Pension & Benefits

Background

The Pension and Benefits Committee (PBC) is an original committee set up from the very start of the Association of Former International Civil Servants Philippines. Established to support United Nations retirees on matters relating to their pension benefits and entitlements, PBC represents AFICS Philippines in the FAFICS (Federation of the Association of Former International Civil Servants) Standing Committee on Pensions.

Purpose

The Pension and Benefits Committee aims to:

1. 1. support UN retirees in understanding their pension benefits, including issues related to the receipt or non-receipt of pension payments;  

   2. promote awareness among retirees and their beneficiaries of the processes and reporting requirements of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF), including the Digital Certificate of Entitlement (DCE) and updates related to changes in family status (e.g., death of the retiree or beneficiary);  

   3. provide accessible platforms—such as the AFICS-PHL website and other communication channels—for sharing pension-related information, including regular updates, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and Quick Reference Guides (QRGs); 

   4. promote AFICS-PHL among staff members approaching retirement, in coordination with UN agencies in the Philippines and UNJSPF, through orientation and awareness sessions on pension-related matters, and

   5. represent AFICS Philippines in the FAFICS Standing Committee on Pensions.

Objectives

The PBC shall, on a biannual basis, develop a Workplan and Budget outlining its objectives, outputs, activities and deliverables for review and approval by the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee.

Membership

• • The PBC shall be chaired by a Vice President designated by the Board of Trustees. A Vice-Chair shall likewise be appointed.  They will serve for a term of 2 years.

  • The Vice President/Chair shall report to the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee on the Committee’s work and seek approval for its proposals.

  • The Chair may recruit AFICS-PHL members as volunteers to support the work of the Committee, taking into account relevant academic and professional experience, particularly in areas such as human resources management, UN pension processes, and benefits administration.

  • Additional volunteers may be engaged on an ad hoc basis to support specific assignments, projects, or analytical work, without being appointed as regular members of the Committee.

Meetings

The PBC shall meet quarterly, either in person or virtually, as appropriate. Special or ad hoc meetings may be convened by the Chair or at the request of any member to address urgent matters.

• •    The first quarterly meeting shall be held no later than 15 March each year to finalize the Committee’s annual or biannual workplan;

  •    The third quarterly meeting shall be held no later than 15 September each year to review progress against planned deliverables.

Reporting

The PBC shall submit periodic reports to the Board of Trustees, including updates on accomplishments, challenges, budget utilization, and any proposed revisions to the approved workplan.

The Committee shall also ensure compliance with all year-end reporting requirements for review and discussion by the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee.

Objective 1: To support staff members approaching retirement, in coordination with UN agencies, and encourage them to be members of AFICS-PHL. 

Output 1.1: Staff members approaching retirement are identified, provided pre-retirement seminar and encouraged to be members of AFICS-PHL.

Activity:  In coordination with UN agencies in the Philippines, conduct pre-retirement seminar, orient them about AFICS-PHL and encourage them to be members.

Objective 2: To provide regular assistance to UN Retirees with respect to the receipt or non-receipt of their UN Pension.

Output 2.1: Members are supported to ensure that retirees and/or their beneficiaries regularly receive their UN pension.

Activity:  Orientation of members and/or beneficiaries to ensure continuous or  uninterrupted payment of their UN pension. 

Output 2.2: Concerned members in the UNJSPF List of Pension to be Suspended are informed and supported to ensure timely action is taken.

Activity:  Contact members and/or beneficiaries individually to inquire on non-compliance and support them to take the required action. 

Objective 3: To promote awareness of the processes and reporting requirements of the UNJSPF among retirees and their beneficiaries .

Output 3.1: Pension-related information, updates and other requirements are posted in the AFICS-PHL website for easy access by all members and/or their beneficiaries.

Activity: Together with the IT focal point and the Communication Committee, support the upgrade of the AFICS-PHL website to  include UNJSPF requirements and new required reporting. 

Output 3.2:  The use of the Digital Certificate of Entitlement (DCE) is promoted among all retirees and/or their beneficiaries.

Activity:  Organize one session per year on the use of DCE.