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Message from the Director RSCE
Dear Colleagues,
This quarter has seen significant changes to our operation.
Our budget for 2023/2024 fiscal year was approved with an amount of 43.64 million United States Dollars with staffing total of 402 posts. Due to the financial crisis, we have moved from doing more and better with less to doing better with what we have.
A few highlights from the last quarter that are still pertinent to this quarter.
On the Request from the government of Mali, the UN Security council approved resolution 2690 mandating the withdrawal of MINUSMA by the end of the year 2023. Closure of the mission in Mali has significantly increased the workload for the RSCE. Nine RSCE staff have been deployed to Mali to support the liquidation and closure of the mission.
The closure of one of the largest clients of the Centre will inadvertently impact the staffing of the RSCE in the next financial year because MINUSMA represented 15% of the RSCE operations. I count on each and everyone of you to increase efforts in supporting not only Mali closing but other missions as well who are going through different challenges.
On September 4, we hosted a delegation from the International Civil Service Commission led by chairman Mr. Larbi Djacta, who were in Uganda to assess and collect data on issues related to staff benefits and entitlements, duty station hardship classification, and post adjustment among other things. We introduced to them the Centre’s operation and support to the client. They also met with the Entebbe staff representatives who discussed issues affecting UN personnel in Entebbe as well as classification of the Entebbe duty station which is linked to the Kampala classification.
In September, we hosted Mr. Kelvin Ong, Director of the Field Operations Finance Division (FOFD), who visited the Regional Service Centre Entebbe from 13th to 15th September. I briefed him on the Centre’s financial and budget situation including the scalability model used to determine the transactional staff of the Centre. He was equally briefed on the overall operations and current activities including the center’s involvement and support to MINUSMA as they close operations in Mali. Mr. Ong met all finance and budget staff of the RSCE and applauded them for their work in ensuring UN personnel in field missions receive their benefits and entitlements on time.
At the start of this month, we celebrated the Client Service Week under the theme TEAM: Delivering as ONE. Once again, the theme spells out what we do here at the RSCE which is working together to ensure that our clients have the peace of mind to carry out their mandates.
I want to commend each and every one of you for your deliberate participation in affirming our commitment to client service and I want to commend the committee that put the week together on a job well done. Kudos to you all.
Finally, I am very pleased to announce that the USG DOS upon our recommendation has endorsed the selection for the position of the RSCE Deputy Director, and Ms. Nalini Contreras has been selected for the position. Please join me in congratulating Ms. Contreras and wishing her all the best in her role.
On a sad note, the RSCE has once again been struck with tragedy. The unexpected death of our colleague and friend, Ms. Moureen Musonge has left us all with a heavy heart. Moureen was a cherished member of the wider UN family, with many years of dedicated service first with MONUSCO and then RSCE/FSDH. She is survived by a husband and two children. Please keep Maureen’s family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this difficult time.
May she rest in peace.
Finally, I thank all that have contributed to all the previous editions of the RSCE Newsletters and the communications team for their efforts to make it happen. If you have an interesting story, contact the RSCE Communications Team through rsce-communications@un.org.
Thank you!
