SUMMER, N9 18 1994

-^> of tlte Association of Forrner VHO St"ff \V'orld Heahb Organisation, CH-1211 Geneua, &aitzcrlnnd, ( Tel: 791 310i; Far: 791 0746 )

Comment Tne Tnxrrvc PnoeuEM oF PeusloN

There is no universal answer to the question Just three months ago, in attempting to lure of income tâx on U.N. pensions. If all U.N.- mem- thc \ÿorld Tiade Organization, §uccessor of GÂTT, ber countries taxed, then the issue would disppear, from Geneva to Bonn, Germany offered incentives but the fact of the marter is that some countriei tax that, according to press reports, included tax-free pen- pensions partly while orhers exempr them entirely. slons. Not many, admittedly, but enough to set precedent. In the end, Geneva beat Bonn out, with a Based on information from former and ser- package combining buildings, parking, as well as '§ÿTO ving staff, this much is known: Britain exemprs 10 per concessions to staff described in the lemer to cenr of pension from rax on grounds that it originates rhe Ti^ibune dc Genhte excerpted on pege 70 of Neus. from a fund established overseas. The "Republic and *L'ofte Canton of Geneval and the United Srates exempt that dc Bonn ... était bonne. Mdis h norre 'William part of pension financed by the pensioner provi- était excellente,'exulted Rossier, the Swiss ded there is no lump sum seftlement. - Ambassador to GATif after it was all over. That may be, but what the Swiss offer has done is to create, Reportedly pensioners residing in Austria, willy-nilly, entitlements for a Broup of intcrnationals India, Paraguay, Philippines, and Spain are enrirely that are not accorded others, with the consequences exempr ftom tax. rù(ith rhe exception of Paraguay, dl that are sure to come. these countries have something ln common they are host to a major U.N. agen!,. \ÿhich - be All of which shows that attitudes have chan- -ay "r, explanation. ged towards internationals in Geneva * from indiffe- rence about a decade ago to more than interest today. It cannot be dispured thar the benefits They want us. Like us or not, our presence in the accruing to a country's ..o.ro-y from a U.N. presen- area means jobs for local folk. ce more than jusrifies the waving of tax on salaries and, by extension, on pensions. After all, we repre- According to the Geneva Sndsrical Office, the sent â minoriry and so there is no economic "loss" to international communiry pumped $2 billion into tJre speak about ro rhe counrry. local economy in 1993, a âct surely not lost to aur}o- rities in times of recession; and which constitutes as Certainly tax-free pensions were among the strong a rebuttal as any to those who resent the privi- incentives offered by the Austrians that led the United leges and immunities conferred upon internationals. Nations to Venna, which is now headquarters for the International Atomic Energy Ag.n.y, and other agen- "\W'hen it is said that the tax-free status of cies as well. U.N. officials is not popular, the see rrage 2

..2 ..3 ..3 .4 ..5 Irg I \ lst Person Story "l WEruT BAcK To rHE ClessnooM"

Before joining \ÿHO in April l97O,1was a professor in pharmacology and therapeutics. Vhile work- ing for \fHO was rewarding, I missed my students. In I 990, after separation, I se ize d the opportuniry to spend a month surveying pharmaceutical education in Pakistan through visits to the seven schools of pharmacy, and another month visiting nine medical schools in the provinces of Sindh and Baluchestan.

On these occasions, I gave talks to students, speaking about \7HO's programme to promote the rational use of pharmaceuticals and to prevent drug abuse. Indeed, this has been the pattern over recent years in visits to medical schools whether in Aden, Amman, Beirut, Chicago, Sana'a or elsewhere a lecture or two on the - - proper use of pharmaceuticals, followed by a discussion. Students appreciated the information on'§ÿHO. I felt of service to them and also to VrHO, spreading knowledge of its work. Tâlks and lectures are one thing, fairly easy to manage, but teaching again...? Baqai University in Karachi, established in 1986, is a private medical institution, the first in Pakistan, with schools of medicine, dentistry nursing and a faculry of public health offering an MPH degree. I was invited to teach for a term. I was challenged and then nervous since it had 6een 26 years when I had last taught regular courses.

Prof. Zal

A word of thanks to my serving colleagues in PUB who were generous in supplying me with §7HO material to serve as texts and which were seen for the first time by many students. I would like to think that sales may be helped eventually.

The word may have gone around now in countries I know well, judging from other offers to repeat what I did at Baqai Universiry. I feel that I have to choose careiully to lead a partially retired life and to keep my family h"ppy.

You don't have to be a medical doctor or a pharmacist, I âssure you. Every former colleague has infor- mation to offer to students, and in their way become a good will ambassador of \[HO. Khan, Ph.D. -Inayat (former chief, psychotropic, narcotic drugil from page 7 "Comment " that as salary has been defined to include pension, comparison with the European Communiry should then, in much the same way es salary is free of tax under the host âgreement covering privileges and be kept in mind," former U.N. sraffer Knud Lassen immunities, be exempt. is a \Ànote in a letter (Autumn 1993, News, No. 15). penion too must That compelling ârgument. In addition to being better than U.N. pen- of which shows that while there is no uni- sions, he pointed out, EEC pensions are tax-free in all All versal enswer the issue taxing therc are F.EC countries, which is a fact deserving to be made to of pensions, better known. individual solutions. There seems no better place than Geneva, and no berter time than the present, In India, as an item on page 4 shows, ("Tâx than to argue locally for the Indian interpretation. Exempt in India") the High Court of Karnataka ruled - Peter Ozorio, Editor NEW FAX FOR FIN/PER Mrs Renate Wiedmer, Chief of the WHO Pension and lnsurance Unit (FlN / PEN) has advised of a change in fax number. lt is: 41 22 791 41 84 (Ceneva). page 2 lst Person Story ..I WENT To VIer NAM,, Zealous militias brandishing submachine guns, rent-a-crowd demonstrators chanting slogans, banners hung_across the streets, surly bureaucrets resenting capitalist visirors, stricr security checks; if tÀatt Ëo* yo., i-a- gine Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital forget it ! - The country mey not be ready for jumbo-loads of tourists but it has many atrracions, and none of the crude dogma that used to be the hallmark of East bloc nations. The'§7HO-organised InternationalConference on the Elimination of T eprosy, held from 4 to 7 July this year, took place in ihe country's Parliament. As one Vice-Chairman reminded us, that was like being invited to meet in the Palace of lùÿ'estminster in London or in '§?'ashingtont Capitol. Yet there was simply no security. '§7HO's My own role was as a public information consultant to Leprosy gnil now upgraded ro a Special Programme but, in - - common with all the other participants, I camè ,rrâ lr..rt at will, ,o-Lti-., .".- rying slideshow projection and filming material, through th. gr."t front portals or via a courtyard at the rear. As for the bureaucrats, to judge by the Vietnamese organisers, they are invariably smiling, helpful, effi- cient and as regards the ladies, madly pretty. Tlue, a vast bust of Ho Chi Minh loomed or.r ih. màin audi- torium - - whe re we sat at desks bearing MPs' nameplates (and wondered why 90 per cent of Viernamese seem to be called Nguyen). Nearby there were daily queués to view the great manb embalmed body, while half a mile down Dien Bien Phu Street boys cheerfully booted a football againit â srarue of Lenin. "Privatisation" and the free market have ensured that foreign visitors need not bother with the local cur- rency; I know I tried to use it. But since it takes 10,000 dongs to make one U.S. dollar, and since even a cgup]e of noughts- in Italian lire invariable confuse me, I speedilÿ reverted to spending the currency that all shopkeepers and taxi-drivers use, namely the dollar. It is still a very poor country; builders work at a leisurely pace, climbing on rickery bamboo'scaffolding and hoisting bucke ts of cement on a rope. But there is a feeling of animatior, confidence which must surelÿ "nd enable this agreeable country to pull itself up by its bootstr"p.. Irreritably Hanoi looks over irs shoulder at Ho Chi Minh Ville (Saigon), which is a decade or two ahead in infrastructure. But it has many charms itself. Yes, the pavements are cracked and pot-holed, and no building eppears to have had a lick of paint for rhe past 50 yeâT. But there are many fine houses fronting the tree-lined avenues, and at night the srreers throb with vitaliry as children play, people squât on the sidewalls to eat "fast foods," and the brighdy lit silks and ceramics shops do a booming trade. There are bargains to be had; a colleague emerged from one of these little boutiques with a trophy: a Vietnamese military helmet, complete with red srar. Price: one dollar. As for the cuisine, it is delicious, and cheap. Even in the smart tourist hotels you may pay only $7 for a three-course dinner with a beer and coffee. Two rival resteurants within one block of each othir are called The Piano and The Old Piano. One is rather down market, bur the elderly lady pianist and her violinist colleague will cheerfully try to play a cha-cha on demand. In the other, the piano, though no Steinway, is slightly bemer tuned, and the young pianist gave a comme ndable rendering of Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata. The conference ended by acclaiming the Hanoi Declaration, pledging all endemic countries, donors and '§fle NGOs to reduce leprosy to below one cese per 10,000 population by the year 2000. could not have imagi- ned a better setting for such a historic commitment. Bland -John (former Editor-in- C h ief, Vorld Health)

Speclal OrreR It recognizes the growing number of grandpa- rents in the country that first gave the world Mother's American Express is offering exclusively to WH0 Day and then Father's Day. serving and former staff their lnter national Dollar Card at a special annual fee of US$ 25. instead of US$ 100.-. Application forms are available in the At-rtetuen Dlv Association's office E 118. WHO and the Alzheimer Association have decla- red 2l September as World Alzheimer Day, according GnaruopnneNTs' DAy ToLe Figaro.

Not to be forgotten, 11 September is that day, at More than 15 million are aff licted by this disea- least in the United States. se worldwide. pnge 3 Pensions Reurer FoR RussrRxs Tne'92 RePoRT Russiat President Boris Yeltsin has been asked by FICSA to help in "restoring in the U.N. pension These tidbits from the 1992 report of the fund" all of the Russians who retired berween 1981 U.N. Joint Staff Pension Fund, as summarized by PK. and 1990. Bansal, SEARO: '.As a result of internal regulations in force during that period," FICSlfs president, Judy Lavnick- That assets totalled more than US$ 10.2 '\W'ainstead, billion on 31 December 1992 as compared to $9.3 said in a letter last May, this group of reti- billion ayeer earlier. rees had no "other choice but to reluctantly request" that their pensions be paid directly to the USSR That investments in bonds, real estate and BOvernment. securities- did well, yielding $886, 994,230. This procedure is "contrary to the U.N. That participants increased from 60,183 Charter and the principles governing the international to 61,968. During the year, 3,635 lump-sum with- civil service," the letter went on to say, adding: "The drawal and other setrlemenrs were paid. U.N. pension fund has shown its willingness to resto- re their pension rights, if you cooperete with them to That the market value of assets on 31 this end." March 1993 was $11,407 million, $1,296 million make more than a yea;' earlier. The total yearly rerurn was Earlier ILOI staff union said it would 11.6 per cent which, afrer adjustment by the U.S. monthly grants of $30 for over ru/o years to four for- consumer price index, represented e "real" rate of 8.2 mer colleagues who were receiving pensions in rubles equivalent to less than $20 a month from the USSR. Per cent. In addition, it established a Russian Pension This was the eleventh consecurive year in whi- Solidariry Fund. ch the Fund achieved a positive rerurn. (Returns over the past five years, beginning in 1989, were 5.9 per cent, I 1.6 per cent, 8.9 per cenr, 7 .6 percent and 1 1.6 Tax ExEupr rN INDIA per cenr respectively). As a result of a decision by the Karnataka That administrative costs totalled High Court, pensioners in India are exempt from $6,8t 3,822 as compared to $6,995,690 in 1991. paying income lax, Linh, the newsletter of UNICEFT Data processing costs increased to $2,532,148 from pensioners, recently reassured readers. The case, $1,756,856 in 1991. No expenditure was incurred brought by K. Ramaiah, a former staff member, wes on office furnishings in I 992, as compare d to based on the U.N. Privileges and Immunities Act, $t,043,490 in 1991. 1947, which exempts salaries from tax. According to a circular (No. 293), dated That the cost of investment services esca- February 1981, put out by the country's Central lated from- $t0 million ro more than million $11.1 in "sala- 1992. Board of Direct Tâxes, the court held that since ry has been defined to include pension, if salary is That staff costs increased to $316,315 exempted from tax, so shall be the pension." from $294,239. Thus to subject U.N. staff to tax, "the govern- ment may have to amend the U.N. Immunities Act," the pensioners' newsletter said, adding "which is not (Excerptedfron SEARO News, TJune 1994 likely."

Now an Arnponr Tlx DorulrroHs

Effective 1 July 1994, a new Swiss airport tax Treasurer Joseph Chang-Wailing reports the has been levied for international flights, varying upon the receipt of CHF 850 in donations during 1993 from three port of departure. col leagues. From Geneva, it is CHF 13, plus a summer sur- It's very much appreciated he says, and, drop- charge (Travel of CHF 1.50, according to WHO's TAT & ping a not-too-subtle hint, adds that more would be wel- Transportation) Travel Advisory. come.

page 4 Health Corner THINK ABOUT INFLUENZA NOW

. f am jotting down these lines sitting comfortably on the balcony in a mosr pleasant August sunshine, but at the time this appears, Geneva may be shivering in autumnal rains. There are iherefor. goôd reasons for thinking ahead and writing about influenza now.

B-y the way, thinking ahead is what \üfHO does for all of us by monitoring the movemenrs of influenza viruses all over the globe. Virusas in plural, because of rhe many strains, somerimes- new ones, requiring the pro- duction of ever newer vaccines, baseà on epidemiological asseisments in a worldwide nemrork ôf coll"abot"ting laboratories

The epidemics of influenza move with the seasons back and forth berween the norrhern and southern hemisphere. Chinese winter affords a good opportuniry to make predictions for the South African winter, to -The come lff a year,later, as does a South A*.ri."" epidemic, say in Jtuly, allow \ÿ-HO to predict which virus streins will be prevalent in "our" European winter. In ihis *"y, \üiIO can make recom*.ndrtions for the com, position of the vaccines to be produced in advance for use in the forthcoming influenza season.

As far_as we, former staff, are concerned, emphasis is on the \a/ord "use." tü7'hether we like it or not, cli- nicians consider those of us oyer 65 as high-risk persons, who need protection against rhe virus. Influenza still 1ray be a deadly disease, lilce the gr$eth-at c"me to France from Italy in L743,ind therefore (according to the Larousse étymologique) was given this Italian name by Mme d'Epinay in 1743; or like the "spanish flue" in 1918*19 which, by the way, had little to do with Spain, having first been reported in France ànd the United States. -

- Of course, complications such as pneumonia are nowadays treated routinely and thus the danger is less than in, medically ,p."Lirrg, historical times. There is no absolure certainry thar tire 1994 vaccin *Tl indeed im-munize against the 1994-95 epidemic; but ir is highly probable that it utilL so, why nor take the shoti Side effects are improbable, it is inexpensive, and does not hurt. Just conracr your doctor (if you have one), and be a good §üHO alumnus, purring prevention into practice. Strasser, MD -Tom(formerly CW) Health lnsurance IAEA

PerusroNERS' Pucnr Oven rN THE VrENrua Wooos

For the first time ever, rhe annual report of the In my case there were four instances where health insurance plan shows premiums paid per for- Van Breda (the insurance company covering IAEA, mer staff member amounting to $1,470 as against Vienna) incorrectly refused, either partially or in total, reimbursements of $1,308, thus negating claims that reimburse ment of medical expenses: pensioners are responsible for any deficit. ' They applied a limit to the reimbursement It is regrettable, however, rhat this should be of the cost of a medically prescribed contact lens due to the arbitrary decision taken in 1989 to increase though the limit applies only to spectacle lenses. premiums which has caused hardship ro many pen- sioners -in disregard a - of rhe principle of solidarity ' They refused reimbursement of the cost of and to the disadvanrage even of serving staff. prescribed medicine on the grounds that it could also be bought in supermarkets without prescription. The It is to be hoped that rhe nexr acuarial study insurance contrect simply stipulates that the cost of a will be more realistic than the last to enable some of medicine is to be reimbursed provided it is prescribed the mistakes made at that time to be corrected. by a medical doctor thatt all. - Alain Vessereau ' They refused reimbursement of the cost of a (Member Executiue Group -and representatiue to medically prescribed contact lens because the strength the heabh surueillance committee) of the lens had not changed from an earlier prescrip-

tion. That limitation, however, is only see page G France Voisine what we are today pensioners who intend to stay young for many years?- A fair number of clubs have Tnar Tenu : Tne 3" AcE done so, why not ours? Bacaly -Jacques Certain words, in common usage, no longer Ferney-Vobaire have the meaning they used to have a few years ago. (Excerpted fom the bulletin of \ÿhen rhe Club du 3ème âge de Ferney-Vohalrc was the Club 3ème âge de Ferney-Voltaire founded more than 20 years ago, the expression "3rd Age" was applied to elderly people who had reached (In Canada the prefened phrase is "senior citi- xsn." retirement (65 years at that time). -f6lj1s7)

But now few people in their sixties, or even in their seventies, are willing to regard themselves as belonging to the "3rd Age." Like the poet, they no Iti doubt think:

ïhe te.rm that pr,rts me in a rage Js that wea"isovne b^zzword "3rd Ag.," lïL Jt sugge-sts babie.s' noise Nappies, duvntnies a,.d loys, À"d a, reTurn to the infancy shc,ge.

Ought we not change our name to avoid having "3rd Age" understood in a pejorative sense, and "Grimsby has optedfor pbased retirement." instead find a name that more âccurately expresses

FneNcn oR FoE queue-jumping, as well as more serious business mat- ters such as time-keeping and the idea of what a busi- For those relocating to France a new and ness meeting is meant to achieve. valuable piece of research has just been published. 'W'ritten "French or Foe" by Polly Platt, an American living in with considerable sympathy for France Paris, offers a lively and informative guide to the cus- and the French, the consistent argument is that toms and culture of the French from an Anglophone understanding is the key to diffusing foreigners' frus- perspective. trations. It is published by Culture Crossings Ltd. (telephone, London (44-71) 404-2161; fax (44-71) Topics covered include the small things, such 83r-2261.) as different conceptions of body space and the sport of (Excerptedfrom thelnr'l Herald Tiibune 2-3 July '94)

from page 5 IAEA would have had to pay for two days and the burden on the insurance would have been rwice as high. valid for spectacle lenses.

On all occasions I won but only because as a . I was to be hospitalized for 24 hours for an former staff member of the Division of Personnel I eye operation.. However, because all wenr smoothly I '§7'hen reme mbered some of the clauses of the contract. was discharged on the same day. I submitted a Others, whether active or retired, are likely to never claim for 90 per cent reimbursemenr, I was told that a single.-day hospitalization was no hospitalization at all have seen the actual text of the contract and so are at a and that I should have submitted mlclaim under the serious disadvantage. category "Docrors' fees," reimbursable at 80 per cent. _Herbert Vetter formerly personnel, I found this business parricularly silly since, International Agency for Atomic Energy; had I stayed for 24 yours as originallv planned, I Excerpted fom Echo, I 85, Spring I 994) page 6 CHaNcEs, CneNGEs... (Mone)

The following âre recent staff appointments: Chief of the newly-established unit of Dracunculiasis Eradication in the Division of Control of Tiopical Ënoironmenul Heablt : . Dr T. Kjellstrôrn has been Diseases. appointed as Director of the Office of Global and Integrated Environmental Healrh; and Mr G. Vaccines and Immunization : . Dr P-H. Lambert Ozolins as Director of the Division of Operational has been appointed as Chiefl, Vaccine Research and Support in Environmental Health. Development . Dr H. Zn{fmann has been appointed as Chief, Expanded Programme on Immunization. Tiopical Diseases : . Dr P.J.A. Ranque, formerly . Mr P. Evans has been designated Acting Chief, Senior Medical Officer in the Office of Director, Vaccine Supply and Qualiry. Control of ïïopical Diseases, has been appointed as

LETTERS

(Unhss stated to tbe contrary by correspondents, htters receiued are routinely considzred, uieuts Editor) and edited for publication to encourage an excbange of arnong colleagues. - GeruenosrrY, KrNoxess EanrY Dnvs

Olga Boleman, interpreter, retired from §IHO Re: I Tîibute ê{.t"r, 16 Winter 199j-94) a little more than five years ago. She then moved away from the world of interpretation to which she had Jimmy \Wright was a wonderful example of '§7HO, belonged for nearly forty years, working originally how, in the early days of recognition was given under her maiden name, de Pojidaeff. Previously, she to personal dedication and effort, particularly in the had obtained various diplomas at the University of teld, and not to "geographical distribution" and natio- Paris and not all of them were necessarily in languages, naliry. a fact she never mentioned. '§ÿ'e must never in our grief mourn that Jimmy Feeling a little tired and not wishing to conti- is no longer, but rather give thanks that he was. Those nue in the profession, and having suffered a number of who knew him will always be grateful rhar he wat and blows to her health, she adopted â new pace in life in inspired and affected our lives for the better. the company of her mother and her husband, Tibor. He respected her, held her in high esteem and lavished Vith all good wishes for the continuing dedi- every attention upon her. cated work you all do for us.

Her colleagues and friends were always asking t*:ir",i;: after her. God knows if Olga was constantly getting (former C h ief staff deue lopment, training) herself and into the most unlikely predica- ments!- But Olgas behaviour reflected her generosiry kindness, feeling for others, frankness and, let us not EcoruorutcAL Pnose forget, her love of animals. She inspired the same qua- lities in those she encountered. That is why everyone Re: Remembering James Deeny §ews, 1Z felt such warmth for her. Spring 1994)

Her two loved ones passed away within a short I still remember vividly -y first contact with space of time and Olga left us at the end of She June. Dr James Deeney at the Regional Directors Meeting '§ÿ'Rs has left us perhaps...but remains in our thoughts. with (my first as a minute-writer) in the early Maurice Howard i 960s. - CRC / CCP pnge 7 He was forthright in his denunciation of Bnoeo SpecrRur'a SEARO's loquacious telegrams (those were the days when all messages were sent by commercial channels Re: §ews, 17, Spring 1994) 1s161 machines were not yet in vogue and travel - from Delhi to Djakarta took about two days, with Congratulations on a publication that is as halts in Calcutta and Singapore). He and Dr L.V. 'broad specrrum' as any of its genre Fitzmaurice (then \WR Thailand) were able to extract _E.c. Engrard an assurence from the R-D that SEARO would be Corntuall, England economical in its telegrams and their contents.

He fought for all project proposals, put up per- SnaxesPEARE's Aces suasive and convincing arguments, and succeeded in getting what he wanted for Indonesia! That was the Re: That Terrn :The "3rdAge" (see p. 6) Dr Deeny I knew. J.V. Perumal Another Jacques, a cynical exile in SE/IRO Shakespeare's As You Lihe It,listed no fewer than Seven (F.cccerptedfrarz SEARO News 7 June 1994) Ages of Man, starting with "the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms" and "the whining school- boy, with his satchel and shining morning âce, cree- ping like snail unwillingly to school." MeuoRlEs Passing through the lover "sighing like furna- Re: .In Tiibute §ews, No. lTSpring) ce," the soldier "full of süange oaths and bearded like the 'pard" and the lawyer "in fair round belly with Although it is sad to learn of the deaths of four c:rpon lined," comes to the Sixth "the lean Jacques - former colleagues, with whom I had close associarion, and slippered pantaloon, with spectacles 6n ness" - it is good to be kepr informed of these evenrs wherein perhaps we, pensioners, may well see our- well as of many happier ones and the tributes you selves. publish not only bring back memories- but can also be of comfort to family and friends mourning the loss of But certainly not and here all will agree loved ones. with Bacaly ç66sinly- not as belonging to Jacques - M. Woolman the Seventh Age of Man: "Sans teeth, sans eyes, sens -Aubrey Eastbourne, Enghnd rasre, sans everything,' John Bland Mourex, France A TnreurE (former Editor, \ü7orld Health)

Re : 1z Tîibute§ews, 17 Spring 1994) Heerrn Pneurunas Our friend Charles Lederrey who died recently rvas a great connaisseur of nature. He was on the Re: Anger atAge 85 (l'.lews 17 Sprin§ commission for summer outings of the International Ski Club of Geneva, was irs second president and I was sorry to see that the letter written by Mrs competently led many of the day trips. Tove Engman in April 1994, givine only one side of a story, was printed in July without our reply to her - Paul Blanc darcd 4 May 1994, e copy of which had been sent to Lutry Vaud your Association. In our reply, we had clarified a number of points, particularly the correct situation with regard to the appointment and the arrangements which had been made to receive the lady in question.

page 8 One makes one's choice, but I find in the pre- It has been our consistent practice to reply to senr economic situation we, the favoured, should be all queries raised which have not already been dealt content. with. _ Jo"rr Robertson Geneua I would also like to sây a word about the level (formerly VBC) of \7HO health contributions. By way of compari- son, the premium payable for a good health insurance in certain European countries for one adult is as much LuxeueouRG's Murueu as $400 per montb. This includes an annual "deduc- tible" of $120 per year (i.e. amount which the insured AMFIE (Mutual Association of staff members has to bear before any reimbursement can be made), of intergovernmental organisations having their offices and with limitations on worldwide coverage. in Europe) is a credit union established in Luxembourg in 1990 by â group of active and retired Of course, a minimum health insurance cove- persons of U.N. agencies, OECD and EEC. ring public or common ward in hosiptals and other restricted benefits could be purchased for about $200 Membership comprises 34 inter-governmental per month, again with an annual deductible. I leave it organizations in such cities as Brussels, Vienna, up to your readers to compare this with what they are Luxembourg, Paris, Geneva. In May 1994, members' required to pây for'§ÿHO coverage. deposits exceeded ECU 14 million.

Ann Van Hulle-Colbert - StaffHeabh Insurance The advantages ofAMFIE are:

Returns on deposits higher than the rates (Tbe letter of 4 May came to our notice too late ' for available to individuals; printingi houeuer, tbe aborre letter of rebuttal uas inserted uith the mailing oyfNews No. 17 Spring tbus ' Tiansfers and currency conversions in nine appearing simultaneously. As tuell, it is excerpted ltere, currencies free of charge; utitb reaction from a colhague. Editor) - . Free Eurocard card.

and WE ruE FnvouReo Confidentiality of individual accounts securiry of investments ere priorities. Members parti- cipate democratically in its management. I was very pleased to see the letter (page 8) from the Staff Health Insurance, as I had not under- To join it is suflicient to purchase one member stood the complaints about the level of contributions. (1 US$ 1.18) there are no share of 10 ECU ECU = - Do these former staff not have contact with those less other charges. The address: 9 rue Jean Pierre Sauvage, privileged than us, those with less pension than we L-2514 Luxembourg. have? Are they not awâre of how much it costs to have Dimitri Arg;rropoulos an equivalent form of health insurance elsewhere? - Chairman

After all, we ere not forced to continue the \fHO contributions and can go to other schemes if (According to AMFIE's 199j report, pensioners re?re' we wish. So often complaints emanate from those sented 43 per cent of members, holàing 52 per cent of who have opted to take lump sums (well invested in deposits. Net interest rates for dzposits: 4.17 per cent' either or shares), and thus say they are exis- property -Editor) ting on a low monthly income. IN THE PRESS

YonlMBE : In the majority of cases, however, a physical Tne Benx rHAT Boosrs cause for the impotence can be demonstrated. The blood supply leading to the corPorâ, the spongev cavi- ties which fill with blood during erection rather as a The power of the bark of the African tree , air, may be inadequâte, as the arteries Pausinstalia yobimbe, which has been used in traditio- balloon fills with narrowed in later years. nal tribal medicine since time immemorial as an leading to the penis become may with blood, but the aphrodisiace, is now about to be reproduced by Simtex Conversely, the corpora fill as flaccid as a Iaboratories. After careful testing for safety in 20 valves may leak and they may soon be a parry. centres worldwide, it will be marketed as a treatment balloon the day after for impotence. Older men frequently do not realise that the and not in In fact, Yohimbine hydrochloride has been fault lies in their falling hormone levels available in established medicine for a long time. their female companions' appearance. As testosterone the fea- Roger Kirby, consultant urologist at St Bartholomew's levels fall, so do libido, potency and youthful Kirby says that it is this grouP Hospital, London, says: "I have prescribed it for years. tures of sexual arousal. treatment with It is one of the few drugs... found useful in treating of patients who may benefit most from testosterone in both impotence and the loss of libido." yohimbine, usually combined with some form, if tests show that their testosterone level is low

The same group of patients are also responsive to penile injections, and an improved injection, pros- taglandin E1, is to be marketed as Caverject by Upjohns. Many petients prefer to have an inflatable implant. Despite its greater cost (over .[3,000), this is now considered preferable to the insertion of semi- rigid rods.

'§ÿ'ithout investigations no patient should ever âccept that potency problems are all in the mind. Tieatments exist and are being improved constantly.

Thomas Stuttaford, M.D. (Excerptedfon Sunday- Tmes, 22 March 1994. See ako Le Figaro in Frencb uersion, News)

Yohimbine hydrochloride, it is claimed, acts on the central nervous system to increase blood pressu- PeNstoNERS Pnoresr re and pulse rate; it has a psychological as well as a FenE lrucREesE physical effect which combines to boost libido and enhance erections. Side-effects, of mania and anxiery AVIVO, the Association for the defence and have been reported. relief of all pensioners, is indignant about the increa- sed fares on Geneva public transport, and in particular Even as recently as the 1970's, men who be- about the 35 per cent to 40 per cent rise in reduced came impotent from such prosaic causes as drinking fares. Avivo has therefore sent a petition with more too much, diabetes or drug rrearmenr for high blood than 3000 signatures to the Geneva State Council. pressure, heart failure and angina were still being trea- This fare increase hits hard at pensioners, the disabled ted as psychological cases. and some young people, says Avivo, adding that its

page 10 representatives have not had an opporrunity to meet mation cdnnot mahe any claim to the granting of benefts the State Council since the petitionwas handed in. in res?ect of residence, worh or establishment....,'

(Excerpted fom It is hard to accepr onet social non-exisrence de Genèva g- Journal t t 9 June 1994) when one is completely integrated in a town which seeks to fight for equaliry berween men and \Momen.

TnE pntvtlecED . The third privilege accorded ro new officials AND THE EXCLUOEO coming from Moslem counrries, and the one that the Geneva and Swiss community will find hardest to ,,limited swallow, is that Berne proposes to authorise I was very interested to read articles (in the polygamy," that is ro say, permitting an official to Tiibune de Genèue, dared 2 A. 14 about the ins- July) tall himself in Switzerland \X/orld Tiade Organisation (formerly GAIT). with rwo legitimate wives. This concept does nor exist in the Islamic world, whe- re polygamy consists of having up ro four legitimate I am not in a posirion to judge how well_foun_ wives, and to imagine that in this time of unem_ ded the German and Swiss propor"1, are, bur as the - ployment the local population will take kindly to wife of an inrernational civil servanr, who has lived in - this new ethic smacks more of science-fiction Àan Geneva since 1978, i feel cheated by the promises that common sense. the Swiss government is making to the new diplomats and officials of the sfTO, promises which, in effect, From my experience, I have realised that a create nvo caregories of civil servants _ the privileged greater part and the excluded. of the local communiry still, in 1994, does not recognise rhe importance of the role that the U.N. and its . Firsr, officials play in Geneva; the fierce battle to Geneva is going to establish a service \WTO retain the in the heart of this city is living proof egency whose role will be to help rhe newcomers ro ger of that role. installed. Although we have managed all by o,r.r.li., to deal with "the rwists and rurns of the administra_ I dedicate these few lines to all those who have tion," all the same, it is a welcome improvement for had to set aside their careers as a result ofexcessive res- any efficienr sysrem ro rry to avoid wasring dme. trictions. Berween intransigence and the acceptance of all comers there is a golden mean which can be called . The second benefit granted ro rhe diplomats tolerance and breadth of spiris. is free access to rhe labour market for spouses, and exemption from TVA (Value Added Tax), and this is Hiba Al-Hakim wh;re the shoe pinches. Since I could not take a job - Grand Lancy within the U.N. sysrem commensurate with my quali- (The uriter is uttfe ofM.G.Al-Hakim, Chief TRA. fications and abilities in rhe absence of powerful - The WTO will be established in Geneua beginning'95. political suppon I had to be conrented for several - ExcerptedfromTribune de Genève, 5 August 1994) years with various lowly jobs which I eventually prefer_ red to pass up rather rhan submir ro rhe whims of less qualified persons who had got their positions rhanks to political suppom. Srtul Aurve Vluece NeneoNNe \fhen I asked to be granted a permis C after 15 years of continuous residence in Geneva, the dead- By the end of the century international civil line being ren years for other foreigners who are nor servents, whether acrive or rerired, will be able ro officials in the U.N. system, the Cantonal Office for spend their holidays or even install themselves perma- Population replied as follows: nently in the sourh of France, ar Narbonne-Plage. The bathing resorr in the department of l'Aude is "Your right to liue in Switzerland is reported ready to welcome a vast centre, to be known conditional on that of your s?ouse.... Ve taould further as "the international village." The departmenral plan- like to point out that'ie beneficiaries of a carte i teg;r; ning commission has just given its approval for this

pnge 11 BEETLE BNLEY

TI{E AVEBAôË OLO &lAN I{ARA'9.TAENT/ HAI TIF' EXPECTANCÿ FOF,v\EN tê1O I T I I I I

enterprise, according to the French dally Les Echos. construction of the CIRIC.

About 600 homes, shops, a hotel and a confe- The agreement on the financing of the future rence centre are planned on an areâ of some 50 hec- complex was signed in London on 13 September tares. There will be a pleasure boat marina, and even- 1993, acccording to Marc Delarbre, administrator of tually even school facilities. Various agencies speciali- the management board of the international village. sing in communication and scientific development Originally the village was to have been set up in will also be sited there, including a centre for research Lebanon, but the outbreak of war obliged the promo- into Mediterranean tourism, a foundation for protec- ters to think again. Other countries in the tion of the environment and, in particular, the Mediterranean basin were also considered. but International Ce ntre for Information and Narbonne's accessibiliry by road, rail and sea, the qua- Communication Resources (CIRIC). liry of life and the level of prices current in the region finally succeeded in tipping the scales. As the central force behind this project, CIRIC should enable internationals to keep in direct The first enterprise of its kind, this "interna- contact with their organisations and to have access to tional village" may well be followed by others. data banks. "lt is also intended to open a sort of "Narbonne is going to harbour several hundred inter- labour exchange where international agencies cen post national civil servants but they number several tens of their needs for temporary consultants. This will per- thousands all over the world, " says Marc Delarbre. mit freelancers working from the village to stay infor- Lebanon which will shortly see the return of the - the U.N. may in the end med about all opportunities that ârise," commented Regional Commission of - an official at the United Nations in Geneva. also host such a "village."

\7ill the international agencies themselves be The departmental planning commission asked to contribute? Not financially. But the promo- having given its support, all that remains now is to ters of the project hope that the agencies will put key submit a definitive project. Then the public inquiry information and data at the disposal of the CIzuC. procedure will be started. If everything goes as plan- ned, Jean-Pierre Rayssac, the Narbonne architect, hopes the work will start at the end of the first quarter The Mayor of Narbonne will not spend one of 1995, and will take five yeers to complete. centime on the construction, which is estimated to Claire KaPlun cost some CHF 165 million (FF 660 million ). - Launched by retired international civil servants, the (ExcrptedfromTribune de Genève, 26 August 1994 ) project is said to be entirely financed from private funds. Prince Khelid Ben Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is understood to be providing the funds needed to create Acknowledsements: The Executiue Group thanks those utho haue iade possible this issue, especiaily Paer Ozoio the complex, in the form of a loan at prefential inter- (Editor), Raiinlar Pal, the transhtàrs, Pirticularly Jean est rates. The authorities in Riyadh have also Leclerq; alio Marianne King. Layout by Humphrey announced a gift of CHF 15 million towards the Matthey, Geneua.

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