VOL. 66, NO. 5 - aafi-afics - UNOG

The value of the Pension Fund’s assets increased 3.1% from end September to end October 2007. At endOctober, these assets were distributed as follows: shares, 58.6%; bonds, 32.3%; real estate, 4.1%; cashand short-term assets, 5%.Certificates of entitlementA reminderThe Pension Fund still reviews the certificates of entitlement (CEs) to verify to continuing eligibility of retireesand beneficiaries to the benefits they receive. In order to avoid benefit payment being suspended, retireesand beneficiaries must complete the CE that the Fund sends out each year, usually in November. If yourCE is not returned the Pension Fund by the second week of the following January, another CE will be mailedto you be end of January. If the Fund receives no response by the end of April, your benefit may besuspended. Of course, once your CE is returned, your benefit will be reinstated retroactively.You can take certain precautions to ensure the safe transmittal of your CE. First make a photocopy of thecompleted certificate and then send the original back to the Pension Fund via registered mail.If you have not received your certificate of entitlement by the end of December – which may happen if youreside in an area where the postal services do not always function properly – make a photocopy of the formreproduced on page 3 of the cover of this Bulletin), fill it in and send it to the Pension Fund (NB: thecertificate that is sent to the Fund must always bear the original of your signature).Checking that the Fund has received your CESince January 2005, the Fund has provided a tracking feature on its website that all retirees andbeneficiaries can access through the Fund’s website: www.unjspf.org. It allows you to confirm receipt of yourCE. The system is simple and effective. Access to the tracking feature requires that you register through thewebsite so that a PIN code can be mailed to your home address – and then you are but a click away fromknowing whether the Pension Fund has received your CE.Peter Lillie. ARICSA BulletinTHE SWISS OLD-AGE AND INVALIDITY PENSIONSCHEME (AVS - AI - AC)as it applies to non-Swiss retired international officialsdomiciled in SwitzerlandThe Swiss Federal AVS-AI-AC Scheme (Assurance Vieillesse et Survivants/Assurance Invalidité/AssuranceChômage) is a compulsory old age, survivor, invalidity and unemployment scheme. All persons who havetheir domicile in Switzerland - except serving officials of the UN system - have to contribute to the scheme.By virtue of their contributions they acquire rights to an economic protection in case of invalidity and uponreaching a specified age. The protection covers the contributors themselves as well as their survivors(widows/widowers and children). Participation in the scheme must be maintained until ages 65 for men and64 for women born since 1.1.1942. Old-age pensions are paid from the month following the 64th birthday forwomen born as indicated above and the 65th birthday for men. Since 1.1.1997 each contributor is treatedindividually, and no longer as a member of a couple.38