ROME - FAO Director General José Graziano has appointed Mozambican ambassador Carla Mucavi, a key figure in his murky 2011 election, to run the UN agency's New York Liason Office (LONY),  as the Brazilian agronomist faces a looming battle with trade unions over staff being allowed to postpone retirement to age 65.

 Mucavi, the ambassador to the FAO from the former Portuguese colony, effective Aug. 15 replaced Sharon Brennan-Haylock, from the Bahamas, who had been successfully serving in the sensitive post liasing with UN headquarters and has been downgraded to become a "Special Adviser," FAO sources said.

 Mucavi and her Angolan counterpart played a crucial role in the middle of the June 2011 elections for Director General of the Rome-based hunger-fighting agency,  calling for a "time out" to sway as many votes as possible for the Brazilian Graziano so that he could edge Spanish candidate Moratinos. The elevation of Mucavi is consistent with Brazil's efforts to rebuild the old Portuguese empire using and boosting links with former Portuguese colonies to take over the old leadership  role played by Lisbon. 

 There is also persistent  speculation in FAO circles that Graziano hopes to give another high-ranking position to Portuguese former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso who lobbied hard for Graziano.

  Meanwhile the AP in FAO professionals' staff association is pressing Graziano to implement  a recommendation by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) to extend the Mandatory Age of Separation (MAS) from 60 or 62 to 65 for currently serving staff members, to be implemented in 2016, and in any event not later than Jan.1, 2017.  

 "This would give many of the older staff members the possibility of staying on," said a senior FAO source, "but since most of these staff members are from OECD countries, the DG wants them OUT, so that he can bring in further Latin Americans and Spaniards. "

 " In this connection, he recently downgraded Sharon Brennan-Haylock who had been successfully serving as Director of the LONY Office, to the position of 'Special Adviser'. Of course, this was done to give the Director position to the Mozambican Ambassador to FAO, Carla Mucavi, effective 15 August 2015.

 

An AP in FAO statement said "As many members will know, the UN General Assembly in 2014 decided to increase the Mandatory Age of Separation (MAS) from 60 or 62 to 65 years for all staff recruited before 1 January 2014 who wish to remain in service longer, but it left the date of implementation to be recommended by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), after consultations with the various UN agencies."

 "For staff recruited from January 2014 onwards, a MAS of 65 years already applies."

 "At its 81st session, held from 27 July to 7 August 2015, the ICSC decided to recommend to the General Assembly that the increase in the MAS for serving staff should be implemented in 2016 and at the latest by 1 January 2017. The final ICSC text of the recommendation to the General Assembly reads as follows:

 

"11. The Commission decided to recommend to the General Assembly that the implementation date for raising the mandatory age of separation to age 65 for staff recruited before 1 January 2014, taking into account acquired rights, should be in 2016 and at the latest by 1 January 2017." 

 

"The recommendation still needs to be approved by the General Assembly, which will meet in October and November 2015."

 

"As a MAS of 65 years already applies to colleagues who have joined FAO since 1 January 2014, AP-in-FAO trusts that the FAO Management will support its early application to colleagues who joined before this date and wish to extend their service. AP-in-FAO looks forward to discussing the Organization’s intentions regarding planning for the forthcoming changes in MAS at the next Staff-Management Consultative Committee."

 

"AP-in-FAO trusts that the FAO Management will seize the opportunity to offer MAS at 65 years for all serving staff who wish to remain with the Organisation from 1 January 2016, as was originally proposed by the ICSC and is encompassed by the recommendation to the General Assembly."

 

"Lobbying efforts by the staff associations and federations, including AP-in-FAO through its Federation, FICSA (Federation of International Civil Service Associations), certainly contributed to the ICSC’s decision on MAS. FICSA will jointly continue to make every effort to ensure that the above recommendation of the ICSC is approved at the next session of the General Assembly and AP-in-FAO will press for a speedy implementation at FAO," the staff association statement said.