10 The provisions that follow generally set out the policies and procedures relating to a staff member's participation in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF). Full information may be found in the UNJSPF website.
Participation
20 Staff members meeting the conditions set out in Article 21 of the Regulations and Rules of the UNJSPF must become participants in the Pension Fund. Upon becoming participants, staff members receive a participation letter including all relevant information.
30 New participants complete a Designation of Beneficiary form (PENS A/2) as requested in the participation letter and a Declaration of Personal Status, Dependant's Recognition and Health Insurance (form WHO 90) both of which should be addressed to the Secretary, WHO Staff Pension Committee, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
40 Staff members must also provide evidence of their date of birth to the HR Administrator GHR. When applicable, a staff member must also produce proof of marriage or domestic partnership and of the date of birth of their spouse. A staff member with dependent children under the age of twenty-one must produce evidence of their dates of birth.
50 The information given on the form WHO 90 is reviewed and recorded on PENS A/3 which is sent electronically by the Secretary of the WHO Staff Pension Committee to the UNJSPF.
60 Any subsequent changes in the particulars entered on a form WHO 90 (e.g. marriage, death of spouse, divorce, re-marriage, birth, marriage or death of children) must be reported to the HR Administrator GHR. A new form WHO 90, to be substituted for the previous one, must be completed and a copy of the new form is given by the HR Administrator GHR to the Secretary of the WHO Staff Pension Committee .
70 Each participant must undergo the medical examination prescribed in the Regulations of the Fund. This examination is the same as that required for employment [see III.15.3 Pre-appointment examination], and is performed by the staff physician at each office of the Organization. Physicians at offices away from headquarters make their reports on a standard form and send them to the Staff Physician at headquarters, who records the recommendations on form WHO 164 .
80 The Secretary of the WHO Staff Pension Committee keeps one copy of form WHO 164 in each participant's file and, in the event of separation with entitlement to a pension benefit, sends it to the Secretary of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board.
90 For the provisions relating to participation in the UNJSPF of staff members holding temporary appointments see this section Temporary Staff Members.
100 A retired staff member who is re-employed and is eligible under Article 21 to re-enter the Pension Fund becomes a participant in the Pension Fund again and their pension benefit is then suspended from the date of re-entry into the Fund and any over-payments have to be returned to it.
110 The rate of contribution to be paid by participants into the Pension Fund is determined in accordance with Article 25 of the Regulations and Rules of the UNJSPF. For professional and higher categories of staff, this rate is applied to the schedule of pensionable remuneration (PR/C) rates given in III.20 Annex 7.G. For general service staff, this rate is applied to part of to their gross base salary plus the amount(s) of any pensionable allowance to which the staff member is entitled.
Validation of non-pensionable service
120 Staff members who become participants in the Fund at a date subsequent to that of their initial appointment can validate previous non-pensionable service time in accordance with Article 23 of the Regulations of the UNJSPF and Section E of the Administrative Rules. This right must be exercised within one year of the date on which they became participants. Requests for validation or enquiries on the subject should be addressed to the Secretary, WHO Staff Pension Committee. Additional information on validation of non-pensionable service may be found in the UNJSPF website.
130 When staff members or, in case of their death, their dependants, become eligible under the UNJSPF Regulations for a benefit other than a disability benefit, the HRO(GSC) notifies the Secretary of the WHO Staff Pension Committee.
140 Staff members who become incapacitated for further service because of an injury or illness that is likely to be permanent or of long duration normally become eligible for a disability benefit only after the sick leave, sick leave under insurance cover and any special leave at half pay which they have been granted under the Staff Rules have been exhausted. If a staff member appears to be entitled to a disability benefit, the Staff Physician, Staff Health and Wellbeing or their designee informs the Secretary of the WHO Staff Pension Committee, who prepares a request for review and consideration of the Committee. If the request is approved by the WHO Staff Pension Committee it is forwarded to the Secretary of the Joint Staff Pension Board in New York for further action. The Secretary of the WHO Staff Pension Committee informs the HRT who terminates the contract of the staff member on the grounds of disability, in accordance with the provisions of Staff Rule 1030 and of Article 33 of the Regulations of the Pension Fund. [See also III.10.9 Separation from Service, Termination for reasons of health].
150 Benefits are calculated in accordance with the procedure established by the UNJSPF.
Special leave without pay [Section D of the Pension Fund Administration Manual]
160 Staff members who are granted special leave without pay will have this leave counted as contributory service for pension purposes only if they pay both their own and the Organization's contribution of the applicable pensionable remuneration concurrently with the leave, i.e., they remit it by the 15th of each month directly to Pension Services at headquarters.
