Dear Colleagues,

Following Council's request that the FICSA membership be provided updates relative to staff-management relations in some of the more troubling organizations, we would like to provide you with the attached document published yesterday by a lawyer who is currently defending a Geneva-based journalist who had reported on the relatively recent FICSA/CCISUA organized demonstration against the WIPO Director General.

The document states that the Swiss Ambassador who this time lent his name to the WIPO Director General's criminal complaint,  is the same Ambassador who had allegedly helped the WIPO Director General when WIPO staff members' stolen personal effects were illegally transmitted to a Swiss laboratory for DNA analysis several years ago, without the staff members' knowledge and consent.  An OIOS investigation was blocked due to the Swiss/Geneva authorities' refusal to cooperate with the OIOS investigators.

The WIPO Director General has now put into place his own Staff Council, denying the rights of more than 600 WIPO Staff Association dues-paying members to be represented and defended by the elected leaders of their Staff Association in discussions and negotiations with the WIPO Director General.

FICSA will continue to provide advice and assistance to the WIPO Staff Association for as long as this unacceptable situation persists.

You can access the document via the following link:
RESPECTING FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AT THE UNITED NATIONS - article by Matthew Parish 25-04-2017

With best regards,

Gemma

Gemma Vestal
FICSA General Secretary
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