CCISUA STATUTES

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CONTENTS

PREAMBLE

The staff unions, associations and other staff representative bodies of the organisations of the United Nations Common System and those affiliated with it (hereinafter ‘the United Nations System’),

Committed to developing an atmosphere of constructive co-operation,

Concerned with the need to provide for equitable and effective representation of the staff in those bodies at all levels,

Wishing to promote and safeguard the rights, interests and welfare of all Members based on the principles and rights enshrined in international human rights and labour standards promulgated by the United Nations and its Specialized Agencies.

Having agreed to create a mechanism to facilitate consultation and to promote the common interests of all international civil servants,

Decide to establish a Coordinating Committee for International Staff Unions and Associations of the United Nations System, hereafter referred to as CCISUA, with the following terms of reference

II. OBJECTIVES

  1. To promote the common interest of international civil servants of all categories whose staff unions and associations are members of CCISUA.
  2. To provide a means for staff representative bodies with common concerns to consult with one another both formally and informally with a view to reaching consensus on issues affecting conditions of service and staff safety, security and welfare.
  3. To allow those staff unions, associations and other staff representative bodies of the system to address advisory and decision-making bodies with a united voice and in particular to participate in the activities and the work of the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), and any other common system bodies, executive or advisory.
  4. To assist each other in finding solutions to common problems and in monitoring the implementation of decisions affecting the staff in all duty stations of the United Nations System.
  5. To cooperate with other staff groupings with a view to formally arriving to common positions on matters affecting conditions of service and staff welfare.
  6. To adhere to the spirit of solidarity and support for each member whenever needed.
  7. To maintain and develop relationships with other international and national staff unions, associations, Federations and NGOs.
  8. To promote and safeguard the rights, interests and welfare of all staff of the United Nations System based on the principles and rights enshrined in international human rights and labour standards promulgated by the United Nations and its Specialized Agencies.
  9. To contribute to the promotion of the objectives of the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutions of the Specialized Agencies and other organisations affiliated with the United Nations Common System.

II. MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership shall be open to all staff unions, associations and other staff representative bodies of the common system that are represented by duly elected officers and officially recognized by CCISUA as a staff representative body to speak on their behalf.
  2. Participation by any CCISUA member in any other staff grouping shall be possible, provided that their objectives are not inconsistent with the principles and Statutes of CCISUA.
  3. Membership in CCISUA shall be subject to written acceptance of these Statutes by the executive head of the staff union or association seeking to be admitted. Application shall be made to the President of CCISUA, who shall communicate the request to the membership of CCISUA for approval.
  4. Members wishing to withdraw from the Committee shall give notice in writing to the President of CCISUA. Withdrawal shall become effective two calendar months after notice has been received during which period the withdrawing Member shall settle all outstanding financial and other obligations to the Committee. The President of CCISUA shall inform all Members of any such notice of withdrawal

III. ORGANIZATION

A. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  1. The General Assembly shall be constituted by the members of CCISUA.
  2. As a general rule, general assemblies of CCISUA will be held at least annually. Such meetings will be held preferably before meetings of the Staff-Management Committee or the ICSC. The meeting locations will be decided by the CCISUA membership during plenary or by the CCISUA membership via email vote. The membership may exceptionally decide to hold the general assembly virtually instead.
  3. Extraordinary meetings may be convened by decision of the Bureau or at the written request of the majority of members of CCISUA. The official, written request shall be addressed to the President of CCISUA. The date of the meeting shall be set within a month following confirmed receipt of the request.
  4. A draft agenda shall be submitted to the participants of general assemblies and shall include statutory items consisting of the election of officers, a financial statement, a provisional agenda and the report of the President.
  5. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the CCISUA membership. To the greatest extent possible, CCISUA will arrive at its decisions through consensus. Where voting is required, the principle of one member one vote will prevail. In order for a decision to be binding, it must be passed by a simple majority of the members present and voting.

B. BUREAU

  1. The Bureau shall consist of a President, Vice President for Conditions of Service, Vice President for Outreach and Advocacy, Vice President for Safety, Security and Field Operations, a General Secretary and an ex officio Treasurer. All members of the Bureau should be approved by consensus. In case no consensus is reached, then the Bureau shall be elected by a majority vote after an open nomination process and first and second motions by CCISUA members. The nominations period for the positions on the new Bureau shall be open until the day before the scheduled elections at the General Assembly. While holding office, the Bureau is fully accountable to the membership of CCISUA. Any member of the Bureau of CCISUA who ceases to be an elected member of their respective staff union or association shall not be eligible to stand for election at the next annual General Assembly.
  2. Bureau elections shall take place at the time of the annual General Assembly. Members of the Bureau shall be elected/acclaimed. The Bureau remains in office until a new Bureau has been elected. No two Bureau Members shall be elected from the same staff union or association. Once a Bureau Member has been nominated and elected, no more nominations from the same staff union or association will be entertained for any other Bureau positions. Nominations and elections shall proceed from the office of the President through the list of other officers in the order outlined in 5 paragraph 19, above. Elections shall be by open ballot. Elections may be held by secret ballot at the request of any staff union or association member,  seconded by at least two other members, and by a majority vote of eligible staff unions and associations.

Responsibilities of the Bureau Officers 21.

  1. The President shall be the principal spokesperson for CCISUA, responsible for the coordination of the positions among the members and for maintaining official communications with and addressing common system bodies such as the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, the International Civil Service Commission and any other common system bodies, executive or advisory, but may delegate representational activities to a Vice-President or other Bureau member as appropriate.
  2. The President shall designate a Vice-President as alternate on any issue as required.
  3. Should the President resign or become unable to serve, all the Membership shall be consulted on the temporary designation of one of the Vice Presidents to serve as President, ad interim. The General Secretary shall undertake an electronic vote within 30 days to select the Vice-President to serve the remainder of the Bureau’s term as President.
  4. The office of President shall be assumed temporarily by the General Secretary should the President or aVice-President be unable to carry out the function, until another election shall be held by the CCISUA membership to fill any vacant position(s). Elections via electronic vote shall be completed within 45 days.
  5. Should any other member of the Bureau resign or become unable to serve, the President shall temporarily designate another member of the Bureau to assume the relevant functions until elections can be held by the CCISUA membership.  The General Secretary, or the President by default if the position of General Secretary is vacant, shall undertake an electronic vote within 45 days calling for nominations for replacements from the eligible CCISUA member staff unions or associations to fill the vacant position for the remainder of the term.
  6. The General Secretary shall:
    A. Convene and attend all meetings of the CCISUA Bureau and CCISUA General Assembly
    B. Ensure that the minutes of the CCISUA Bureau and report of the CCISUA General Assembly are recorded and distributed to the CCISUA membership in a proper manner no more than four weeks after each meeting
    C. Ensure that the CCISUA communication records, including the CCISUA website, are updated and properly maintained
    D. Ensure that there is effective communication with CCISUA members and affiliates on the affairs of CCISUA and the wider staff representative movement
    E. Ensure that appropriate publicity activities are developed and delivered by CCISUA
    F. When required, act as spokesperson on behalf of the CCISUA Federation 6

Removal of Officers

  1. Any member of the Bureau who ceases to enjoy the confidence of the members of CCISUA may be removed from office in accordance with the following procedure.A. A reasoned proposal for removal of a member of the Bureau may be submitted by a minimum of three voting members of CCISUA through circulating a joint proposal directly to all members of the Bureau, who shall inform all CCISUA members attaching a reply from the affected Bureau member;
    B. A proposal for removal of a member of the Bureau shall be accepted if, within fifteen (15) days of the date of its submission to all CCISUA members, two thirds of the CCISUA membership have notified the authors of the proposal and the members of the Bureau of their agreement with the removal of the member or members of the Bureau concerned;
    C. A notification of agreement with the removal of a member of the Bureau that is subject to any condition shall be regarded as null and void.

C. SECRETARIAT

  1. The CCISUA secretariat is called upon to provide research and technical support on matters affecting conditions of service and staff welfare; by
    undertaking research and analysis on issues of concern to staff in the common system; by expediting communications among members by disseminating information and facilitating the exchange of views and
    publicising the activities of CCISUA.
  2. The secretariat shall maintain offices at a location to be determined by the General Assembly. The CCISUA Bureau will supervise the secretariat staff. The secretariat shall carry out the collection and analysis of information, undertake the preparation of background, discussion and conference papers on topics relevant to various personnel bodies such as the Fifth Committee, the International Civil Service Commission and any
    other common system bodies, executive or advisory. The secretariat shall also coordinate the routine collection and distribution of documentation to CCISUA members; supply information, provide research and draft
    summaries, briefs, and other papers as needed; draft correspondence and newsletters and public relations material; act as secretary to annual
    meetings; and perform other ad hoc assignments.

IV. FINANCES

  1. The Fiscal Year shall be a 12-month period beginning 1 July and ending 30 June.
  2. The Finance Committee consists of three members designated by the General Assembly under the same principles as established in Art. 20. The Finance Committee shall remain in office until the next Committee is elected.2
  3. The membership of the Finance Committee shall comprise, in addition to the Treasurer, three members from different duty stations. Members of the Bureau and the Procurement Committee shall not be members of the Finance Committee. Members should be familiar with accounting principles and procedures.
  4. The Procurement Committee consists of three members designated by the General Assembly on a yearly basis.3
  5. The membership of the Procurement Committee shall comprise three members from different duty stations. Members of the Bureau, the Treasurer and members of the Finance Committee shall not be members of the Procurement Committee. Members should be familiar with United Nations procurement guidelines and procedures.
  6. A Member in arrears of contributions by the opening date of the regular session of the Assembly shall not be entitled to vote or sponsor candidates for election at that session and as long as a sum totalling more than one year’s contribution remains outstanding.
  7. The President shall indicate at the regular session of the Assembly which, if any, of the Members fall under of Article 14. The Member(s) cited shall justify why the dues remain unpaid and may request waiving of Article 14. Should the Assembly vote not to waive the provisions of Article 14, the Member(s) in arrears will be automatically suspended.
  8. The CCISUA budget shall be financed by pledged contribution in either United States Dollars or Euros. Members shall inform the Bureau by 15 April of their planned contribution for the period starting 1 July of the same year and ending 30 June of the following year. Staff unions and associations of CCISUA shall commit to a minimum annual contribution commensurate with their financial abilities. Every CCISUA member may increase their initial announced pledge, to be committed during the CCISUA annual General Assembly.
  9. The Treasurer – in cooperation with the Bureau and the Finance Committee – shall prepare the draft budget for presentation to the annual General Assembly. The draft budget shall be based on the pledged contributions as announced by members and shall be circulated to all CCISUA Members by 15 May of each year for further discussion at the General Assembly.
  10. Each member of CCISUA shall pay its pledged contribution into one of the CCISUA bank accounts within two months of the General Assembly. The Treasurer shall circulate details of the CCISUA accounts at the General Assembly to facilitate the deposit of contributions
  11. The CCISUA accounts shall be maintained by the Treasurer
  12. The schedule for payment of the contributions will be established on an annual basis.
  13. Every effort shall be made to forward contributions to the Central Account no later than 31 July of each year.
  14. Contributions for new members shall be payable within ninety (90) days after approval of membership.
2 The terms of reference of the Finance Committee are provided in Annex II to the present Statutes. 3 The terms of reference of the Finance Committee are provided in Annex III to the present Statutes.

V. EXPENDITURES

  1. With the exception of travel related expenses, expenditures shall be made in line with the budget and authorized as follows:
    1. Amounts that exceed $10,000 either in respect of a single transaction or in respect of multiple transactions where the same vendor or service provider is utilized over a 12-month period must have approval of the CCISUA membership
    2. Amounts between $200 and $10,000 must have approval of the Bureau.
    3. Amounts expended on behalf of the Federation up to $200 shall be reimbursed by the Treasurer upon submission of receipts and justification subject to the provisions of article 28.
  2. The Bureau will keep travel expenses and subsistence to a minimum by allocating responsibilities for CCISUA representation at various meetings based on an estimated amount for each meeting taking into consideration the annual budget.
  3. All Requests for disbursement of funds or Cost plans for travel must be signed jointly by the President and one of the Vice-Presidents or, in the absence of the President, by any other member of the Bureau.
  4. Full payment shall be provided for the members of CCISUA, while undertaking representational activities on behalf of CCISUA, except their participation in the General Assembly and extraordinary meetings of CCISUA.
  5. Disbursements of funds from the CCISUA accounts shall be approved by the President and one of the Vice-Presidents or, in the absence of the President, by another Vice-President. The approval shall be done in writing or by other electronic means. These two officials shall authorize the disbursement of funds as long as they do not exceed the established budget. No authorized signatory shall sign a payment that is for reimbursement of their personal expenditure on behalf of the Federation. These two officials shall authorize the disbursement of funds as long as they do not exceed the established budget. In case of exhaustion of a budget line, the “miscellaneous funds” can be used, if necessary. In the event of exhaustion of the miscellaneous budget line and another budget line, the Treasurer shall seek approval from the full membership of the Finance Committee for the reallocation of funds.
  6. After approval, all invoices and bills shall be sent to the Treasurer for payment.
  7. All disbursements from CCISUA accounts must carry the signature of the President or one of the Vice-Presidents and that of the Treasurer. Payments shall be processed within 10 working days after approval. In case of absence of the Treasurer for more than ten working days, a member of the Bureau may act as alternate to the Treasurer.
  8. The Treasurer shall submit the draft financial statement for the previous fiscal year by 31 August to the Finance Committee for review. By 30 September the final financial statement shall be forwarded to all CCISUA members for discussion at the mid-term review. The Financial Statement shall be discussed again at the General Assembly. In addition, the Treasurer shall give an update on the current financial situation at the General Assembly.
  9. Any balance left in the CCISUA accounts at the end of the budget year shall be placed in a special Reserve Account, the use of which shall be determined by the membership.
  10. A professional and independent audit of the accounts and books of CCISUA and of the Treasurer covering the previous fiscal year shall be conducted annually. The audit shall be included with the financial report for submission to the annual General Assembly.

VI. PROCUREMENT

  1. In respect of the procurement of goods or services, excluding travel expenses, that exceed $5,000, either in respect of a single transaction or in respect of multiple transactions where the same vendor or service provider is utilized over a 12-month period, the Procurement Committee shall conduct a procurement process. Quotes shall be solicited from at least three vendors or service providers for comparison.
  2. A reasoned recommendation on selection shall be made by the Procurement Committee based on the best value-for-money principle as defined in the UN Procurement Manual. If three vendors or service providers cannot be identified, the Procurement Committee shall submit a recommendation based on those it could identify, together with a justification for the limited number of comparators
  3. For amounts between $5,000 and $10,000, the recommendation of the Procurement Committee shall be delivered by email to the Bureau members for their decision. In the event the Bureau does not follow the recommendation of the Procurement Committee, the Bureau shall provide such recommendation with full justification of its decision to the CCISUA members.
  4. For amounts over $10,000, the recommendation of the Procurement Committee shall be delivered by email to all CCISUA members for decision to be taken by simple majority within five working days. In the event members do not respond within the deadline, their vote shall be counted in favor of the Procurement Committee’s recommendation. The results of the vote shall be communicated to all CCISUA members and the Bureau by the Procurement Committee.

VII. AMENDMENT

  1. The present Statutes can be reconsidered for amendment upon request from at least one member of CCISUA. The text of any proposed amendment shall be submitted at least five weeks prior to the annual General Assembly and thereafter immediately be distributed to the membership, who shall comment no later than one week (7 days) prior to the General Assembly. All amendments to which there is no objection shall apply as of the next General Assembly. Any amendments to which an objection is raised shall be discussed at the General Assembly meeting. Amendments must be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the representatives present at the General Assembly. Amendments shall be considered as the second item of the agenda (after the report from the President) and shall become effective immediately unless such amendments are rejected in writing by a two-thirds majority of the CCISUA membership.

ANNEX I – CCISUA MEMBERS

ANNEX II – FINANCE COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

  1. The CCISUA General Assembly, at its seventh session, approved the establishment of a Finance Committee that shall consist of three CCISUA members. The Finance Committee shall be appointed at the Annual General Assembly.
  2. The Finance Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure and shall nominate a Chair from amongst its members.
  3. This Committee shall be responsible for:
  4. The monitoring of all the financial activities of CCISUA;
  5. Ensuring the quarterly financial reports are submitted by the Treasurer of CCISUA;
  6. Advising the CCISUA Bureau on all financial matters, which in its opinion will need immediate attention by the Bureau;
  7. Ensuring that the annual audit is conducted and a report prepared for submission to the CCISUA Assembly;
  8. Ensuring that the budget is prepared for submission to the CCISUA Assembly.

ANNEX III – PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

  1. The CCISUA General Assembly, at its thirty-first session, approved the establishment of a Procurement Committee that shall consist of three CCISUA members. The Procurement Committee shall be appointed at the Annual General Assembly.
  2. The Procurement Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure and shall nominate a Chair from amongst its members.
  3. This Committee shall be responsible for conducting procurement processes upon the request of and within a reasonable deadline set by the Bureau.
  4. The request shall include a comprehensive description of the goods or services required and evaluation criteria, as well as a timeline for their delivery.
  5. The Bureau shall nominate one its members for each request to act as observer and provide technical advice and guidance to the Procurement Committee.
  6. The Committee shall strive to reach its decision by consensus. In the event a consensus cannot be reached, the decision will be taken by majority. The observer is a not a member of the Committee and has no voting rights.
  7. The Procurement Committee members shall conduct this process as expeditiously as possible and shall keep the Bureau informed of their progress.

ANNEX IV – CCISUA BUREAU TERMS OF REFERENCE

  1. The Bureau of CCISUA shall be responsible for implementing the policies laid down by the Assembly, formulating policies proposals for consideration by the Assembly and representing CCISUA in matters of interest for CCISUA membership.
  2. The first meeting of the Bureau shall take place immediately after the annual Assembly. In the first meeting, the Bureau shall agree on its programme of work to implement the decisions taken by the Assembly. The responsibility for undertaking substantive tasks in connection with specific items of its programme of work shall be allocated among the members of the Bureau. The President shall communicate the programme of work to all CCISUA members and shall periodically report to them on the progress of work.
  3. The Bureau shall hold a regular teleconference with all members of CCISUA at least once every three months. The Bureau shall also hold a meeting immediately before the SMCC and a follow-up meeting immediately after the SMCC meeting.
  4. The Bureau may further hold a meeting immediately before the General Assembly of the United Nations or the ACC as required.
  5. The quorum for decision-making of the Bureau shall consist of a minimum of three members. To the greatest extent possible, the Bureau will arrive at its decision through consensus. Where no consensus can be reached the decisions of the Bureau may be made by a simple majority of the members of the Bureau.
  6. In the event of a disagreement as to the conduct of its business which cannot be solved by the Bureau, the majority of the members of the Bureau may request that the members of CCISUA appoint a mediating panel. The panel, which shall consist of representatives of three CCISUA members, shall review the matter and shall recommend to the Bureau the measures to be taken to solve the disagreement.

ANNEX V – FINANCIAL RULES

COLLECTION OF FUNDS

    1. The Treasurer shall send letters to all members concerned requesting payments of their arrears before 31 July of each year. Payments can be made in monthly instalments starting with the longest outstanding arrears.
    2. All assessed and pledged contributions shall be paid in full and shall not be subject to any deductions. CCISUA members entitled to payments shall submit a request to the Treasurer who shall take the necessary action. Under no circumstances shall deductions be made from a member’s contributions.
    3. All contributions shall be paid in a timely manner in order to encourage members to pay their contributions on time. Contributions which are not paid before the deadline shall be subject to interest at a flat rate of 5% per year effective starting 1 January of the year following the due date of payments.
    4. The Treasurer shall send reminder letters to all members who did not pay their contributions four weeks before the mid-term meeting.

MANAGING FUNDS

  1. Funds should be managed in a conservative manner and invested in a savings account and / or Certificates of Deposit

MONITORING OF FUNDS

  1. A proper monitoring mechanism should be established to ensure the necessary checks and balances.
    1. All current CCISUA accounts shall be incorporated in the financial report.
    2. The expenditure must not exceed the budget.
    3. All carry-overs (liabilities, receivables) from one fiscal year to another will be explained by the Treasurer in the financial report.
    4. The maintenance of one account with the UNFCU shall meet CCISUA’s operational requirements. The maintenance of a second account with a financial institution in Europe is permissible as long as it carries interest and the fees are minimal. The maintenance of more than one account is permissible as long as each generates income and is not subject to high fees.
    5. The reimbursement of travel claims and payments of other expenditures should be accompanied by supporting documentation justifying the claim for reimbursement. All travel claims shall be made on a F.10 expense form or the equivalent, attaching a copy of the PT.8 financial plan or equivalent expense authorization form, a copy of the airline ticket and a copy of an invoice of the issuing travel agency. The initial payment made by the Treasurer should be 16 considered as an advance against the final settlement, the rationale being that delegates may be required to change their original itinerary while in travel status.
    6. Regarding the control of fixed assets, all assets shall be clearly identified and recorded in an inventory which shall be included in the financial report. The Treasurer should record clear identifications, such as serial numbers and should keep track of the movement of those assets. Any equipment loaned or donated to CCISUA members should be recorded as such.

SPENDING FUNDS

  1. As provided for in the Statutes, the President and Vice President shall be the two officials who authorize the disbursement of funds as long as the amount does not exceed the budget. Where necessary, the General Secretary may replace the Vice- President for this function should the Vice-President not be available to carry out the necessary authorization. In this respect, advice should be obtained from the Treasurer, who should consult the Finance Committee if necessary. To avoid exhaustion of a budget line, the inclusion of another budget line, the miscellaneous fund, can be used if necessary. In case of exhaustion of a budget line, the Treasurer shall seek approval from the full membership of the Finance Committee for the allocation of additional funds.

TREASURER

  1. The general responsibilities of the Treasurer are:
    1. Responsible for receiving and recording the CCISUA budget on a fiscal year basis. The accounting transaction against the budget line should be in compliance with common accounting principles, procedures and practices.
    2. Accounting transactions which should be recorded regularly. Receipt deposits, identifying and also recording the expenditures incurred against the budget line should be made regularly (monthly).
    3. Monitoring cash flow closely in conjunction with bank statements and to reconcile the bank statements.
    4. Preparing financial statements quarterly which should be sent to the Finance Committee and the President of CCISUA.
    5. To maintain proper documents for filing, investigation and audit purposes.
    6. Preparation of financial report which should be completed and 17 audited with certification one month prior to the CCISUA Annual General Assembly.
    7. Distribution of Financial report and preliminary budget to the Finance Committee for comments and preparation of the budget.
    8. Responsible for analysis of financial activities, especially the expenditures to recommend ways to be cost effective as well as to determine the investment of liquid assets which should be presented to the CCISUA Assembly for guidance and decision making.