pensions - AAFI-AFICS, Geneva - UNOG

Administration and Classification. Rose Lewis was born in Ghana and studied in Madrid (Diploma inHispanic Studies) and Edinburgh (Master of Arts)Roger Fontana worked, for the majority of his career, in the Personnel Unit of WHO. After hisretirement he worked for five years on a number of emergency missions in Mali, Kenya and in theOccupied territories. In 1998 he became a member of the Association of Former WHO staff of whichhe became President from 2004 to 2008.Election of an Honorary ChairmanAnders Tholle Chairman of AAFI-AFICS from 2000 to 2003, has been elected Honorary Chairman ofthe Association. He joins Honorary Chairman Aamir Ali who was Chairman of AAFI-AFICS from 1993to 2000.NEWS FROM OTHER ASSOCIATIONSBAFUNCS, UNITED KINGDOMAnnual Reunion and General AssemblyIt is a long-standing tradition that BAFUNCS organizes its Annual Reunion and General Assemblyduring the month of May in different locations in Great Britain. Last year this event took place inKendal, Cumbria, and in 2009 it was held in the Chilworth Manor Hotel at Chilworth in Hampshire.during the weekend of 8-10 May. Participants had the choice of excursions to a world-famousCollection of Rhododendrons in the Exbury Gardens, to Mottisfont Abbey House, or to a site of a 13 thcentury priory and a countryside Museum.Guest speaker on the Saturday was Ms Juliet Colman, former President of the UK National Committeefor UNDP for Women and Chair of a National Alliance of Women’s Organizations. Her presentationwas followed on Saturday afternoon by Dame Margaret Anstee, as the chair of a panel for an “AnyQuestions Session”. Dame Margaret served the UN for over four decades and was the first woman toachieve the rank of Under-Secretary-General and also the first woman to head a UN peace-keepingmission, as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Angola in 1992-1993. A gala dinnerwas provided on Saturday evening.(BAFUNCS Newsletter-March 2009).UNPAI, NEW DELHIThe 8 th of November 2008 was a historic day in the annals of the United Nations Pensioners’Association in India, which celebrated its 30 th anniversary.Addressing the gathering, President Jagdish Aggarwal paid tributes to the Association’s foundingmembers, whose vision led to the establishment of this organization, and to the office-bearers andmembers of the Executive Committee. Messages of goodwill and best wishes were received from theChairman of the ICSC, Kingston Rhodes, the President of FAFICS, Andrés Castellanos, and formerPresidents of FAFICS Aamir Ali and Georges Saddler. Martine Olson, UN Resident Co-ordinator andUNDP Resident Representative stressed the importance of India’s role in technical/developmentassistance and mentioned that it has become the 3 rd largest contributor to the UN’s peacekeepingforces. During the meeting the UNPAI presented distinguished service awards to local artists, formerand current office-bearers and volunteers who had helped with the Association’s many activities. Thecelebrations ended with a lunch attended by about 120 participants. (UNPAI Bulletin January 2009)27