men 62 65 68 72 76

-Tom Strasser, M.D.(former$, CW)

page 3

Pensions

PETSIoNERS.To.BPensioners-to-be are being advised now by AAFI/

AFICS to take pensions based on the U.S. dollar, which

could then be payable in a currency of choice. Vhy?

Simply, because from January 1997 to December

1999, the dollar has been appreciating against most

national currencies, and, also because the U.S. con-

sumer index has been rising relatively quickly. (A

notable exception is the case of Japan.)

"lJnless you request the local track option (which

is based on currencies other than the dollar) you willautomatically receive U.S. dollar pensions, thereafter

adjusted in line with the lJ.S. consumer price index,"

according to the Associations expert Robin Perry,

writing in its Bulletin (May and March 2000). "The

News & VrEws

E: TNINK TwICEpension fund is ready to pay your benefit in any

currency you name."

Addressing the many pensioners already on the

local track, he says: "There is no reason for regrets. Itraised your pensions substantially in the days of low

dollar pariry and is not penalising you today. However,

new retirees are advised to think rwice before choosing

the dual-track system now."

One wee advantage of the dollar track is that

periodic proof of residence is not required. Also, you

can change from the dollar to the local track later.

However, he added, 'ÿou are not allowed to return tothe dollar track once on the dual-track sysrem."

PER pETUATI NG STEREoTYPES

To U.N. Special, the monthly magazine of inter-national civil servants, a "brevo" for standing up forpensions and a "boo" for letting down pensioners, all

in its June issue.

' A bilingual (in itself, exceptional) editorial

champions the "inviolability of our pensions" in protest

at the pension board's decision to allow deductions ofalimony from pensions.

"First alimony payments, next maybe trafficfines, rent arrears or the most far-fetched claims..."the editor states. Sympathetic readers are asked tosend him this message: "Hands Off Our Pension."

<unspecial@unece. org>

. An illustration to ân article on retirement

perpetuâtes the stereorype of the old. As can be seen,

the photo is wonderfully classical, but the woman

depicted (toothless, wrinkled, wizened) bears littleresemblance to the average U.N. pensioner, QN's \fliseOld Owl is convinced, while making a plea for a littlemore accuracy next time seniors are shown.

U.N. Special, June 2000

As U.N, Special sees us, pen^sioners.

page 4

CSG AND CRDS. - A TAx oR NoT A TAx

rom the very start' the payment of Francet CSG (contribution sociale génhalisée) and of the CRDS(contribution Pour le rembours€ment de k .dene ,sociale) by frontalie. *orkîr, h* b..., .orr.rà, ,ti,

ï:-r.: î::ît:::,ilïl'; tali;ularf those by associations of workers.living in France brt *o-rkingin Germany' French authorities iniist that ,h.r. .o.r,ributions are râxes while the frontalier "rro.irtiorÏïiithat they are obligatory social deductions.

-J.M. Leclercq

(former TM)

on 15 February2000, the European_Communiryt Court ofJustice delivered nvo rulings, one concerningthe csG (case c-169/98) and the otÀer the CRDS ('case c-34/98). In both cases and on-identical grounds,the Court censured France and declared that its. applying the CRDS to the earnings (pensions fall in thiscategory) of salaried and independent workers *ho li',r. In Fran.e but work in another Member State andwho' by virtue of Rule l4oïl7ll, are not subject to French legislation as regards social securi; ir-" breach:f tlt obli8ptions incumbent upon Franc. ,r,d.. Article B ;f the Rule, ar" *ell as Articles 4g and 52 ofthe Ti'eary of Maastricht.

T-Ï ,::ïï:: -is therefore quite clear. However, in both cases ir concerns salaried and independentI iîïî,ï|: ,î:i'J,.,i::ïL:il: ïf ;î.':,,,l,.üT:ni,",_!;,{,l,r,K!;";,r*ri "*::;securiry and who are dependent on our own institutions, ,r"-.ly the Joint Staff pension Fund and our ownI rr .

health lnsurance scheme?

one thing is certain: the highest European court has ruled that these rwo "conrriburions" are socialdeductions and not taxes,.and

", "..otr.q,ren.. o,rght nor ro be applied to people *ho b.lorrg to a different socialsecurity system' Although the r_ulings are not aimed at U.N. pÀiorr.r, iiring i., France, we should be able toinvoke the same reasons adduced ,o .h"ll.rrg. the payment of th. "contributio.r"r'; ùy ,r.

l\ /f ?n""", it certainly seems that the French tax services have tacitly admitted this since they have

lvl::ï:,ii":ï;:',f:'niïï:',ï*:'.:J; i,i:[,.:*:iT:l;li.t:i::J',îïï:.r?y,:at Present in process will be settled according to the decisions of the Court of Justice and that people who havewrongfully paid these deductions should b. Ài..rb,r., ed. on request.

Requests for repayment of the CSG made by letter should be addressed to the relevant URSSAF and thoseconcerning the CRDS to the relevant tax centre, before I January 2003. (For Ain, utrite to 14, rue paué dAmoun01016 Bourg-en-Bresse Cedex, tel. 04 74 45 66 99.)

..GRANNY, WHY Do YoU DIVE?,,It was this question - as simple as it is sensible

_ from her three-year-old grandàaughter that led

Claudine Mouly to explain why she enjÇs scuba-divingand to describe for us some of her most ,p..t".,rlrldives. The reasons for putting onet head ,r.rd., *",..are many and various, for instance to see, to show offto learn, to forget, to heal - in short, to have fun.

LrresryLEsactiviry lare on in life and,for a long time. Theties are equally varied,Duingt, Bonnaire,or offshore neâr

\X/hatt more, itthe lie to those of ustimes ask whether irage, to sign up for a

moreover, can keep it upcentres for scuba activi-

whether they are inNew Caledonia

Marseilles,

also gives

who some-is reasonable, at our

bungee-j umping course!All this is described with a great deal of spontane_iry and wit by the wife of a former ILO .à11."g,r.,Jean Mouly. This book proves ro us all, in an

("Grand-mère, pourquoi tu Dlowes?" ISBN2-91i4s3-09-7. Publihed'by Editiàns 2e la Nerthe,83190 Ollioules. pricei 98.40 FF; e-mail:< edi ti o ns. nerth e @utan ado 0.fi >)

entertaining way, that anyone can take up a sporting

page 5

DoUBLY HoNoURED

Jean-Pierre Dustin, formerly Chief, \MHO's\ÿorld Food Programme, COR, has been namedCommander of the Crown of Belgium in recognitionof his life-long work to prevent nutritional blindness- work that is estimated to have saved the sight ofa million people, and which he continues even afrerretirement from \ü[HO.

The order was conferred upon him, in the nameof King Albert II and in the presence of his wife anddaughter, on 13 June by Belgium's U.N. Ambassador

J.M. Noirfalisse. It is the second time he has beendecorated: 16 years ago he was made Commander ofthe Order of Leopold II. "You based your scientificwork on hypotheses which originally aroused consider-able scepticism. The rigorousness of your approachfinally proved you right.

"Measures for the prevention of nutritional blind-ness which stem from your work now consrirute theinternational norm," the Ambassador said.

Invited to the ceremony were Dr 8c Mrs HalfdanMahler, AFSMt Dr Ec Mrs Rajindar PaI and Mr &Mrs Jery Kilker.

TneeIE JEoPARDY

A colleague reporrs he was snapped by a mobilecamera speeding along the road from the Versoixroundabout to Ferney Voltaire just five days beforeChristmas last year, when everybody was in a rush.fu he had exceeded the speed limit by 23 km, on 1

March, he received notice from the Corps de police,Canton of Geneva, of a stiff CHF 500 fine, plussomething referred to as an "emohtment" of CHF 60.On 3 March, he paid up, thinking it would be theend of the affair.

To his surprise, on 13 April he received noticefrom the Service des Automobiles that he would be

subject to further penalties. On 2 May, ignoringthe letter he had wrirren, the Service banned himfrom driving in Switzerland (and Lichtenstein !) fora month, and also levelled an emolument of CIHF 30against him, while alluding to him as a "felon" roadd insult to injury.

"I reckon I ve been punished three times so far.This goes beyond prosecution, and begins to lookuncommonly like persecution," the colleague says, a

little dazed, and still uncerrain what an emolumentmeans.

In Memoqtam

Mike Sacls died in New Yorkon 30 March at age 85. He wasknown in \MHO and in the U.N.family as a wielder of links amongthe major divisions at headquarters,in the six regional offices and otherU.N. agencies. It is not easy toforget him, and our symparhy goesto his wife, Barbara, and his son anddaughter.

He studied medicine at uni-versities in New York, Edinburghand Chicago, from where he gradu-ated. After taking his MPH at

Colombia Universiry he embarkedon a distinguished career in inter-national health. His first assign-ment was with UNRRA in China,where he worked with MadameSun Yat-Sen, the wife of the found-

page 6

er of modern China. His workthere from 1946 to'49 gave riselater to allegations of disloyalryby the U.S. House Committeeon Un-American Activities (the"McCarthy Committee"). He was

deprived of his U.S. passport forten years, but happily not of hisgenerous and liberal views.

He joined §7HO in 1949 as

adviser to UNICEF in Paris. In1953 he was appointed as adviserto the Ministry of Health, India,in 1958 as liaison officer to the§7HO office at the U.N., NewYork,and in 1963 as Chief, ProgrammeCoordination, Geneva - a posr heheld for 15 years. Among initiativeshe launched wes one with FAO thattook into account the health hazards

of agriculture.

He knew virtually by heartevery resolution of '§7HOt gov-erning bodies, as well as the man-dates and programmes of sister plan-ets in the U.N. firmamenr. Ina career that spanned 40 years he

trained cohorts of young people,imbuing them with a respect for the

U.N. system and, within it, \MHOtresponsibilities. \(hen discussing aproblem, he would always say: "Thematter is manifestly (one of Mike'spet words) 'simple'." \7hich it rarelywas. He never really "retired" afterhis official retirement in 1978, butcontinued to work as an adviser toUNDP

It was a privilege to have been

his friend. I miss that greeting ofhis over the phone -'Saaax!' ButMike would not have had the timeto notice sorro\M, for he would be

already busy drafting the agenda forthe next plenary of the InterstellarCoordinating Committee or what-ever eternal organ he may be asked

to chair... But there too he willalways keep a seat for friends, wewho miss him so much.

-Paul Lawton

(formerly Director,

Coordination utith OtherOrganisations

Simance, France

I had the privilege of workingwith Michael Sacks in the seyenties,

admiring his intelligence, exception-

al knowledge of \fHO's historyprogrammes and procedures andhis devotion to dury. fu ChiefC\fO (Coordination with otherOrganisations), he contributed, inno small measure, to the excellentreputation that \WHO enjoyed inthe international communiry.

The wealth of his experienceand his boundless enthusiasm forhis work were unique. Even afterretirement in 1978 he continued tocampaign for the under-privileged as

a consultant to UNDP in NewYork,overseeing the expansion of publichealth programmes and infrastruc-ture projects.

Michael w'âs a wonderfulhuman being, a good colleague and a

faithful friend. To his survivingwife,Barbara, his two children and sixgrandchildren, the Executive GroupAFSM present heartfelt condolenc-es.

-Stanislas Flache, M.D.

(formerll'Ass istant D ire ctor- Gen era l;

Director, Diuision of Coordination)

Geneua

l,ouis Joseph Lovelace passed

ev/ay on 20 August 1999 in theUnited States, friends were deeplygrieved to learn.

He joined '§7HO in 1957as a sanitary engineer, serving inBurma, Iraq, then at AFRO andEMRO as Regional Counsellor forEnvironmental Sanitation, retiringin 1976.

After completing his studies incivil engineering at the PolytechnicSchool of Haiti in 1938, he really

started his career with the Inter-American Cooperative Service ofPublic Health, SCISP In 1944 he

specialised in sanitary engineering at

Harvard University.

From 1950, he was appointedEngineer in charge of 'W'ater

Supply,

Jeff Hendericls has left us,

passing away on 23 February 2000.He was my friend! '§7'e joined §fHOin the early sixties, both assigned tothe malaria eradication programmein Algeria. Our paths frequentlycrossed in Tirrkey, in Tirnisia -and finally in the 1970s with theOnchocerciasis Control Programmein the River Volta basin, where heworked for a dozen years, interrupt-ed only by a mission to Ethiopia.

He was a field man, a tireless

worker, always ready to help no mat-ter how difficult or dangerous the con-ditions ofwork. I would say he spentin the order of 10,000 km in heli-copters on dury Suzzing at low alti-tude along the channels made in theforest by rivers in Upper Volta (nowBurkina Faso), Côte d'Ivoire, Mali,

Benin,Togo, Niger,

Ghana....

Henarrowlyescapeddeath whenthe PilatusPorter char-tered by

\fHO crashed into the Black Volta.He recovered from a severe bout ofonchocerciasis contracted during hisentomological prospecting. In theend it was his first enemy, malaria,which laid him low Among all hisformer colleagues he leaves behindan imperishable memory.

-Roger Lion

(formerly EMRO)Rixensart, Belgium

page 7

of which he was Director Generaluntil 1956. At the same time hetaught sanitation at the PolytechnicSchool of Haiti.

Despite his frail physical con-stitution, he never stinted his efforts;he was a perfectionist and loveda job well done. Apart from histechnical books, he devoured workson philosophy, history and mysti-cism; indeed he chose his place ofretirement in an environment pâr-ticularly favourable to his spiritualand intimate aspirations.

He valued his friends and was

consistently loyal, sincere and trueto them all; he may best be charac-terised by the words emparhy andcompassion.

Dear Joe, now that you haveaccomplished your earthly mission,we salute your memory and wishyou profound peace.

Our warmesr sympathy goes

to his wife and their children.

-Arnold Wilson

formerly TDR)Geneua

Katherine P. Connor'90 PhD(epidemiology and public health)died on January 12, 2OOO, inBethlehem, Pennsylvania, age 48-

From 1979 to 1997, she

worked in Geneva, on womenthealth issues in developing coun-tries and on the global AIDS pro-gramme. She was part of the §7HOteam at the 1985 'W'oment HealthConference in Nairobi, Kenya. Since1997, she worked as consultant inPennsylvania.

-Excerptedfom tbe Yale Alumni

magazine, Winter 2000)

Other deaths reported:

Julia Bulfet 28.05.00;

Jacques H. Colineau 06.04.99;

Henry W. Cotton 0 1.0 1.00;

Jean Halet 28.12.99;

Mustapha Lafif 1 2.06.00;

Francesco Oddo 1 6.05.00;

Ludwig M. Werthe im 26.07.99.

Iu rxe House

No MCH ponRepresentarives of serving staff have had little

success in persuading the Administration to subsidise,either in cash or in kind, a crèche for children ofworking morhers, which, not incidentally, would alsobe of benefit to working dads.

Howeveç the ILO and the European BroadcastingUnion have agreed ro pur up 70,000 CHF each,and the U.N. and \nPO have pledged support thatis to be determined, even though mother and childhealth progremmes do not rank among the primaryresponsibilities of the four organisations.

The disappointment of the Staff Committee isreflected in a tartly-worded Spotligbr (No.23, 14 June2000, oddly enough released only in English) that says:"Hours have been spent discussing projects to improvethe qualiry of the work environmenr, ro encouragerecruitment of women, but when ...reasonable propos-als are made, the response is negative."

Earlieç the Administration had rejected the pro-posal that it contribute 70,000 CHE which wouldhave secured ten places ar a crèche established by theScoubidou Association, and which would also havemeant lower paymenr for staff (the unsubsidised cost

Srerr AT WHOis 1,750 CH monthly), or that it give space for theinstallation of a pre-fabricated model for a crèche on\fHO grounds.

Citing finances and the perceived concernsof Member States for its refusal in a letter dated6 June, the Administration claimed its position " is

consistent with current resource allocations, prioritiesfor... managemenr reform, and the anticipated stanceof Member States on increased administrative cosrsto benefit a small number of sraff" -- namely themothers.

To which the Spotligh, retorted:than 360,000 CHF has been ,;,i.,.

allocated for e ne\M automatic '"i::i

watering system -- this must (then)certainly be a \MHO prioriry."

But all is not yet lost forstaff, says QN't \ùflise Old Owl,with hope, on reading of theAdministrations unequivocal"intention to have an overall work-life policy that will make §IHO anemployer of choice."

page I

Mone Moerle psoruesOver half the population in many countries now

use mobile phones and the industry predicts thatup to 1.6 billion more will do so 6y 2005. Thereis uncertainry however, about the health effects ofradio-frequency fields (RF) which mobile phones andtheir base srations emit, according to a strHO release(§mlo/45, June 2000).

"AIl the information we have to date shows noadverse health effects from the use of mobile phones,"emphasised Dr Michael Repacholi, manager of \ÿHOtElectro-Magnetic Fields project. "However, most stud-ies have examined the results of whole body exposureto RF fields at levels far higher than those normallyassociated with wire-less communicarions, as walkie-talkies and mobile phones." However, "few studiesaddress the consequences of localised exposures to RFfields to the head."

Some types of cancer and changes in brain activ-iry have been ascribed to the use of mobile phones.But no studies on humans have yet supported theseclaims.

An epidemiology study is being coordinated inover 10 counrries by the International Agency forResearch on Cancer to determine if there are linksberween use of mobile phones and head and neckcancers, which is scheduled to be complete in 2003.

Among recommendadons IÙ7HO makes is thatmotorists be discouraged from using phones whiledriving.

Lerrens(Unhss stated to the contrar! by correspondents, htters receiued are routinely conçidaed

and edited, for publication to encourage an exchange of uieus among colleagues.- -ta;t*)

Tne FoncorrEN people

(The following are excerpts from a letter forwarded/o QN on a role for AFSM to play in the worldtoday)

The world has just reached a human populationof six billion, mosr of whom have ro live on $2 per day.

Jonathan Swift, Irish satirist of the 17th...rt,rry, .r,rràa scandal with his "Modesr Proposal" that poor Irishfamilies could sell their nursing child for rich Englishfamilies to serve up stewed, roasred, baked or boiled.'W'e

are getting close to that point, the only differencebeing that the rich counrries leave it to the poor ones roroast the poor while they cream off the profits.

If AISM wanrs to achieve more rhan simplyprotecting the af[luent, namely themselves, it has anopportuniry to place the administrerive, political andtechnical experience of its members at the service of theworldt most underprivileged.

An international association of former inrerna-tional civil servants working to help the forgottenpeople of our planet could exert a positive influence. Itjust remains to find the right acronym.

-Jacques Hamon

(formerfi ADG and author of 'Perspectives énergétiquespour le 21eme siècle et leurs implications sociétales"

"'i,i#:;,0;:::1,

(See page l0for editorial response.)

page 9

(Most colleagucs are eager to giue of their shills.

Unfortunately, there are feu uhers. If tbe uriter,uho is erninmtly urell-connected, utould help identifyinstitutions that are 'hge-blind,' or tahe tlte had inestablisbing the "association" he ?roposes, it anuld be

sure$r urehome. Tbat utould be tbe time to find the'iight acronym. " -Editor)

8N WeeSIrE, AFSM DueS

(Re: QN39, ÿI/inter 2000)

My copy of this issue arrived here in Brazil on17 June 2000; the official envelope showed no date ofmailing. §7hile h"ppy to read the news, I wish I couldhave received it earlier.

Since the QN editorial team is able to edit ittransatlantically by e-mail, perhaps they could posr ir roa website so that those of us with computer access couldread it on publication date? (The AFSM could also

probably save quite a bit on postâge that wÿ. I wouldsuggest an unindexed page on the §fHO website, withthe URL only given out to former and serving stafijust like the Directory.

AFSM Dues: §(rhy dont you have a US$ accounrso that folla like me, who have closed their Swiss

eccounts, can pay their dues easily?

Re: *IVHO

Tianslators, Rest Easy': I thought JohnBland's test of Internet translation funny but unfair;who would expect to get a good machine iranslation ofall that very English slang!

I retired from the N.Y. State Health Dept inFebruary 2000, so have now retired rwice, but I amstill active as Director of the Nucleus for InvestigatingEmerging Infectious Diseases here at the FederalUniversiry of Rio de Janeiro; chair of the PolicyCommittee of PToMED-mail; and co-chair of theScientific Commimee of MEDNET 2000, th. 5thInternational Congress of the Inrerner in Medicine,which meets in Brussels this year.

Best wishes to all who still remember me.

-JackVoodall(fonnerlY HST)Bt. Bernardo Coutinho 9557, Araras, Petropolis -

RJ, 25725-022 BrazilP h one/fax 5 5 2 4 -22 5 - I 3 95

e-mai l: <uoo da ll@ c omp u hn d. com. br>

page I0

EvenyoAY PRoBLEMSI would like to see in the QÀ/analyses, srudies,

commentaries and advice concerning the problems ofeveryday life of pensioners, for example:

. Thxation: Retired international civil servants inthe Département de I'Ain are now subject - not only totaxation on their incomes - but also to the Connibutionpoar le Remboursement de la Dette Sociale (CRDS),

amounting to 0.5 per cent of total income. Theircolleagues in Haute-Savoie do not have to pay it!

This tax is illegal since it amounts to a socialcontribution. It should be noted rhat the EuropeanCourt of Justice took a decision, on 15 February 2000,in favour of people living in frontier zones.

In the light of inconsistencies on the part of theFrench fisc', it even raises doubts as to just how well-founded is the taxation of our incomes. Surely theAFSM is capable of shedding some light on, or offeringmore details, about these problems?

Incidentally, I have abeady contesred the validiryof this tax in a registered letter requiring acknowledge-ment of receipt.

. Marriage after separation: Under this sub-heading, the new rules allowing pensioners who mar-ried after separetion from §7HO to provide for theirsurviving spouses were regarded as a most welcomeaddition to the Pension Fundt social provisions.

\Vhen one looks at it more closely, this is farfrom being a hand-out, since the arrangemenr is onlythe equivalent of making out a private life insurancepolicy for a spouse.

In my own case, such an option would reducemy monthly pension by a quarter in order to obtaina transferred pension worth only 50 per cenr of thereduced total of the pension!

Furthermore, it is regrettable that the pensionfund has not seen fit to favour widowed civil servants

as opposed to divorced ones.

Marcel Clémence

(formerfi IYHO, Geneua)

100, Bois Chatton, France

(Tbe issue of tat i"g U,N. pensions u)t s coaered

in QN 19, 20, 2l and in 23, uthere a supphînentutas publisbed. In addition, ILO\ Union (No. 244)carried an artich on the subject. Consuh the A-FSM

Iru rne Pness

HOMMAGE To oUR FaI.uEI.I CoI.UEAGUESHumanitarian workers are in a stare of shock.

Hundreds of them made their wây one Septemberday to the Palais des Nations to attend a solemnceremony in homage to the three employees of theU.N. High Commission for Refugees murdered in'W'estïmor: Samson Aregahegn (aged 44, from Ethiopia),Carlos Caceres (aged 33, the United States) and PeroSimundza (aged29, Croatia), as shown at right in thememorial poster.

The three were murdered at Atambua by mem-bers of the pro-Indonesian militias.

Opening the ceremony, Naveed Hussain,Chairman of the UNHCR Staff Committee, ser rhetone. "'§ÿ'e are simply furious," he declared. "The tragicdeaths of Samson, Carlos and Pero have underscoredthe extremely dangerous conditions under which wework. How much longer must \Me pur up with beingleft like that, completely unprorecred ?"

For her part, the High Commissioner SadakoOgata declared before the family members of thethree employees: "These murders are not just trafficaccidents," and she added thar "in the course of the last13 years, 15 other employees of the UNHCR have losttheir lives while on mission."

Carolyn McAskie, representing the U.N. SecretaryGeneral, said: "§7e ere very well aware thar eâchhumanitarian worker is required to risk his or her life inorder to save the lives of others. But this time, we wanrto tell the Member States: This is roo much !"

A petition is at present circulating among the staffof the different agencies of the U.N. system calling onthe Securiry Council to hold a special session dedicated

France tops the list for providing the best overallhealth care. Following closely are Italy, Spain, Austriaand Japan. The United Kingdom is at No. 18,and the United States is at 37th place; tiny San

Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore were ratedbetter performers than some larger nations.

Most of the countries at the bottom of the ladderare in sub-Saharan Africa, according to '§7HO which,for the first time, has ranked the health systems of its191 member countries.

France spent 9.8 per cenr of its gross domestic

.1.:§$.,,,, T ,ii I: :' [.} X

FRRNcE GIVEs BEsT HEITTn Cnne

to the security of humanitarian employees. It recalls

that over 200 civilian staffmembers of the U.N. systemhave been killed and 228 taken hostage or kidnappedin the past eight years.

- An&é Allemand(Excerpted from the Tribune de Genève,

13 September 2000)

product on health vs. only 5.8 per cenr in the UnitedKingdom.

Even though the United States outspenr everyone,at 13.7 per cent of GDP it failed to win the top ratingbecause many Americans do not heve health insurancecoverage. In addition the U.S. rating was draggeddown by its low level of healthy life expectency, anotherof several factors evaluated.

Healthy life expectancy is 70 in the UnitedStates, which is 4.5 years lower than countries likeFrance, Austria and Japan. In responsiyeness, which

page 11

includes treâting patients with digniry and givingthem prompt attention and a choice of doctors, theU.S. health system câme out on top, followed by

Switzerland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Japan,Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden.

France was rated at the top of healthy lifeexpectancy and high in other key categories. "Theyare getting impressive healthy life expectancy scores ar

a relatively low expenditure," explained Dr ChristopherMurray, head of the \7HO health poliry progrâmme,who oversaw the report.

-Elizabeü Olson

(Excerpted fom tlte International Herald Tiibune,

2l Jane 2000)

IN PnaIsE oFFenNeY-VoLTAIRE

In the spirit of sharing information with otherfood lovers, I d like to recommend a market my wifeand I discovered when we were living in Geneva.

In my opinion, the market at Ferney-Voltaire inneighbouring France is the equal of any Iïe ever visitedin the provinces. The cheeses, game and charcuterie are

especially good, and the polyglot popularion of Genevaand the surrounding erea ensures a good variery ofethnic food as well.

-Craig Kuehl,

Consul Gen. Durban, South Africa(Excerpted fom International Herald Tiibune,

2 March 2000)

1 France2 ltaly3 San Marino4 Andorra5 Malta6 Singapore

7 Spain8 Oman9 Austria10 Japan11 Norway12 Portugal13 Monaco14 Greece

r8 u.K.t9 Irland

23 Sweden

24 Cyprus

32 Australia33 Chile

37 U.S.A.

38 Slovenia

The 40 Êrst rankings15 Island 29 Marocco16 Luxembourg 30 Canada

17 Netherlands 31 Finland

20 Switzerland 34 Denmark21 Belgium 35Domin. Rep.

22 Colombia 36 Costa Rica

25 Germany 39 Cuba26 Saudi Arabia 40 Bruneï27 U.A.E,28 Israël

(ExcerptedfomThe Guardian, 21 juin 2000.

A xrss. A CuooleA kiss or a pat on the back has always made

people feel good. But scientists have now provedthat skin-to-skin contact can help lower blood pres-

sure, reduce stress and stimulate the bodyt immunesystem. Sensual activiry releases the hormone oxytocin,says physiologist Dr Kerstin Uvena-Moberg, of theKarolinska Institute in Stockholm - Swedent topresearch hospital.

"Oxytocin is released when we give or receive a

loving touch,' she said. 'It is not just sex. Any kindof loving stimuli, like being surrounded by nice people,triggers the hormone's release."

To make the most of the hormonet healthybenefits people should surround themselves with friendswho enjoy sensory stimuli.

(Excerpted fom Daily Mail,6 July 2000)

A TITvTE TO LIvErWhen I was youngeç I made it a point to always

find the opportunity to speak to those more seniorthan myself.

My surprise was to find that most people lament-ed about what they had not done, instead of (rejoicingin what) they had done. I achieved some wisdomfrom this.

For this reason, I staunchly believe in that oldChinese proverb, "Study as if you were to live forever,live as if you were to die tomorrow."

-Beltran Navarro

(Babimore, Md.)(Excerptedfon AARP Bulletin, Sept. 1999)

Achnoatbdgements: Tlte Executiue Group thanks

those who haue madz possible this issue, especially PetoOzorio (Editor); Yre, Beigbedrx Rosem)r1, Aill and

Jery Kilber (Editorial Board); Rajindar Pal (Chair-man); Dauid Cohen, S.K.D. Djazzar Michel Fèure,

Jean Leclercq, Akin Wssereau (French nansktions);

John Bhnd (English); ako Marianne King (EditorialAssistant). Layout by Humphrey Maxhey Glasgou.

The opinions of the QN are those of the

authors, not necessarily ofAFSM.

page 12