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16 January 2022

The Unesco Medical Service wishes you all the best for the New Year.

The pandemic that we have been experiencing for the past two years has brought us new information that sweeps away our certainties.

We would like to inform you that the UNESCO Medical Service is here to accompany you through this crisis.

 

Current situation in France

More than 300,000 new cases of COVID per day of which the majority are OMICRON variants

Hospitals, in high demand, are deprogramming interventions to take care of Covid-19 patients.

The OMICRON variant, which is more contagious than the other variants, seems to be less dangerous, which is not necessarily the case for all variants.

 

Reminder of protective measures

Keep a safe distance (at least 1 metre), including from people who do not appear to be ill.

Wear a mask in public areas, especially indoors or when physical distance is not possible.

Choose open, well-ventilated areas over closed spaces. Open a window if you are indoors.

Wash your hands frequently. Use soap and water or a hydroalcoholic solution.

If you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with your elbow or a handkerchief.

Stay home if you feel unwell.

 

Covid contact cases

Definition of a contact case

A person who has been in contact with a covid 19 positive person without effective protective measures (FFP1 or FFP2 mask worn by the confirmed or possible case and the contact person).

And it must be a direct contact : less than 2 metres distance or having shared an indoor space for at least 15 minutes.

What to do

Since 3 January 2022, vaccinated contact cases should not isolate themselves. An antigenic or PCR test should be performed immediately and self-tests at D+2 and D+4.

Non-vaccinated cases should be isolated for 7 days. Antigenic or PCR test should be done at D+7 after the last contact.

 

Reimbursement of antigenic and PCR tests

The information circular IC/HR/182 published on 26 January 2021 indicates that Covid-19 antigenic tests are reimbursed at 75% on prescription.

 

To adapt to the current health situation in France, and pending the publication of a new circular on this subject, we inform you that from 1 January 2022, antigenic tests, and self-tests (purchased in pharmacies) carried out in case you are a contact case or Covid positive will be reimbursed by the MBF upon presentation to MSH of the email or SMS sent by TousAntiCovid

 

Delivery of saliva self-testing for children of staff

The UNESCO medical service has a stock of saliva antigenic tests. Staff with children under the age of 12 can come to the Fontenoy medical service to collect 3 antigenic tests per child to comply with the new health protocol introduced by the French national education system, subject to availability.

 

What to do in case of COVID

Report your situation to the medical service: service.medical@unesco.org who will advise you on what to do.

Apply for an absence from the office for sanitary reasons, if your state of health allows you to work, or for a sick leave with proof of your positive test.

Since 3 January 2022:

Vaccinated persons must isolate themselves for 7 days and the isolation can be lifted after 5 days if there are no clinical signs and a negative antigenic or PCR test.

Non-vaccinated individuals should be isolated for 10 days and isolation can be lifted after 7 days if there are no clinical signs and a negative antigenic or PCR test is performed.

In general, recovery occurs within a few days with rest. To monitor your health, it is advisable to take your temperature twice a day and to monitor your breathing with a pulse oximeter (this can be bought in pharmacies or on the internet without prescription).

In case of fever or headache, you can take paracetamol (not ibuprofen), not more than 1 gram and up to 4 times a day (i.e., a maximum of 4 grams a day in total). Usual treatments should be continued.

Contact your doctor if your symptoms change, if you have any unusual symptoms, if you are unsure about your treatment or if you have any other health problems. If you have difficulty in breathing, you should immediately call 15 (or 114 for those with hearing difficulties).

For the booster vaccination, it is formally contraindicated to be vaccinated less than 2 months after contracting the virus. Following a positive test, the QR code on the certificate is valid for 6 months in France.

 

Vaccination

Vaccination remains the only effective means of preventing serious forms of COVID but does not dispense with other precautions.

It allows you to obtain a health pass and soon a vaccination pass.

The booster should be given at least 3 months after the last injection.

It can be done with Moderna or Pfizer (more information).

Several studies show that mixing the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines is more effective than using the same vaccine for each dose.

You can make an appointment for a vaccination at the UNESCO medical service on the Doctolib website.

The appointment code is 3759.

Vaccination is now available to active UNESCO members, delegations, dependants and to UNESCO retirees.

 

The medical service remains at your disposal for any further information.

 

10 January 2022

Following up on our Covid Info of 3 January 2022, we are informing of the reopening of the Fontenoy Cafeteria from Tuesday, 11 January 2022.

As a reminder, precautionary measures must be observed without exception in order to continue to ensure maximum safety in catering areas.

3 January 2022

After this welcome break, during which we hope you all had good moment in the company of your family and relatives, we are happy to see you back in a hopefully safer 2022.

We thank our colleagues, who during this break, have continued taking care of the premises, maintenance, security, cleaning …

Taking into account the current sanitary situation, that will continue to evolve during January, our priority remains doing everything possible to ensure safety of staff in the office, while following closely the recommendations of the host country.

The following specific measures must be applied at HQ until further notice:

Coming to the office

We recommend staff to telecommute 3 days a week. Supervisors are allowed to authorize more days in the office if needed for professional reasons. We will continue to closely monitor the staff density globally and per sector.

Vaccination

The best protection against the most severe forms of Covid is vaccination. In this context, we recall that the 3rd shot remains available for all adults having had their second dose at least 3 months ago . You can get your vaccine at the UNESCO Medical Service on appointment, even if you have not been vaccinated in France. You can make an appointment on Doctolib website for the UNESCO medical service with a code reserved for UNESCO members and delegations.

Address: https://www.doctolib.fr/vaccination-covid-19/paris/centre-de-vaccination-covid-19-unesco

Code 3759

The Medical Service is also available to provide all necessary info or assistance regarding conversion or completion of a non-EU vaccination schedule.

The Medical Service is not able to perform antigenic tests. PCR tests can be performed and are reimbursed by the MBF without a prescription.

Missions and Meetings

We recommend postponing, as a general rule, all mission travel. Missions need to be authorized by the ADG of your Sector and by ADG/ADM. When travelling, please continue considering carefully all possible inbound or outbound regulations, and anticipate any possible change during your travel.

similarly, any in person meetings with over 10 people and events, organized by UNESCO, at headquarters or elsewhere, need prior approval of the ADG/ADM

we strongly encourage holding online meetings as far as possible

visitors to HQ premises continue to be required to present the European Sanitary Pass or equivalent. UNESCO Medical Service can advise further for equivalence.

all staff members should please exercise diligence and due care with any social gathering organized within the Organization’s premises

Precautionary Measures in common areas

The standard precautionary measures still need to be respected, as these are and remain, together with the vaccination, the basic blocks of our preventive action.

face masks to be correctly worn, at all times on the UNESCO premises

hydroalcoholic gel is available at numerous locations on the premises, a hand wash is also efficient

whenever possible, open the windows of your office allowing fresh air to circulate, even during the winter

specific instructions and instruction signs continue to indicate possible restrictions on the use of elevators and distancing. All staff are expected to respect these basic prevention rules, please follow the guidance of the Covid Stewards.

any staff member developing symptoms (or suspected symptoms), whether vaccinated or not, must alert immediately, by mail or by phone, the Medical Service.

Precautionary Measures in catering areas

Seating arrangements have to be fully respected, it is not authorized to move chairs, or seating instructions (X signals on the tables),

please limit your time to the strict minimum, and avoid chatting or socializing without mask, at the end of your meal, which increases staff density in the premises,

we recommend using the full time schedule when the catering services are open, try to spread your venue between 12 and 14h30.

As usual, you can contact the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org or the medical service at service.medical@unesco.org if you need further information. In the event that you think you have covid symptoms please inform medical service. In the event that there are significant announcements from the host government, we may issue further updates.

Thank you for your understanding

13 December 2021

In view of the current sanitary situation, we remind you that the preventive Covid measures need to be fully respected, especially in our catering facilities.

We have seen over the last days an increase of non-respect of rules and negligence, notably in the Restaurant Fontenoy (Self).

We would like to remind:

- Seating arrangements have to be fully respected, it is not authorized to move chairs, or seating instructions (X signals on the tables),

- Please limit your time to the strict minimum, and avoid chatting or socializing without mask, at the end of your meal, which increases staff density in the premises,

- Respect the distancing measures everywhere in the catering facilities,

- Follow the guidance and instructions of the Covid Stewards if they remind you of these measures.

We thank you all for your vigilance and cooperation.

3 December 2021

We have been informed today by the French medical authorities of a covid case testing positive for the new Omicron variant from a member of a delegation of a member state attending the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention of World Heritage on 24-26 November (Room II). On advice of the French medical authority, all persons attending this meeting are requested to take a PCR covid test (with check for Omicron variant) and must advise UNESCO Medical service in the event of a positive result.

We take this opportunity to remind everyone including delegates from Member States of the importance of informing immediately the UNESCO Medical Service in the event that you have tested positive for COVID or have any possible covid symptoms, and to ensure that gestes barriers are strictly applied at all times when attending UNESCO meetings.

2 December 2021

As you know, we are once again confronted in France with a new wave of the Covid pandemic and worldwide with the new variant of the virus. In this context, the following specific measures will apply from now on and until further notice:

Missions and Meetings

although we do not know with certainty the possible impact of the new variant, many countries have already or will implement travel restrictions. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, we recommend postponing, as a general rule, all mission travel. As of today, missions need to be authorized by the ADG of your Sector and by ADG/ADM. When travelling, please consider carefully all possible inbound or outbound regulations, and anticipate any possible change during your travel.

similarly, any in person meetings with over 10 people and events, organized by UNESCO, at headquarters or elsewhere, need prior approval of the ADG/ADM

we strongly encourage holding online meetings as far as possible

all staff members should please exercise diligence and due care with any social gathering organized within the Organization’s premises

Vaccination

Please be reminded that the best protection against the most severe forms of Covid is vaccination. In this context, we recall that the 3rd shot is now available for all adults having had their second dose at least 5 months ago. You can get your vaccine at the UNESCO Medical Service on appointment, even if you have not been vaccinated in France. For those vaccinated in France, please send your name, the date of your 2nd shot and your vaccine code (a series of 9 letters appearing on the paper provided by the Vaccination Centre where you took the 2nd shot) to service.medical@unesco.org. The Medical Service is also available to provide all necessary info or assistance regarding conversion or completion of a non-EU vaccination schedule.

Precautionary Measures

The current situation must remind us also that the standard precautionary measures still need to be respected, as these are and remain, together with the vaccination, the basic blocks of our preventive action.

face masks to be correctly worn, at all times on the UNESCO premises

hydroalcoholic gel is available at numerous locations on the premises, a hand wash is also efficient

whenever possible, open the windows of your office allowing fresh air to circulate

specific instructions and instruction signs continue to indicate possible restrictions on the use of elevators and distancing. All staff are expected to respect these basic prevention rules, please follow the guidance of the Covid Stewards.

we have seen that the distancing measures are sometimes not correctly respected in the catering areas, notably the seating arrangements. We remind colleagues that the current host country guidance regarding distancing is again set at 2 meters.

in order to reduce staff density at HQ, we continue to recommend staff to telework up to 2 days a week. Sharing of standard offices is not allowed at this stage.

persons from outside the organization who are not in possession of a UNESCO badge and who wish to enter the premises must present a valid Covid-Pass, which will be systematically and randomly checked at the entrance or inside the building

any staff member developing symptoms (or suspected symptoms), whether vaccinated or not, must alert immediately, by mail or by phone, the Medical Service.

As usual, you can contact the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org or the medical service at service.medical@unesco.org if you need further information. In the event that you think you have covid symptoms please inform medical service.

18 November 2021

As you may have heard, we might be currently evolving towards a 5th wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is important to bear in mind that we must remain vigilant.

In this context, we would like to inform you that:

- The same preventive measures for the 41st Session of the General Conference will also be applied to the 213th Session of the Executive Board.

- As of Monday 29 November, the previous standard provisions will apply (allowing a maximum of 2 days telework).

- In line with host-country guidance, a third dose of vaccination will be administered for people over 50 years of age or those with a comorbidity, and this at least 6 months after the last dose. You could request a booster from the medical service by sending an email to service.medical@unesco.org as of 28 November, mentioning name, surname, cell phone number, the vaccine received and the date of the last injection.

- We strongly recommend that all staff be vaccinated.

We take this opportunity to remind you:

- That the current preventive measures need to be respected scrupulously, the non-respect of these measures may endanger yourself and your colleagues. Please follow the guidance of Covid-Stewards.

- If you think that you have signs of Covid-19, contact the Medical Service, by phone or mail, do not come to the building.

28 October 2021

France has largely “re-opened” all cultural and commercial activities, while retaining some precautionary measures, including the wearing of masks inside buildings. Access to many public services, restaurants and certain other facilities requires the presentation of a valid sanitary pass, as proof of either full covid vaccination or a recent negative covid test. The access to French territory is subject to conditions. Furthermore, the access to some buildings and activities requires the “European Sanitary pass”.

There are currently no host government restrictions that prevent UNESCO from holding the upcoming Session of the General Conference in person. Therefore, in light of the current covid situation, host country guidance and rules in force in France, the following measures will apply for UNESCO staff and on-site contractors, on the Fontenoy site, during the 41st Session of the General Conference:

- face masks to be correctly worn, at all times on the UNESCO premises, except when taking the floor during the sessions,

- specific instructions and instruction signs will indicate possible restrictions on the use of elevators, distancing, one-way entrance or exit in meeting rooms, all staff are expected to respect these basic prevention rules,

- hydroalcoholic gel will be available at numerous locations on the premises, a hand wash is also efficient,

- any staff member developing symptoms (or suspected symptoms), whether vaccinated or not, must alert immediately, by mail or by phone, the Medical Service, until / unless they present a recent negative test result,

In the event of a confirmed covid case during the Session, anyone in close contact with the contaminated person would need to isolate, until confirmation of a negative test result. The person is invited to contact the Medical Service, which will evaluate risks and give appropriate advice with regards to quarantine etc …

As of 8th of November, and until the end of the General Conference on November 24th, UNESCO Staff members (all types of contracts), including subcontractors, will need to present a valid “European Covid Pass”, when entering the Fontenoy site. This can be either the TousAntiCovid app, a paper version of the QR code, or the specific UNESCO Covid badge that has been delivered for the 212th Session of the Executive Board.

UNESCO Staff members who are not in the position of presenting an “European Covid Pass”, will be able to pass a free anti-genic test, as of 8th of November, in the special Covid-19 Office of the Medical Service. In this case, and provided that the test result is negative, a temporary General Conference Covid-Pass (badge) will be delivered with a validity of 72 hours, after which a new test is obligatory.

The UNESCO Medical Service will make a risk-based judgement in any specific cases that may require arbitration.

Staff presence from 8 November until 24 November.

As for previous sessions of the General Conference, the duration of a working week during the session is set at 44 hours, including the mornings of Saturday 13 and Saturday 20 November. In addition, Thursday 11th of November will be an official working day. Specific guidance from ADM/HRM will follow.

To reduce staff density during the General Conference, the current telecommuting arrangements will be suspended from 8th until 24th of November, and supervisors are requested to organize their workforce along the following guidelines to limit the number of people at the premises:

Permanent, daily presence, can be allowed by supervisors, for staff whose presence is necessary for the General Conference.

UNESCO staff, whose presence is not necessary on site, can be allowed by their supervisor to either a partial or a full telecommuting mode.

The specific guidance, in relation to office sharing included in the UNESCO Info message sent on 1/9/2021 remains in force.

Meeting room global densities will continue to be limited, allowing however, if needed, that all Member States can participate in the sessions from the same room. The number of delegates and staff, that are allowed to participate in the meeting rooms will therefore be limited.

Social events during the General Conference Session, on the Fontenoy or Miollis sites should be considered carefully and limited. At these social events a Covid-Steward must be designated by the organizers, this Covid Steward will assure that precautionary measures are respected.

Catering arrangements will continue to follow the current sanitary protocol. Please respect the distancing measures in the different catering facilities. Both the UNESCO Fontenoy self, and the Miollis self are open from 12 am to 2:30 pm. Colleagues are invited to avoid the peak time between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm.

Cleaning protocols during the Session, access to restrooms, will be the same as those used in recent sessions. All meeting rooms will be cleaned before the meeting, during the pause, and after the meeting.

UNESCO Medical Service is available to provide advice and support with respect to vaccination and the European sanitary pass, and a member of the Medical Service will be available at all times, specifically for Covid-19 related issues, throughout the general Conference.

For further questions please contact the UNESCO Medical Service via service.medical@unesco.org or via coronaviruscoordination@unesco.org

1st September 2021

I hope you have found a moment to take some time off with family and friends over the past few weeks. We have all seen and heard that the situation regarding COVID-19 during July and August has changed. The public health risk today remains serious, even if we are now used to living and working in these special and sometimes challenging circumstances. We have however succeeded in maintaining activities and we will try to continue on this path towards a safe return to normal working conditions.

We know that one of the key elements in the fight against this global pandemic is the vaccine. Therefore, getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your colleagues. We are privileged to have access to effective vaccines through local vaccination programmes, which are now widely available for all staff and children aged 12 and up.

As of Monday 6 September and until further notice, UNESCO will apply the following preventive measures at the Fontenoy and Miollis/Bonvin sites, in line with the latest host country guidance:

Telecommuting

All colleagues are requested to return to the office for a minimum of three days a week. Staff who wish to telecommute more than two days per week must request the authorization of the Sector ADG or Director of Central Service. The UNESCO Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA) Policy is currently being reviewed and will be published and applicable when we go back to normal working conditions.

Vaccination status

Vaccination is the most effective way of reducing risks related to COVID-19. Therefore, accurate information on the vaccination status of staff is essential to determine appropriate mitigation strategies. For this reason, we encourage all staff at HQ who have not yet done so to report their vaccination status to the medical service. The sharing of this information is voluntary, strictly confidential, and managed by medical staff.

If you wish to communicate this information to us, please send an email to service.medical@unesco.org with the following information: last name, first name, age, vaccination status (completed, in progress, etc.). Application of the pass sanitaire In line with the host country rules, UNESCO will apply the pass sanitaire. Information on this document is available here. The pass sanitaire will be mandatory for: • All external participants at UNESCO events, • The “Restaurant of UNESCO”, • The UNESCO Cinema, • The UNESCO Library and UNESCO Shop, • UNESCO visits and guided tours.

Wearing a mask remains mandatory for all in public areas, even for those with the pass sanitaire.

The verification of the pass sanitaire will be overseen by UNESCO Security Services at the Fontenoy entrance.

UNESCO Staff and UNESCO Member States delegates will not be required to have or to show the pass sanitaire, except in the “Restaurant of UNESCO”. We strongly recommend that all staff in contact with members of the public be vaccinated. We also recommend that external partners (consultants, service-providers, suppliers) that are not considered staff but still work on site have the pass sanitaire.

For visitors who have been fully vaccinated with vaccines not recognized by the French health authorities, specific arrangements should be made in advance with the Medical Service.

Conferences and Meetings

Although we strongly recommend organizing virtual or hybrid meetings and conferences, in-person events may resume, as long as provisions for the pass sanitaire are respected and a COVID steward is designated.

Conference organizers should inform and update participants of the protocol applied by the Organization.

Room capacity will remain at 50% until further notice.

Specific guidance in relation to meetings for or with delegations will be published on the COVID website.

Catering arrangements for conferences and events must comply with pass sanitaire provisions. We strongly recommend that these catering arrangements be kept to a minimum, as they pose a high risk for contamination.

Catering arrangements

For clients of the ”Restaurant of UNESCO”, the same rules apply as for all public restaurants in the host country, notably regarding the pass sanitaire. Our external partner, Serenest, is responsible for the implementation of these rules. For UNESCO staff at the Cafétaria/Self (also known as the “Restaurant Fontenoy”) and seventh-floor bar, the pass sanitaire is not required; however, we do recommend staff that who has not been vaccinated not to use the Cafétaria/Self; in any case, staff must respect the following precautionary measures:

- Use hand sanitizer when entering and leaving catering facilities;

- Keep a distance of two meters from others;

- Wear a mask when waiting in line. Masks can be removed when seated only;

- Eat alone preferably, leaving an empty place in front of you, and keep a distance of two meters between each person;

- Do not move chairs or tables and respect the signage in place on which tables/seats can be used;

- The “self” cafeteria is open from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. Try to avoid the peak time between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm.

- Some services may be temporarily unavailable due to preventive measures (salad bar, water dispensers, etc.). The click-and-collect service remains available.

Catering staff will comply with the specific pass sanitaire protocol for public catering.

Preventive measures

Mask-wearing on the UNESCO site remains compulsory, unless you work alone in an office. A physical distancing of two square metres must be respected. The number of people is limited in certain places, such as elevators and meeting rooms. We therefore ask you to respect the signage, which will be modified in line with new indicators, notably in meeting and conference rooms.

The sharing of standard offices with several colleagues is not allowed. In collective open spaces, a gauge of six square meters per person, with a minimum of three metres between each person must be respected.

If these distancing rules are incompatible with rules for being present in the office, supervisors may need to be flexible regarding teleworking arrangements in order to come to an agreement with colleagues.

Additional hand sanitizer stations will be available on all floors.

Missions and Travel

As of 6 September, missions may resume, though the necessity for travel should be very carefully considered and must be approved by the respective ADG or Director. UNESCO Children’s Club

The UNESCO Children’s Club will re-open on 1st of September, following the host country protocol.

Sports Room

Due to the renovation works on Building V (Miollis/Bonvin Site), the UNESCO Sports Room will no longer be available. An alternative location (Room XV) has been identified for some activities. Further information will be provided by the specific working group. Participation in any sports activities will be subject to the pass sanitaire.

We thank all colleagues for continuing to report any COVID-19 symptoms to the medical service.

I encourage any staff with concerns to discuss these with supervisors, or with your Sector’s COVID focal point. Returning progressively to the office after this extended period of teleworking will require adjustments from all of us. Staff can look to managers for reassurance as we transition back to the office. It is important that we acknowledge these challenges and that supervisors offer support during this time to foster a safe and harmonious return to our premises. Leading a hybrid team where staff split their time between the office and teleworking is largely a new concept. Managers at all levels will need to be mindful of the cultural shift required to make this work.

For any further information, please contact service.medical@unesco.org or coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org.

These instructions may be modified depending on the evolution of the situation in the host country. Any derogation must first be approved by ADG/ADM.

Thanking you for your attention and for your cooperation.

1st July 2021

As of 1st July, the European COVID certificate is in place. This certificate is of major importance, since it becomes an essential tool for moving freely in Europe. It can also be used for other countries of the Schengen area which are not part of the European Union, such as Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Other countries could join this initiative. Certificates must take into account injections made with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), but governments are free to add other vaccines of their choice. For people vaccinated in France, the digital certificate can be found in the TousAntiCovid application. Other European countries use other applications (CovidSafe, CoronaCheck, CovidCheck ..) but the principle remains the same.

Member States also remain free to continue to impose a quarantine or any other restriction on certificate holders “if such restrictions are necessary and proportionate in order to protect public health”. To this end, we advise you to get information about the country health situation before each trip. For the European Union, you can find the most recent information on the Re-open EU website or application. This site also provides information for travelers from third countries to the European Union. These must respect the health regulations of the country where they enter the European Union, and take into account the provisions in force in the country of departure, according to the green, orange or red classification. Updated information for each country is available on this site.

The Covid certificate exists in paper or digital format and is authenticated by a QR code to prevent fraud and the development of a black market. It allows European citizens and third country nationals living in the Union to be able to certify their immunity in three different ways:

• Either by proving that they have been vaccinated

• Either with a negative PCR or antigen test

• Or with a certificate indicating that they were cured of the disease less than 6 months ago.

The information on the certificate is drawn up in the language of the Member State issuing it as well as in English.

This medical certificate can be downloaded from the attestation-vaccin.ameli.fr website, but you must have a French social security number and identify yourself via the France connect service. As UNESCO staff and retirees do not have this number, it is not possible for them to obtain this new certificate.

The UNESCO medical service can provide you with this certificate in digital format.

To do so, please send an email to service.medical@unesco.org

You must provide the following information:

• Last name

• First name

• Patient code in the format XXX-XXX-XXX

For now, without this information it is impossible to edit your European certificate and we invite you to contact your vaccination center. People who have already requested a French QR code and those vaccinated by the UNESCO medical service do not need to apply. They will receive their European QR code by email in the coming days.

We only ask you to be patient ... in an emergency and only in an emergency to obtain the European QR code, please send an email to the Medical Service specifying the nature of this emergency.

You can find more information on the health pass on the host country's Covid-19 website.

We thank all colleagues for continuing to report any symptoms of contamination by the virus to the medical service. For any further information you can contact service.medical@unesco.org or coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org.

4 June 2021

Together with all United Nations agencies, UNESCO is committed to containing the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure the protection of its staff. To do this, the Organization follows the health measures put in place by national authorities to fight against the spread of the virus. In recent weeks, the situation in France has continued to evolve positively, thanks in part to vaccination, which is now available to all adults. Being vaccinated is not compulsory, but we encourage all colleagues to do so. A gradual return to normal seems possible with the lifting of some lockdown measures and the acceleration of the vaccination campaign. The French Government has announced new measures concerning our daily life, including a later curfew, the partial opening of cultural venues, bars and restaurants and more flexibility regarding telework. Therefore, we would like to inform you of the measures that will be in effect at Headquarters from Monday 14 June until further notice: - All colleagues to return to the office two days a week. For staff whose presence at Headquarters is required more than two days a week, the authorization of the Sector ADG or the Bureau Director continues to be required. - Missions must remain exceptional and require authorization by ADG / ADM. - Conferences and meetings are not allowed, and exceptions must be authorized by ADG / ADM, with the designation of a COVID steward. - Guided tours will be authorized for a maximum of 10 people, and services welcoming the public (library, bank, SEPU, shop) will continue to operate according to specific rules. In order to guarantee safety within the Organization's buildings, a Risk Assessment exercise was carried out. This assessment resulted in a number of recommendations, which should limit the risk of contamination. These measures are both a collective and individual responsibility. - Wearing a mask on the UNESCO site remains compulsory (unless you work alone in an office). Social distancing (2 metres) must be respected, and the maximum number of people is limited in certain places, such as elevators or meeting rooms. We ask you to respect the signage, which will be modified in line with the new indicators. - Sharing of standard offices with several colleagues is not allowed. In collective open spaces, the gauge of 6 m2 per person, with a minimum of 3 m of space between each person must be respected. - Collective catering will be set up according to the rules established in this area by the host country. The products on offer will be adapted according to the attendance rate. Please respect the preventive instructions that will be put in place by the company. Eating together has been identified as a time of higher contamination. - All air conditioning and ventilation systems (natural or mechanical) have been checked to ensure the renewal of air in our premises and thus reduce the risk of contamination. We also recommend ventilating the offices and any other workspace, during working hours. We thank all colleagues for continuing to report any COVID-19 symptoms to the medical service. For any further information, you can contact service.medical@unesco.org or coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org Of course, these instructions may be modified according to the evolution of the situation in the host country.

20 May 2021

Throughout the past year, we have closely monitored the situation and observed country-specific instructions regarding the COVID-19 crisis. In this context, I would like to inform you of the measures for UNESCO staff at Headquarters in Paris. Presence at Headquarters / Teleworking Teleworking remains the main modality of work until 11 June. Until that date, only essential staff may be present at Headquarters, subject to the approval of their ADG. Specific instructions determining the gradual return to the office from 14 June will be communicated in early June. Staff who telework must continue to register in TULIP under "Telework". Meetings and missions We must keep respecting precautionary measures during this transitional period; face-to-face meetings and conferences are not authorized until the end of August. Any exceptions to this rule must be formally approved by ADG / ADM and must include the designation of a Covid Steward. The ultimate responsibility remains that of the organizer of the meeting: the Covid Steward will be responsible, together with the organizer of the meeting, to verify that the necessary sanitary measures are respected. Once a meeting has been approved, the organizers will be contacted individually and will receive detailed instructions where appropriate. Headquarters staff missions remain subject to the prior approval of ADG / ADM until further notice. You should not forget in your planning to include mandatory isolation periods, on arrival as well as on departure. Leave The period from September to December should be very intense. As we also find that a very large number of colleagues have accumulated 60 days or more of annual leave, we recommend that staff and supervisors plan their annual leave between June and the end of August. In general, we rely on all staff to take as much annual leave as possible during this period. No additional or exceptional deferrals beyond the 60 days allowed will be granted after 31 December 2021. While it may be difficult to plan a “normal” vacation at this time, staff and supervisors should recognize that the lockdown period has been - and continues to be - labor intensive. Medical questions / Vaccination While the COVID-19 vaccination is voluntary and not a return-to-work requirement, I strongly encourage all of you and your families to get vaccinated. The vaccination campaign is currently developing in the country of Headquarters, France, and is gradually spreading to as many people as possible. More general vaccination is now possible, but outside the UNESCO medical service, in vaccination centers. You can find more information attached, or on this site, or through the TousAntiCovid application, which we recommend that you use. In order to allow the Secretariat to closely follow the evolution of Covid cases within the Organization, we ask you to continue to inform the medical service immediately if you experience any symptoms, if you test positive for Covid or if you are hospitalized. You can do this by writing an e-mail to service.medical@unesco.org You can also, as always, contact the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org

22 April 2021

From the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 182 colleagues have reported to the UNESCO medical service a confirmed Covid infection – 103 at Headquarters and 79 in Field offices. Very sadly, on Sunday 4 April UNESCO lost another colleague, Ms. Luciana dos Reis Mendes Amorim, who worked in the UNESCO Brasilia office. Lucinda passed away as a result of Covid-19 complications. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues.

This should remind us that the current Covid-19 crisis is not over and that we need to respect the guidance provided, in each country we live and work. In addition to this local guidance, please find below some updates , news and reminders regarding the current situation.

For UNESCO Field Offices and Category I Institutes

In order to allow the Secretariat to closely follow the evolution of Covid cases, we thank you in advance for: 

• Immediately informing the medical service if you feel symptoms, if you are tested Covid positive or if you are hospitalized. You can do this by mail: service.medical@unesco.org
• Scrupulously respecting quarantine requirements as recommended by UN country Teams and/or the local government.

The vaccination status is very different from country to country. In many countries, the local national vaccination plan has started, in some, the UN Covid-19 Vaccination Plan is being rolled out. This plan, that will address some 152 countries, will be implemented during the next months. UNESCO is one of the 21 International Organizations that has joined this initiative. As of today, some 1600 UNESCO staff and related eligible persons have been registered into this plan, from around 40 field offices. We thank in advance Administrative Officers in field offices to ensure data is complete and to inform staff with any concerns.

The data provided has been uploaded to the UN Covid Vaccination plan application and once the local plan is activated, the registered staff (and other eligible persons) will receive an email notification to confirm their personal information and if they still want to be vaccinated through the UN plan. Staff (and other eligible persons) who have not been pre-registered, will be able to do so very soon. We have decentralized as much as possible this process. Should you have any question you may contact your Head of office or AO. It is important to note that if a local plan is activated, this does not necessarily mean that delivery of vaccines has started. 

We remind you also, that, at this stage, the UN Vaccination plan is free of charge to eligible personnel, and no financial contribution should be asked by any medical or vaccination centre. 

Further guidance on this plan will follow for each country specifically, when the plan is activated.

For UNESCO Headquarters

In order to allow the Secretariat to closely follow the evolution of Covid cases, we thank you in advance for immediately informing the medical service if you feel symptoms, if you are tested Covid positive or if you are hospitalized. You can do this by mail : service.medical@unesco.org 

The global situation in France remains critical, although we may see some signs of gradual positive developments during May. The current official host country guidance applies until early May, we may adjust the UNESCO guidelines if appropriate. 

Telecommuting/working from home: 

• Telecommuting remains the general rule until at least Friday 28 May. You should come to the office only if necessary, and with the approval of your ADG. Please do not forget to update your status on telecommuting in Tulip. We recommend however that – on a voluntary basis – colleagues should be allowed a one-day presence per week, for his/her emotional wellbeing, enabling minimal contact with the colleagues and the office environment. In any case it is important that all colleagues who are telecommuting have a reliable internet connection. 

• Meetings and Conferences remain not authorized until end of June. In the meanwhile, do not organize in person meetings or gatherings. Exceptions to this rule must be explicitly authorized by the ADG/ADM and a Covid Steward must be designated. The Covid Steward will check if the necessary sanitary measures are respected. Meeting organizers will be contacted individually and receive detailed instructions when a meeting is authorized.

• Mission travel for staff at Headquarters is also subject to prior approval from ADG/ADM, until end of June. Do not forget in your planning to integrate the mandatory quarantine periods, either inbound or outbound !

Vaccination at Headquarters:

The vaccination campaign is now expanding in the host country and will reach progressively a larger eligible population. Vaccination is available through the host country vaccination plan, information on your nearest vaccination center is now available on this website or via the TousAntiCovid app, which we recommend to use. The UNESCO medical service does have limited access to vaccinations (as of today, 131 people received vaccination at UNESCO). 

The current vaccination guidance is that anyone working at UNESCO over the age of 55 can be vaccinated in the medical service. (Astra Zeneca vaccine) Please send an e-mail to: service.medical@unesco.org.

Back-to-Office:

We have started working on a back-to-office plan for headquarters, this plan will be progressive, phased, and in line with the host-country guidelines, and will in first instance ensure safe and healthy working conditions for all staff. A strong emphasis will be put on staff wellbeing. We will work out a plan together with the Bureau for Human Resources Management and consult the Health and Safety Committee. If you have any suggestion, “do’s and don’ts”, you can send them to the Health and Safety Committee via csst@unesco.org

Please note that both Thursday 13 and Friday 14 May are confirmed as official holiday for UNESCO headquarters.

We thank you for your attention and commitment, and recall that you may always contact coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org

12 April 2021

MESSAGE FROM THE MEDICAL SERVICE

The vaccination campaign is expanding in the Host Country:

Anyone working at UNESCO over the age of 55 can be vaccinated in the medical service. (Astra Zeneca vaccine)

Please register by sending an e-mail to: service.medical(at)unesco.org 

4 April 2021

Following ADG/ADM’s message of 2 April 2021 below, I would like to provide some complementary information with regard to support measures for staff during this challenging period: 

211th session of the Executive Board (7th to 21st April 2021): 

• given the subsequent change of school holidays by the host country which coincides with the 211th session of the Executive Board session, supervisors are encouraged to approve annual leave for those staff members whose presence (on-site or virtual) is not deemed essential, all the while ensuring that their service is adequately covered for the entire session.   

• the UNESCO Day Nursery and Children’s Club (JCU) will be exceptionally open from Monday, 12th April to 23rd April inclusive to support only those colleagues whose presence is essential for the 211th session of the Executive Board,  For further information, please contact the Director of the JCU, Ms Najet Athé (n.athe@unesco.org). 

Telecommuting/working from home: 

• In addition to the work-life balance tips below, we would like to remind managers and supervisors to exercise maximum flexibility for staff reporting to them, especially those colleagues with young children or responsibilities for elder care.  

• While keeping in mind the additional responsibilities that the Executive Board will bring these next two weeks, in principle, meetings, calls, e-mail responses etc. should be taking place during working hours. Staff and supervisors are expected to use their good judgement and exercise professionalism where exigencies of service require work to be completed or attended to outside of regular working hours. Where meetings outside of working hours are unavoidable, for example in order to accommodate different time zones, staff and supervisors should exercise good judgement and flexibility in determining whether participation in such activities is necessary, and consider adjusting working hours on an exceptional basis, to compensate staff for early or late hours. 

• For staff who may be juggling work and home life, please discuss with your supervisor(s) how you can do so in a flexible manner.   

• We encourage managers and staff to take note of the tips attached to successfully get through this new period of constraints. 

2 April 2021

From the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 162 colleagues have reported to the UNESCO medical service with a confirmed Covid infection – 86 at Headquarters and 76 in Field offices. Very sadly, UNESCO lost another colleague, Ms. Hanan El-Sanosi, who worked in the UNESCO Khartoum office. Hanan passed away last Sunday as a result of Covid-19 complications. Our thoughts are with her family and colleagues. In order to allow the Secretariat to closely follow the evolution of Covid cases, we thank you in advance for:

• Immediately informing the medical service if you feel symptoms, if you are tested Covid positive or if you are hospitalized.

• Scrupulously respecting quarantine requirements as recommended by UN country Teams and the UNESCO Headquarters host country (please refer to the French Government website for detailed information).

Update on the sanitary measures for HQ

In line with the most recent host country guidance (March 31st), the measures in place since 19 March remain in force, with increased vigilance on the holdings of meetings. On coming to work: Telecommuting remains the general rule until 26 April. You should come to the office only if necessary, and with the approval of your ADG. Please do not forget to update your status on telecommuting in Tulip. We recommend however that – on a voluntary basis – colleagues should be allowed a one-day presence per week, for his/her emotional wellbeing, enabling minimal contact with the colleagues and the work environment. In any case, it is important that all colleagues who are telecommuting have a reliable internet connection. Telecommuting from outside the duty station (Paris/Ile de France) is not permitted, unless exceptional circumstances apply (on medical grounds only). These exceptions continue to require the approval of ADGs and Directors of Bureaus (and of Directors/Heads of Field Offices) and DIR/HRM as per the specific procedure communicated to the AO/EOs previously. The 211th session of the Executive Board will take place on line from 7 to 21 April. A small number of people will be required to work on-site. ADGs and Directors of Bureaus are requested to inform the designated colleagues as soon as possible. No special form/”attestation” is necessary to move and circulate within a 10km radius from your home, between the curfew hours (6h - 19h). However, you need to be able to provide evidence of your residence (e.g. EDF or water invoice; car or home insurance; etc.) If you need to come to the office (including during curfew hours, from 19h to 6h) and you live outside the radius of 10km , you will need to provide an “attestation employeur” signed by your superior. All these forms are available at the UNESCO Covid site. When you are at Headquarters: Do not organize in person meetings or gatherings. Exceptions to this rule must be explicitly authorized by the ADG/ADM and a Covid Steward must be designated. The Covid Steward will keep a list of participants and will check if the necessary sanitary measures are respected. Covid Stewards will receive training by the medical service. Further information to follow. Please note that the UNESCO Crèche and Children’s Club will remain closed for the month of April. When you work at home: We are all conscious of the difficulties the new constraints decided by the host country may cause. More than ever it is important to ensure a good work/life balance, and continue to look after your health and well-being.

We therefore encourage staff to:

• Take regular breaks throughout the day and try to fit in daily physical exercise, check out the sessions proposed by ADM and the Inter-Agency Games Committee on the Corona website.

• Set limits to working hours with a “hard stop” for lunch and try to finish at the end of daily working hours.

• Try to ensure your workspace at home, no matter how small, is comfortable and dedicated to work. This will help create a separation between work and home life.

• Check-in with colleagues, particularly those who live alone or are far from families, to help reduce feelings of separation and professional isolation.

• Supervisors are invited to maintain contact with their staff, and organize contact with their team, keeping everyone on board.

• Take annual leave, especially during the school holidays (in France between 10-25 April) if possible.

Vaccination

The vaccination campaign in France is expected soon to accelerate. As of 27 March it was open for 70 years or older, for 60 and older as of mid-April and 50 and older as of mid-May. During Summer it is expected that vaccination will be extended to adults below 50 years old. If you are between 55 and 70 years old and have a chronic disease, you can be vaccinated in the UNESCO medical service. Please send an e-mail to: service.medical@unesco.org giving all the contact details.

We acknowledge that some of you will have been working exclusively on a telecommuting basis for a long period. In this case, please start thinking about the return to office after the lockdown period is over, in agreement with your supervisor, for once a week in order to slowly re-acclimate to the office environment. Those of you feeling anxious or stressed at the thought of leaving your home offices, please do be in touch with Christine Goletto or either one of the doctors (Dr. Cordier and Dr. Saboureau), who will be able to support you with the readjustment. We thank you for your attention and commitment, and recall that you may always contact coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org and visit the UNESCO Covid sit

19 March 2021

To avoid a further spread of the Coronavirus, the host country government has decided on new preventive measures. These measures will apply as of this weekend and are expected to last for 4 weeks, until the weekend of 17/18^th of April. In parallel, the vaccination campaign will resume and is expected to accelerate. UNESCO medical service will restart the scheduled and planned vaccinations, in accordance with the host country rules.

We strongly recommend that each of you follow these new measures scrupulously, while at the same time we recognize the impact these can have on our personal and professional lives. From the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 141 colleagues have reported to the UNESCO medical service with a confirmed Covid infection – 79 at Headquarters and 62 in Field offices.

UNESCO will follow the guidelines of the host country; the following is therefore applicable as of next Monday 22^nd March, until further notice.

• Telecommuting remains the rule. We would recommend that all staff, whenever possible, apply telecommuting. ADGs can decide if the presence of a specific staff member is needed on site due to work imperatives or for his/her emotional well-being. 
• In any case, staff presence should be limited to a maximum of 1 day per week, unless otherwise exceptionally authorized by their ADGs. We will continue to monitor closely staff presence at Headquarters. 
• We ask the supervisors to organize correct telecommuting conditions of the staff, so that a balance and separation between private life and professional life can be maintained.

• We remind you to contact immediately the medical service, by telephone (0145680867) or by e-mail (service.medical@unesco.org ), if you have been in contact with a potential risk case, or if you develop symptoms.
• Please continue to strictly respect preventive measures, wear a mask, wash your hands regularly and keep the prescribed distance in corridors, elevators, etc. Colleagues working in workshops or larger open space offices should be particularly attentive to this to avoid cluster contaminations.  
• Do not organize formal or informal meetings or gatherings. Exceptions to this rule must be explicitly authorized by the ADG/ADM with the understanding that such meetings with less than 15 participants can be authorized at Headquarters. In such cases, keep enough distance, air the room and wash or sanitize your hands before and after the meeting.

As usual, for any questions or need for clarification you may have, including vaccination, telecommuting, forms, missions, organization of events we invite you to contact the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination(at)unesco.org. Despite these new measures, we are preparing a gradual back-to-office plan for Headquarters, which will only be activated when local conditions give us the green light.

9 March 2021

The Covid-19 crisis and its consequences affect all of us, and we must consciously, individually and collectively, do everything to reduce risks of contamination. 

Today, and since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 137 colleagues have reported to the UNESCO medical service with a confirmed Covid infection – 76 at Headquarters and 61 in Field offices. Our colleague, Hadi Faraj, passed away last week due to the Covid-19 and I thank you for the many tributes paid to him.

Vaccination campaigns have started in some countries, giving priority to vulnerable groups. We expect that these plans will progressively reach a wider public. 

The UN Staff Vaccination plan is being rolled out in those countries that do not have an immediate vaccination plan. Such countries are being supported by the UN-WHO COVAX initiative, which aims to ensure delivery of millions of doses in the coming months. However the situation remains diverse from country to country. In a few Field Offices, vaccination has started for staff (for example Doha, Ramallah, Accra). At Headquarters, a first group of colleagues, delegates, retired staff members and other UN colleagues based in France, have been vaccinated, respecting scrupulously the guidelines and priorities established by the French Government (for Headquarters, please see attached specific guidance in accordance with the current vaccination strategy of the host country). The vaccination campaigns are expected to pick up pace in all countries and the initial results in terms of vaccine effectiveness, are very encouraging. We must continue to be patient, and careful, but we can be hopeful that the vaccine will provide a successful way forward. 

We can expect that the Covid pandemic will continue for several months, and will continue to influence our life and work. In the meanwhile, the current provisions related to telecommuting, missions, organization of events announced in previous messages remain valid until further notice. The present work period has been a very intense and stressful one and we understand the difficulty of planning ‘normal’ holidays during this time. However, we strongly encourage staff to avail, where possible (outside the dates of the 211st session of the Executive Board, scheduled 7 to 21 April), to take annual leave.  We would like in particular to remind staff who were exceptionally permitted to carry forward up to 15 days above the ceiling of 60 days at the end of 2020 to use these days of leave by end-2021.  

We are preparing a gradual back-to-office plan for Headquarters, which will only be activated when local conditions give us the green light. We encourage Field Offices also to have a similar approach.

In the meantime, we need to carefully respect anti-COVID measures, wherever we are, in our professional and private life:

• If you have been in contact with a potential risk case, or if you develop symptoms, contact immediately your medical service, at Headquarters by telephone (0145680867) or by e-mail (service.medical@unesco.org ), in Field Offices through the local network.
• Please strictly respect preventive measures, wear a quality mask, wash your hands regularly and keep the prescribed distance in corridors, elevators, etc. Colleagues working in workshops or larger open space offices should be particularly attentive to this to avoid cluster contaminations.  Do not organize meetings or gatherings, and if there is no other option, keep enough distance during the meeting, air the room and wash or sanitize your hands before and after the meeting.

23 February 2021

I hope you are safe and managing to stay well. The COVID-19 pandemic remains a major concern for most countries and the UN system. Worldwide more than 100m people have been infected with COVID-19, and almost 2.5 million deaths have been recorded. The economic and social impacts are immense.  We are all hoping that vaccination campaigns will pick up speed and provide us with protection against the disease. In the meantime, it is likely that we will need to carefully respect anti-COVID measures for some time.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 127 colleagues have reported being infected to the UNESCO medical service – 73 at Headquarters and 54 in Field offices.  In each case, the medical service takes immediate action, contacting and asking the colleagues concerned to quarantine and/or undergo testing.  At this stage, one colleague remains hospitalized. Although cases of contamination naturally raise questions and anxiety amongst staff, please be assured that we are taking every possible measure – both preventive and remedial – to avoid further spread. No measures provide 100% protection, and all measures rely on full compliance.

We call on all colleagues to be careful when listening to news regarding possible cases of contamination. Please avoid spreading unreliable information. For questions on possible cases, you can always contact coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org.

I also wish to remind all colleagues of our individual responsibility to strictly comply with sanitary measures at all times. Please wash your hands as often as possible, avoid touching your face, respect a distance of 2 metres from colleagues, wear a mask covering your nose and mouth on the premises except if alone in an office, and do not eat meals with other colleagues. If you experience COVID-related symptoms, do not take risks. To protect yourself, your family and your colleagues, stay at home, contact the medical service for further advice and quarantine when you are asked to do so.  We count on everyone to act responsibly, no matter how inconvenient this may be.

The medical service continues to follow-up on the status of vaccination campaigns. In most countries, these campaigns are still in the early phases, and targeting vulnerable groups. Vaccinations are gradually expected to become more widely available. UNESCO, as part of the United Nations family, is monitoring vaccination campaigns and exploring all reasonable options to facilitate access to vaccines, for Headquarters and Field Offices. In this respect, and after consultations with the French health authorities, we will shortly start to offer vaccinations on UNESCO premises, for a limited group of UNESCO staff, aged 50-64 with specific underlying health vulnerabilities. Further information will be provided by the Medical Service (please see above).

In countries where vaccine programmes are not expected to be rolled out in the coming months, the United Nations will be coordinating vaccine supply and delivery to all UN system staff and dependents through a UN Vaccination Programme. Please note that UNESCO will reimburse 100% of vaccination costs (when not provided for free).

We are also aware of the importance of the mental wellbeing of all colleagues, and that working from home can create feelings of isolation and loneliness. We call on supervisors to pay particular attention to these colleagues and remind that Christine Goletto, UNESCO’s social worker, is available should you need help. More than ever, it is important to balance professional and private life, and we strongly encourage colleagues to continue taking leave where possible.

Given the current health situation, in-person meetings, conferences and events cannot be organized at Headquarters until at least the end of April 2021, with the possible exception of statutory meetings.  Mission travel should remain only if absolutely necessary, and requires clearance by ADG ADM. Wherever possible staff should continue to telecommute, with presence in the office only where considered absolutely necessary.

4 February 2021

France has started its vaccination campaign, targeting specific population, and announced that staff, dependents, and retirees, from international organizations are included in this campaign.

The current vaccination strategy in France is based on a phased vaccination and on a voluntary basis. During the first phases a limited number of doses will be available, two types of populations will be vaccinated: those more vulnerable (age; very high-risk population) and those more exposed to the Covid 19 virus (health workers).

However, considering that UNESCO retirees do not have a French social security number, some of them have reported administrative difficulties when booking vaccinations.  

Further to our update on 21 January, UNESCO is pleased to announce that it has received confirmation from the French Delegation that the issue has been resolved and that UNESCO retirees will not face any further such difficulties. The French authorities recommend however to provide a document proving your UNESCO staff/retiree MBF affiliation when requesting an appointment.

We are grateful to the French Delegation for its timely intervention with the relevant host government authorities.

We continue to follow the status of the vaccination campaigns in all countries where UNESCO staff and retirees are situated, together with our external partner MSH. As previously stated, it is likely to be several months before most staff can expect to have access to this vaccination.

29 January 2021

I hope you and your family are well and in good health. As you know, more restrictive sanitary measures have been put in place in many countries due to the rapid evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNESCO is monitoring the situation and constantly adapting its way of working.

While we await the host country’s announcement on possible new measures, UNESCO has decided to extend telecommuting until further notice. We will update our guidance as soon as we have a clear view on these new measures.

Please be reminded that staff should not come to the office unless their director and/or ADG consider their presence essential.

21 January 2021

For all countries, the Secretary General of the United Nations has formerly requested that UN personnel and dependants will be included in the national planning for vaccination (please see attachment).

The planning of vaccination has just started in some countries and not yet in others. Taking in consideration the huge number of persons to be vaccinated and the necessary time to produce vaccines, a prioritization is planned everywhere.

In line with the advice from the United Nations Medical Doctors Network, we share with you the following guidance: “Vaccination is not mandatory, but strongly recommended. Vaccination remains a personal choice which should be based on informed consent. Individuals receiving the vaccine should be provided with information about vaccine safety as well as potential side effects associated with its administration. Vaccines used by UN personnel and partners should be licensed/registered in countries of origin, and preferably pre-qualified by WHO or two authorized Stringent Regulatory Authorities (SRA).”

In Field offices the Resident Coordinator is following the situation and is in connection with the country Health authorities to organize the participation in the vaccination plan. The UNESCO heads of office will coordinate as required through the UNCT for the staff and dependents in their location.

When not provided free of charge, Covid tests and vaccination expenses will be exceptionally  reimbursed through the UNESCO/MBF. (An HR Information Circular on this subject will be issued shortly).

In all locations, these vaccination campaigns will last several months. Meanwhile we advise you to continue to apply precautionary measures. Moreover, the effectiveness of vaccination on transmission and potential re-infection is not known at this time, therefore respecting precautionary measures is essential.

Specific information for UNESCO staff in France

We have now received assurances from the French government that vaccination is provided for all, regardless of whether they have a Carte Vitale (see verbal note n° 2021-0028068/PRO/PIDC/2 of 19 January 2021).

The current vaccination strategy in France will be based on a phased vaccination and on a voluntary basis.

During the first phases a limited number of doses will be available, two types of populations will be vaccinated: those more vulnerable (age; very high-risk population) and those more exposed to the Covid 19 virus (health workers). This vaccination campaign began on 26 December 2020 and as from 18 January 2021 it concerns all people who are over the age of 75 and those with certain medical conditions.

It is likely to be a few months before the majority of UNESCO staff can expect to be vaccinated.

15 January 2021

The COVID-19 situation in France is evolving quickly but remains critical. Therefore, the preventive measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus, announced by the host country, must continue to be strictly respected.

Considering the most recent announcements of the host country, and notably a nationwide curfew in France from 6 pm until 6 am, supervisors will identify which essential staff need to come into the office. Where possible, the staff who come into the office will be asked to respect curfew measures. If staff must exceptionally stay at the office beyond this time, they will be provided with derogation forms, so they can travel outside of the curfew hours. All other staff working from home are asked to respect normal working hours.

The curfew measures are to be applied until further notice, and at least until 30 January. When supervisors authorize staff to come into the office in person, they are requested to carefully plan the presence of colleagues, fully respecting preventive measures.

Telecommuting

Staff who are telecommuting should continue to indicate that they are “telecommuting” and include the location from which they are telecommuting in TULIP.

Telecommuting from outside the country of the duty station is not permitted, unless exceptional circumstances apply (on medical grounds only). Exceptions continue to require the approval of the ADG/Bureau Director/Head of Field Office and DIR/HRM as per the specific procedure communicated to the AO/EOs previously.

Colleagues entering metropolitan France will have to respect the new sanitary measures, possibly including additional testing and/or confinement, as of 16 January. Please check the host country COVID website for the latest specific guidance on this before travelling. These measures may include also Schengen/EU countries.

For colleagues at Headquarters who must be present on site, forms are available on the website of the French Government, and can be downloaded via the following link: https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus . Please also read carefully the instructions on this page on how to use the forms.

Facilities

Catering services have resumed at Headquarters, offering minimal services, and respecting strict COVID-19 preventive protocols. The 7th floor bar is open and it will serve sandwiches and light snacks, as well as some hot meals. Food and drinks cannot be consumed in the bar at this stage and can only be picked up.

Preventive Measures

We remind colleagues of the following preventive measures:

If you have been in contact with a potential risk case, or develop symptoms, please continue to contact the medical service, either by telephone (0145680867) or by e-mail (service.medical@unesco.org). The Medical service will be available by appointment only.

Please strictly respect preventive measures, wear a clean mask and, when necessary, keep a distance and wash your hands regularly. Colleagues working in workshops or larger open space offices should be particularly attentive to this to avoid cluster contaminations.  

4 January 2021

I wish you all a happy new year and hope 2021 will see an eventual return to more normality for UNESCO, and the World.

As you know your health is our first concern and UNESCO Secretariat has been adhering to national measures related to the Covid epidemic at Headquarter and in the field offices.

Considering that the French Government will announce new measures on 7 January I would like to inform you that we have decided to extend teleworking at Headquarters until 15 January.

More information regarding an eventual return to the office will be provided as soon as possible.

17 December 2020

Considering host country instructions, and in order to be able to give you clear indications on how we will start 2021, we have decided to extend teleworking for colleagues working at Headquarters until Friday 8 January.

We ask Field Offices and Category I institutes to organize work in accordance with the instructions of their host country, or the United Nations directions for each country.

New instructions valid from 11 January  will be given the first week of January. We all hope the health situation will improve quickly, and we ask you to plan a gradual return to the office, according to a scenario which will be communicated the first week of January.

At the moment, we do not have any news on the availability of the vaccine, nor on the methodology that will be used for the vaccination campaign, and eventual financial support mechanisms. The medical service is closely monitoring the situation, both for Headquarters and Field offices. We will get back to you as soon as we have specific news.

In the meantime, and even if the vaccinations may have started, precautionary measures will have to be maintained, at least during the first semester of 2021.

We also draw your attention to the following:

• The principle of online meetings remains in effect until further notice, however, you can already make reservations for face-to-face meetings, if sanitary conditions allow.
• The shop will be closed for inventory from 4 to 8 January, but open from January 11.
• The library and archives will be open by appointment.
• The crèche will be open every day that the staff of the organization are working.
• The catering services will be open, but at a minimum service from 4 to 8 January.
• The Miollis / Bonvin sports room will remain closed until 10 January 2021. The situation will be reassessed early January with the Health and Safety Committee, bearing in mind provisions that will be in force at that time.
• The Medical Service (service.medical(at)unesco.org) and the social worker (c.goletto(at)unesco.org) are happy to help you.
• As of 4 January new washable masks will be distributed. You are invited to collect them at the medical service as of 4 January.

27 November 2020

This message compliments the announcement from the Director General to staff in relation to continuing measures related to Covid 19.

Medical service is available (service.medical(at)unesco.org ) and the social worker (c.goletto(at)unesco.org ) is there to help us. Similar assistance arrangements are also available in field offices. These are valuable resources that we encourage you to use.

To date, among all staff in the Organization, 73 colleagues have been tested Covid positive, including 28 in the field and 45 at Headquarters.

We draw your attention to some further practical information:

• Some sectors have implemented initiatives aimed at strengthening solidarity between colleagues. Thus, DPI organizes an e-coffee every Tuesday morning from 9:30 am to 10 am with a ban on talking about work; and has set up pairs / trinomials in the Division, each colleague having to make sure that their partner / trinomial is doing well; ED organizes ED talks once a week; CLT a weekly online aperitif and IOC small group meetings where you don't have to talk about work.
• The 210th session of the Executive Council will take place in two stages, first online from 2 to 10 December, then a second session, if the sanitary situation allows, in person, from 20 to 27 January.
• The principle of online meetings remains until the end of December.
• The boutique will be open from 7 December.
• The library and archives will be open by appointment.
• The crèche remains open every day the staff are working.
• Catering services will be open until 18 December inclusive, maintaining the current offer.
• The Miollis / Bonvin sports hall will remain closed until 10 January 2021.

The situation will be reassessed at the beginning of January, taking into account the provisions that will be in effect at that time.

As always, for any questions, you can contact the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination(at)unesco.org

3 November 2020

Further to our message of 29 October, we would like to give more information regarding work modalities until 1st of December.

For colleagues at Headquarters who must go to the premises, the new forms are now available on the website of the French Government, and can be downloaded via the following link : https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus . Please also read carefully the instructions on this page how to use the forms.

Telecommuting

Staff who are telecommuting during this period should indicate that they are “telecommuting”, and include the location from which they are telecommuting in TULIP.

Telecommuting from outside the country of the duty station is not permitted, unless exceptional circumstances apply (on medical grounds only). Exceptions continue to require the approval of the ADG/Bureau Director/Head of Field Office and DIR/HRM as per the specific procedure communicated to the AO/EOs last week. This applies to both HQ, Field Offices and Institutes. Telecommuting from outside the duty station but within the country of the duty station under these circumstances may be authorized on exceptional cases only for the duration of the national lockdown, i.e. in the case of France, until 1 December.

Executive Board

The 210th Session of the Executive Board has been postponed. More information will be shared once decisions have been finalized by the Chair of the Board.

The 11^th of November will therefore be a holiday at Headquarters.

Well being

Curfews, lockdown, increase in teleworking expose our colleagues to changes in social life and the pace of work. Some of us may have very normal difficulties during this difficult period: insomnia, isolation, low morale….

If you feel the need to talk, if you are having difficulty due to workload, loneliness, or any other reason, we invite you to confidentially contact the medical department to share your difficulties and obtain support/help :

Psycho-social Advisor: c.goletto(at)unesco.org or service.medical(at)unesco.org

Finally, all colleagues, and particularly supervisors, must be attentive to the members of their team and not hesitate to point out a colleague who seems to be having difficulty managing this very special period.

Tips to help you during this teleworking period are attached.

You may also use on line tools to alleviate tension and feel better. To help navigate through some of the well-being challenges of this period, you may wish to complete the “Calming Body and Mind” e-learning module, developed by our colleagues in the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, and available on MyLearning, via the Top Apps of the Intranet.”

Facilities

Catering: the restaurant and the cafeteria will be closed. As of 2 November only the 7th floor bar will be open and it will serve sandwiches and light snacks, as well as some hot meals.

Bank: The Société Générale agency in Fontenoy will remain open under strict sanitary measures. 

29 October 2020

The Covid-19 situation in France has once again reached a critical point. The number of cases tested positive continues to increase, and the additional measures, announced yesterday by the host country amount to a new form of confinement.

To date at UNESCO, 33 staff (including 25 at HQ) have reported a positive Covid test since the beginning of September, most of the infection has been from outside UNESCO premises (staff members who have been largely telecommuting).

The situation for all of us is complicated, from both a personal and professional point of view. Some of you have been telecommuting since several months, often in difficult situations, combining family life with work. Others have not been able to take annual leave in their home country, and have been separated from their family. Despite this, we have managed to continue our work, and to continue implementing programmes, operations and activities for UNESCO.

In light of the measures announced by the host country, above, the Director-General has decided, during this next phase, to step up precautionary measures at the UNESCO Secretariat by requesting all staff to telecommute from Monday, 2 November until further notice.  Only staff members, whose presence is considered necessary by their ADG or Director, will be authorized to access their office. This may include, inter alia, staff responsible for key functions such as security and the implementation of the COVID-19 crisis response or the holding of statutory meetings. 

Each sector/division/bureau has to decide and organize with the respective ADG’s or Directors what should be their critical on –site staff, depending on the work to be done, at a given time. We know that extended telecommuting, and often in a full time mode, is not easy, and presents risks, and that it is fundamental to maintain a good work / life balance.

All meetings, conferences and events with physical attendance are cancelled, library and bookshop will be closed, and visitors will not be allowed without prior appointment until 1st of December. Catering services will be reduced to a strict minimum. The Crèche will remain open for the moment.

Pending further instructions, that we hope to send to you tomorrow, we insist that you would subscribe to the app TousAntiCovid, for instructions and download please see:  https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus/tousanticovid

Also, pending the availability of the new derogation form, please use the current version available at:  https://media.interieur.gouv.fr/attestation-couvre-feu-covid-19/  and also available on the app.

We would also request staff who have been in contact with a potential risk case, or staff who develop symptoms to continue to contact the medical service, either by telephone au  0145680867 or by e-mail service.medical(at)unesco.org . The Medical service will be available upon appointment only.

As always, you can reach the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination(at)unesco.org  for any questions you may have, and consult the COVID intranet site  https://unesco.sharepoint.com/sites/intranet/en-us/pages/covid19.aspx  which will be updated on a daily basis.

My continued thanks and appreciation to all staff for their understanding and cooperation during this challenging period.

6 October 2020

Considering the evolution of the Covid-19 situation and the fact that the authorities of the host country have encouraged to increase telecommuting, we request that as of 7th of October, until further notice, the overall staff density at Headquarters will be further reduced from half of the normal full staffing to a third.

Unless for specific reasons, new modalities would be 2 days per week in the office, and the rest telecommuting. Practical arrangements (days of work at home/days of work in the office, specific tasks, distance from home to workplace considerations etc.) will be defined between the concerned staff and the direct supervisor. Supervisors are requested to ensure the basic minimal physical presence whenever needed and also to maintain or organize continuous contact with the colleagues telecommuting, in order to avoid isolation. 

Additionally, and until 30 October, only conferences, meetings or events with less than 10 participants can be held at Headquarters. UNESCO statutory meetings are the only exceptions to this rule as well as meetings explicitly authorized by the ADG/ADM.

We must remain careful and continue to respect the preventive measures put in place, either in the workplace or in public places. Preventive measures, such as the use of masks, or specific travel restrictions, including quarantine in some countries, will be most likely part of our daily concerns for the coming months.  

We would also request staff who have been in contact with a potential risk case, or staff who develop symptoms to contact the medical service, either by telephone au  0145680867 or by e-mail service.medical(at)unesco.org

As always, you can reach the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination(at)unesco.org for any questions you may have.

7 Septembre 2020

Organization of meetings, conferences and events at Headquarters

28 August 2020

September COVID-19 measures

20 July 2020: USE OF MASKS MANDATORY

Following the host country new measures regarding the Covid 19 epidemic, UNESCO makes the use of masks mandatory as of Tuesday 21 July 2020. Masks will have to be worn within the premises of Fontenoy and Miollis/Bonvin, in all circumstances, except within the catering facilities, or when a person is not sharing his/her office. This measure applies for all staff and all persons entering the premises.

2 July 2020: INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDELINES

Further to observations made within HQ premises, please be reminded of important precautionary measures that must be adopted by all staff:​

- Ad hoc meetings or gatherings in corridors or internal or external common areas should be avoided.

- Wear a mask in situations where you cannot maintain a distance of more than 1.5 meters between two people.​

- During prolonged discussions between two people in a corridor or another common space, please wear your mask.

- Meetings with more than six people should be replaced by online meetings. If an essential meeting is held with more than six people, wearing a mask is compulsory.

- On a voluntary basis, colleagues can use the StopCovid application, which is part of the French government's overall deconfinement plan. StopCovid is an additional tool against the virus by supplementing the provisions in force. It is used to report close contact with a sick person or to alert other users if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

29 June 2020

Over the last months, we have been closely evaluating the situation and following specific country instructions with regard to the COVID-19 crisis. As you know, many countries are now progressively lifting lockdown measures, while others are in an advanced “de-confinement” phase. Although we may have the impression that the situation is stabilizing or improving in some parts of the world, we must remain careful and continue to respect the preventive measures put in place in the different locations where UNESCO is active. The situation tends to improve in Europe including France but remains critical in some other countries, and is getting worse in some regions.

As announced in our previous message dated 3 June, we do plan the beginning of a global and progressive return to the workplace as of 1st of July. Early September, we expect the majority of staff to have returned to office, assuming the sanitary situation continues to improve. 

In this context, I wish to inform you of the following measures applying to UNESCO personnel in Headquarters, from 1st of July, until further notice. Specific guidance for Field Offices is indicated at the end of this message.

Presence at Headquarters – Telecommuting

Since 15 June, the entire territory of the host county France has been classified as “green”, which means that the circulation of the virus has slowed down. Since 22 June, the host country has allowed the reopening of indoor restaurants. The crèches, primary and middle schools have reopened fully and throughout the territory. 

Staff are therefore expected to come to the workplace. However, telecommuting may be approved during the transitional phase in July and August, as follows:

• if there is a specific need to reduce staff density in offices and provided that the tasks of the staff member can be carried-out effectively through the current telecommuting arrangements; or
• in case of specific personal situations (for example, particular difficulties related to individual health situations, childcare etc.)

Telecommuting requests will be approved by Sector ADG or Director of Corporate Services. Staff in HQ, who telecommute must register their absence in TULIP from 1st July under “Telework/Telecommute”.

In cases where continuing telecommuting is approved, a combination of working from home, and working from the office is strongly recommended. Telecommuting arrangements (days of work at home/days of work in the office, specific tasks, distance from home to workplace etc.) will be defined between the concerned staff and the direct supervisor.

Telecommuting outside of the duty station (France) is not permitted, unless there are very exceptional circumstances, which must be approved by Director HRM. Colleagues who are currently working outside of the duty station should contact their supervisor to normalize their working situation as of 1st of July, taking into consideration these new measures.

During the Summer, HRM will finalize more precise guidelines for a new telecommuting policy applicable as of September.  

While travelling from and to Headquarters, staff should respect the measures put in place on public transport or taxis.  Preference should be given to travel during off-peak hours if possible, always, after consultation with your supervisor, therefore, office working hours will be kept flexible. Whenever possible try to explore the use of alternative means of transport. Additional bike space will be made available in the bike park, situated below building III. 

Office space

The return of staff must be carefully planned in order to ensure that preventive measures are duly respected. The guiding principles that will apply are that each staff member should respect a physical distance of 1,5 meters in all conditions, in offices, open spaces, meeting rooms, workshops, etc. Managers are responsible for ensuring that these measures are applied and colleagues from the Division for Operations (ADM/OPS) are available to assist with optimizing office spaces. Managers should facilitate the arrangement of rotational working schedules or allowing flexible office hours for staff that share offices, where the 1.5 meters distance cannot be respected.  

Visitors to Headquarters

External visitors will be allowed as of 1st of July. In order to allow tracking, all visitors will be registered at the entrance.  The library and archives reading room will open early July (some precautionary measures still have to be put in place) but will follow strict protocols of the host country. As usual the library will be closed in August.

Visitors will be required to wear masks, and if possible be received by the person they want to meet at the reception counter. The staff member/s receiving the visitors must also use a mask at that time. Please avoid unnecessary visits, take the shortest way to and from your office. No temperature checks are envisaged.

The crèche has opened since 22 June.

Ensure secure work at Headquarters

Every time staff enter the Office premises they should wash their hands. Sanitation gel is available at key points of the building. 

Re-useable masks are  available for staff (all types of contracts) at the Mail Service (Situated at the Delivery Area Fontenoy) during working hours. The use of a mask is needed when physical distancing measures cannot be applied. Please read the notice provided with the mask. 

Catering facilities will progressively increase during July – August, adapting to the increased staff presence. 

Ad hoc meetings or gatherings in corridors or internal or external common areas should be avoided.

The use of elevators is discouraged, unless necessary. Try to take the elevators to go up, and the stairs to go down. In the staircase, please remain on the right. 

Cleaning services have been reinforced. During Summer, a new system of selective waste treatment will be set in place.

In order to have cleaner air in staff offices, you could use the air-conditioning, or consider keeping your office doors and windows open during the day. Do not use stand-alone ventilators.

Medical service can be reached by phone throughout the summer via 01 45 68 08 67. All staff having flu symptoms or fever over 37.5 ° should stay at home.

The external spaces (Jardin Japonais, smoking tolerated zones) can be accessed, provided that the physical distance is respected. 

Sports facilities in Miollis can be used again as of September, providing respecting the protocols of the different sports and the overall preventive measures.

The use of gloves will only be recommended for a small number of personnel based on their function, such as staff handling ID documents, bags or other items from visitors or staff.

209th session of the Executive Board (29 June – 10 July)

The 209th session of the Executive Board will take place “in presentia” from Monday 29 of June until Friday 10th of July. Meetings will take place in rooms I, X and XI, respecting the protocol of the Host country. Representatives from the secretariat in the meeting rooms will be limited to maximum 2 persons per Sector/Bureau/Division. Other staff members will be able to follow the debate through the usual webcast. As this session will be the first large meeting during this post-confinement phase, we urge colleagues to respect scrupulously the different preventive measures put in place to reduce the risk of a Covid-19 spread from or within the Organization. The use of masks is mandatory for all delegates and staff participating in the meetings.

Small Meetings

Small Meetings are meeting held outside of meeting rooms managed by ADM/CLD. 

Meetings and gatherings on premises can only take place if the requirement of 1.5 meter physical distance can be applied. Where possible, internal meetings should continue to take place online. If a face-to-face meeting is to take place, please limit the number of participants and the duration to hour to avoid long face-to-face meetings.

Meetings, conferences and missions

At Headquarters, governance meetings, such as those of the Executive Board, may be held physically in July and August. Other physical meetings may be authorized by ADG/ADM, on a case by case basis. Participants will be required to respect physical distancing practices, and wear masks if this cannot be assured. All other meetings will continue to be held online until further notice. The reservation of meeting rooms at Headquarters is already possible for meetings or events taking place after 7 September. 

Missions may resume, on approval of the ADG/Director of the Sector/Bureau. 

Leave

As indicated in our previous message, we expect the period from September to December to be very intense. Statutory meetings will be rescheduled and the autumn Executive Board session is expected to take place as foreseen, in early November. Therefore, we strongly advise staff and supervisors to plan annual leave in July and August, and we expect all staff to take a minimum of 3 weeks of annual leave during this period, this is however not mandatory. While it may be difficult to plan a “normal” vacation at this time, staff and supervisors should recognize that the period of confinement has been (and continues to be) intense work-wise and stressful. Combining leave and telecommute is not encouraged. 

Supervisors should organize their services, and the leave planning of their colleagues, taking into consideration the plan of work for their office/sector throughout the summer. Noting the disruption the confinement has caused to leave plans earlier in the year, we have also decided, on an exceptional basis, to allow staff to carry forward up to an additional 15 days (above the existing 60 days), to be used by end 2021. Leave plans for Institutes and Field Offices would need to follow specific local conditions and local context, but supervisors should also allow staff to take the necessary annual leave.

Presence in Field Offices and Institutes outside France

As indicated in our previous message of 29 May, some staff will continue telecommuting after 1st of July and until further notice, Heads of Field Office shall plan return to work in close consultation with host governments and the UN Country Team, consulting Headquarters as necessary. Staff, in Field Offices, who continue to telecommute must register their absence in TULIP under “Absence from office for sanitary reasons”.

Specific guidance, including the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) will depend on the office and the specific country or regional circumstances. General guidance is to follow the lead of country, and UNCT. Physical distancing and regular handwashing continue to be the most effective precautionary measures; it is also widely considered that the use of masks serves to protect others around the wearer, and therefore where advised, masks should be used. We discourage the use of public transport. 

As always, you can reach the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination(at)unesco.org for any questions you may have.

3 June 2020

Over the last months, we have been closely evaluating the situation and following specific country instructions with regard to the COVID-19 crisis. As you know, many countries are now progressively lifting lockdown measures, while others are in an advanced “de-confinement” phase. 

Although we need to maintain the different preventive measures, we must also start planning a gradual, yet progressive return to work. 

In this context, I wish to inform you of the following measures applying to UNESCO personnel in Headquarters, from 8 June until further notice. 

Presence at Headquarters 

In line with the recent measures announced by the French Government, telecommuting will continue to be the general practice during the month of June.  Managers are invited to examine carefully the staff that would be returning to work onsite taking into consideration individual difficulties of the staff related to schools, crèche, transport, individual health situations etc. Staff who wish to return to work on a voluntary basis may do so after consultation with their respective managers. 

The return of staff must be carefully planned in order to ensure that preventive measures are duly respected (all people onsite will be required to keep 1.5 meters apart). To the extent possible, managers will identify individual office spaces for staff who normally share office space. 

Masks will be made available at the Reception desk in the Fontenoy building.

In keeping with the host country’s instructions concerning public transportation, managers will provide staff with a certificate allowing them to travel during peak hours.  Preference should be given, however, to travel during off-peak hours if possible.

External visitors will only be allowed upon appointment until the end of August. The library and the shop remain closed. The crèche will reopen as from 22 June on a capacity-limited basis. Catering facilities will initially remain limited and progressively increased during the summer. 

Staff who continue to telecommute must register their absence in TULIP under “Absence from office for sanitary reasons” (until 30 June).

Presence in Field Offices and Institutes outside France

As indicated in our last message from 29 May, most staff will continue teleworking after 2 June and until further notice, Heads of Field Office shall plan return to work in close consultation with host governments and the UN Country Team, consulting Headquarters as necessary. 

Specific guidance, including the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) will depend on the office and the specific country or regional circumstances. General guidance is to follow the lead of country, and UNCT. Physical distancing and regular handwashing continue to be the most effective precautionary measures; it is also widely considered that the use of masks serves to protect others around the wearer, and therefore where advised, masks should be used. We discourage the use of public transport. 

Meetings and missions

At Headquarters, only governance meetings, such as those of the Executive Board, may be held physically in June and July. Participants will be required to respect physical distancing practices, and wear masks if this cannot be assured. All other meetings will continue to be held online until further notice. The reservation of meeting rooms at Headquarters is accepted for meetings or events taking place after 7 September. Meetings and conferences planned should take into account the fact that host country rules and additionally UNESCO guidance may be modified progressively. 

Leave

If all goes well, we expect the period from September to December to be very intense. Statutory meetings will be rescheduled and – for the moment - the autumn Executive Board session is expected to take place as foreseen, in October. Therefore, we strongly advise staff and supervisors to plan annual leave between June and the end of August, and we expect all staff to take a minimum of 3 weeks of annual leave during this period. While it may be difficult to plan a “normal” vacation at this time, staff and supervisors should recognize that the period of confinement has (and continues to be) been intense work-wise, and stressful mentally. 

Anticipating that as of September, we expect that activities fully resume and all services would need to be operational, we therefore strongly encourage staff to avail of leave.  

Supervisors should organize their services, and the leave planning of their colleagues, taking into consideration the plan of work for their office/sector (and the possible 209th session of the Executive Board towards the end of June). 

Noting the disruption the confinement has caused to leave plans earlier in the year, we have also decided, on an exceptional basis, to allow staff to carry forward up to 15 days (above the existing 60 days), to be used by end-2021. 

Leave plans for Institutes and Field Offices would need to follow specific local conditions and local context, but supervisors should also allow staff to take the necessary annual leave.

Travel

Mission travel remains suspended. Recognizing that some staff may soon be travelling for personal reasons, we are including a short travel advisory. Please do also bear in mind that the situation with respect to travel continues to evolve rapidly, and we recommend that you check carefully before undertaking any travel. 

Telecommute

These exceptional times have challenged us to discover also new ways of working. Most of us are now familiar with online meetings, and most colleagues have been able to telecommute successfully. This new working modality presents an opportunity for staff and managers to adapt the way in which we work. 

Telecommuting will be further mainstreamed, and embedded in the policies and practices of the Organization, in order to improve professional/personal life balance as well as to take advantage of substantive benefits of working from outside the office. Further guidance on the practical modalities are currently under review and is expected to be published before the end of June.

Until then, we would like to ask supervisors and managers, at Headquarters and in Field Offices and Institutions outside France, to consider implementing measures to optimize conditions for all those working from home. These include avoiding internal online meetings between 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. and after 5:30 p.m., to allow colleagues to take meals and disconnect. They also include avoiding work-related communications between 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 8:00 a.m. on Monday.

As always, you can reach the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination(at)unesco.org for any questions you may have.

29 May 2020

I hope you and your family are in good health and coping with the present situation. As you know, many countries are now moving to a progressive “de-confinement” phase and some UNESCO colleagues are back into the offices. We learned today that Beijing Office will resume normal operations on June 1st, with all staff returning to office, maintaining physical distancing and other preventive measures.

Yesterday, UNESCO Headquarters’ host country confirmed that the situation in France is improving and announced the next phase of the deconfinement process, which will come into effect from Tuesday, 2 June.

The ADM Sector is currently reviewing these guidelines, with a view to establishing the relevant protocols to ensure the safe return of staff to Headquarters. Teleworking will therefore continue as a general rule, until further notice (kindly register your absence in TULIP under “Absence from office for sanitary reasons” until 5 June, for now)

Presence in Field Offices and Institutes outside France

Most staff will continue teleworking after 2 June and until further notice, Heads of Field Office shall plan return to work in close consultation with host governments and the UN Country Team, consulting Headquarters as necessary.

Specific guidance, including the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) will depend on the office and the specific country or regional circumstances. General guidance is to follow the lead of country, and UNCT. Physical distancing and regular handwashing continue to be the most effective precautionary measures; it is also widely considered that the use of masks serves to protect others around the wearer, and therefore where advised, masks should be used. We discourage the use of public transport. 

As always, you can reach the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination(at)unesco.org for any questions you may have.

5 May 2020 - UNESCO "de confinement" measures

At Headquarters, we have now been teleworking for close to two months. Telework is also the rule at most, if not all, UNESCO field offices. Our achievements during this period have been remarkable, and widely recognized – this is a great credit to all UNESCO staff.

Our main concern continues to be the wellbeing and safety of all team members, independent of their location.

In some countries, governments have started to relax lockdown measures, but questions remain. In particular, how can we prevent an increase in COVID-19 cases once people resume more normal lives? Currently, measures to mitigate this risk include mass testing (to locate clusters) and preventive actions, such as physical distancing and hand hygiene.

At Headquarters and in the field, the return of all staff to offices will depend on the evolution of the situation and measures put in place by national governments. The return to work will therefore be cautious, flexible and will consistently keep the health and safety of staff members as a top priority. This situation may only stabilize after August.

Most of the following information is specifically for Headquarters. However, similar planning is taking place in field offices, in close consultation with host governments and other UN organizations. Specific guidance on preventive measures and cleaning/disinfection for field offices will be available shortly.

Staff density at Headquarters

On 28 April, UNESCO headquarters’ host country announced that it would gradually relax lockdown measures, starting on 11 May. However, it also recommended that teleworking continue until 2 June for now.

Until 2 June, teleworking remains the norm for UNESCO staff, after which, the situation will be reassessed in accordance with the host country’s guidelines. Only when the health situation becomes clearer will UNESCO invite more staff to return to the office. We plan to re-open buildings for work, but only for a small number of people at a time.

To determine who is coming into the office, each sector is consulting with managers and staff.

• Managers who need to ask colleagues to be physically present at work are invited to take into consideration individual staff difficulties, including school and crèche hours, transport, individual health situations and willingness to work from home.
• Staff members who need to be physically present at work to resume their duties will be required to obtain authorization from their managers.

Only a small number of staff are expected to return in the week of 11th May, ADGs will confirm which are these staff. We would also ask supervisors to plan, for those colleagues that need to come in, a staggered return.

Hygiene measures

Staff are strongly encouraged to keep their office door open at all times to minimize the use of doorknobs.

Please be reminded that the building is being deep cleaned this week. No staff will be allowed to enter except security personnel on duty. We are in close contact with the UNESCO cleaning company to ensure that the required French government COVID-19 protocols are fully implemented to maintain the required standard of cleanliness from 11 May onwards, and ensure safety of all present in the place of work.

The air conditioning systems at the Fontenoy and Miollis sites are currently cleaned and set as to provide a maximum of air cleanliness. At this moment, there are no indications in the Host Country protocol that air conditioning systems may spread the virus.

More information on hygiene measures at the work place can be found in the attached guidelines.

Masks and Hydro alcoholic gel

The most important personal protection measures are frequent hand-washing, physical distancing and the use of masks. From 11 May onwards, UNESCO will provide masks to staff when they return to work, and will require any staff who cannot observe strict physical distancing measures to wear masks. The attached guidelines provide more  information on how to wear masks and when to change and dispose of them. These guidelines may be reviewed depending on the evolution of health advice and the availability of masks for purchase by staff.

Hydro alcoholic gel dispensers will be available in the buildings.

Conferences, Meetings and Missions

Conferences, meetings and visits on the premises have been cancelled until  2 June. This measure will be reassessed closer to the deadlineWe strongly recommend online meetings, which many staff have successfully participated in during lockdown. A memo was sent outlining the current options and procedures for organizing online meetings. We would be grateful if you would follow these guidelines. Events need to be registered in NICE (and CRM afterwards) so they can be added to the Calendar of Events. Please use the G-meets application when planning online meetings to request services and logistical support. This will help CLD with event support, by ensuring that quotes can be made earlier and that support costs such as IT can be better anticipated and provided for.

In-person meetings are strongly discouraged. However, if absolutely necessary, it is recommended that no more than 10 staff members participate in such meetings, provided that physical distance is practiced at all times, ensuring a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between staff members. This restriction will be reviewed in mid-July.

Mission travel shall be suspended until further notice. Any exception will have to be approved by the Sector ADG.

Leave

Staff is encouraged to take time off work, even during lockdown. Managers are encouraged to plan leave carefully, balancing the needs of staff with the need to continue work. Careful planning is necessary on the part of managers to avoid the risk of too much leave being taken in the second half of the year.

Staff will be able to carry over unused leave to next year within reasonable limits. Further details in this regard will be made available in due course.

Cafeteria

The Secretariat agreed with Sodexo that for the first three weeks after May 11, only lunch boxes would be served.

A protocol (including for physical distancing) adapted to UNESCO's configuration and its needs is being developed; this will include extending the opening hours of the cafeteria, recharging the payment card online to avoid long queues, using the smart flow application to order meals in advance, etc. The Secretariat is currently working on a new protocol to be implemented in the first three weeks after 11 May.

On-site training of Sodexo staff on the new protocol will also be organized.

UNESCO Day Nursery and Children's Club (JCU)

Subject to the decisions of the French authorities concerning the opening of crèches, the Director of the UNESCO kindergarten is consulting with the parents’ committee and HRM to determine how to reopen the structure. Several issues are under consideration, including reception, the protection of children and caregivers, cleaning and educational approaches. Further information will be provided in due course.

At this stage, the crèche will remain closed until 29 May included.

Pension fund

Following concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on the financial health of the UN staff Pension Fund, we have received reassurances that, in spite of financial market volatility and an overall drop in the value of pension fund investments, the Fund remains financially sound, and operations are continuing as normal. A letter from the UN Secretary General is attached for further information.

Vegetable garden

On the bright side, we are pleased to inform you that UNESCO and Noocity are creating an educational vegetable garden at UNESCO’s premises in the heart of Paris. This garden, which was planted shortly before lockdown, will give UNESCO’s staff and chefs the opportunity to buy fresh, seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruit (tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, radishes, basil, mint, strawberries and more). We hope that you will be able to taste these fruits and vegetables very soon.

In closing, I would like to remind you that the uncertainty linked to the COVID-19 situation will probably continue until the end of the year, and precautionary measures may change. We must be particularly attentive towards colleagues who have contracted or will contract the disease, and avoid stigmatization.

As always, you can reach the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org  for any questions you may have, and consult the COVID intranet site, which is updated on a daily basis. 

I also take this opportunity to remind colleagues that Friday, 8 May, is a holiday at Headquarters!

• Instructions and guidelines for gradual return to work at HQ

30 April 2020

Following the French government announcement for a gradual relaxation of confinement, starting 11 May, staff will be informed of the planned UNESCO “deconfinement” timetable, and special measures.

In order to ensure optimal safety to staff, the Secretariat will reinforce hygiene measures in the buildings. In this context, we would like to inform you that there will be a deep cleaning of the buildings. 

This cleaning will take place in Fontenoy building from 4 May. Please be aware that during the week of 4 May no persons will be allowed to enter the premises, other than the Security personnel on duty. 

For any questions you may have, you can reach the coronavirus coordination team at coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org.

10 April 2020

As you know, we are living through  an unprecedented situation, which calls for our concerted efforts, both personal and professional. Confinement measures have been strengthened in many countries in order to combat the spread of the virus. Both at Headquarters and in field offices, procedures have been adapted, and UNESCO has been working closely with other United Nations system partners to ensure that the strictest possible measures are taken to safeguard all UN personnel, while maintaining support to host governments – at a time when many are looking for exceptional support.

Meanwhile, UNESCO continues to play its essential role. New initiatives in the fields of education, science, culture and communication, many of them related to COVID-19, show how important it is that we stay mobilized. To discuss UNESCO's response to the pandemic, the Director-General held a virtual meeting with Member States this morning, which was well received by them. 

These discussions are available at: https://srvarcstream3a.unesco.org/ksastream/video/Reunion_avec_la_DG.mp4

We know that that a few staff members have been infected by the virus and have hopefully now recovered. Some 40 staff have reported COVID-19 symptoms to the medical service, however, only 3 cases, based on current information, have tested positive. One staff member was hospitalized, but has now been discharged. We also note with sadness the death, in Kinshasa, of the Deputy Permanent Delegate of the Democratic Republic of Congo, attributed to COVID-19. A former contractor (a supernumerary who worked within KMI) also recently passed away, but this death was due to other causes.

During confinement, some of us may find it difficult to balance professional and private life, especially when schools and nurseries are closed and children demand more attention and care. If you are in a difficult situation due to family constraints, do not hesitate to ask your supervisor to adapt your working hours. 

On this point, I am asking supervisors to exercise maximum flexibility and understanding – we each face challenges in these unique times. This is an opportunity for supervisors to manage staff creatively. They should be aware of each staff member’s needs when teleworking, and manage teams appropriately, whether by encouraging flexible working hours, or by avoiding meetings that are late in the day or that may conflict with childcare. Where staff have competing demands on their time, supervisors should adapt working methods, and jointly define expectations and outcomes. If staff are unable to work at 100 per cent, please determine what is possible, so that they are empowered to contribute to UNESCO’s work during this crucial time, while managing challenges. Staff members who wish to disconnect completely should take annual leave. These are not normal “working from home” conditions. For some staff, the situation is more “at home, trying to work”. 

Since my last message, we have all done our best to maintain business continuity. UNESCO colleagues have adapted wonderfully to teleworking. By now, we have all participated in many virtual meetings and training sessions, and are making the best of a difficult situation. The COVID-19 intranet site has recently published useful tips on how to efficiently manage a virtual meeting and we strongly encourage you to apply them: https://hbr.org/2020/03/what-it-takes-to-run-a-great-virtual-meeting.

As always, the coronavirus coordination team is available whenever necessary at coronavirus.coordination@unesco.org and the COVID-19 intranet site is being updated on a daily basis. During these difficult and stressful times, it is important to refrain from sharing fake news and rumours. In times of crisis, we need to rely on accurate and reliable sources of information.

We sincerely hope that the public health situation will soon improve, so governments will be able to start relaxing confinement measures. All UNESCO offices will need to make the necessary arrangements when this happens – in coordination with host governments and UN system guidelines, as appropriate.

I would like to wish you all a Happy Easter and Pessah – may these celebrations be an opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones in these exceptional circumstances.  

Last but not least, for colleagues in Paris, do not forget that next Monday is a holiday… which we all deserve to enjoy! 

26 March 2020

As I write to you today, most of us are teleworking and adapting to this new life. 

Working from home creates new challenges. How do we stay alert? How can we be productive while balancing private and professional life? How do we keep in touch with colleagues? How do we deal with the stress caused by this unique situation?

We do not yet have answers to all of these questions. However, we are doing our best to support the transition, by resolving any technical issues and sharing information and best practices. On Monday, you received a UNESCO update on new initiatives and forums on the intranet to communicate with colleagues through Yammer and share news or videos. AIPU colleagues sent some helpful links to practice exercises and keep in shape.

The medical service is available to assist you should you need guidance or medical care, at the following email address: medical.service(at)unesco.org. Similarly, Christine Goletto, UNESCO’s social worker, will make every effort to help you should you need personal support of any kind.

In addition to carrying out our daily tasks, we can also use this opportunity to finalize administrative work from home, put in place new working methods, discover new communication tools, and take part in training. HRM offers several e-learning modules that you can access remotely: just click on the “My learning” icon in the intranet “top apps”. KMI has also invited colleagues to participate in webinars on various Microsoft tools. In this way, you can improve your knowledge and develop skills in different areas, while boosting your career prospects.

During these difficult times, it is important that we rely on accurate information, and refrain from sharing fake news and rumours. You can also write to coronavirus.coordination(at)unesco.org.  

For staff at Headquarters, the French Government has recently issued a new form for personal trips taken outside the home. You will find it attached to this message.  

UNESCO continues to play an essential role, at Headquarters, in the field, and at home – despite the Coronavirus crisis. 

Best wishes to everyone, and keep safe.

18 March 2020

As part of the measures for mitigating the risk of COVID-19, the Director-General has decided to step up precautionary measures at the UNESCO Secretariat by requesting all staff to telework until further notice. Colleagues in the field are to follow the instructions of the Host country that are communicated by their respective UN country teams/Resident Coordinators.

Only staff members, whose presence is considered necessary by their ADG or Director, will be authorized to access their office. This includes staff responsible for key functions such as security and the implementation of the COVID-19 crisis response. The catering services at Miollis and Fontenoy will be closed.

The remaining public spaces that have been open for the past few days are now closed. Visitor badges will no longer be issued. The security service will ensure that this is strictly adhered to.

All March/April meetings are postponed/cancelled, except for meetings between staff members whose presence in the Secretariat is deemed essential. In this case, precautionary measures (in particular distance between people) must be respected. Other exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

All measures apply to the Fontenoy and Miollis/Bonvin sites.

We encourage staff to keep in touch with colleagues who feel vulnerable or isolated. At times like this, it is especially important to demonstrate even more support and care than usual.

Over the next few days and weeks, we will depend more than ever on everyone's sense of responsibility and professionalism. We have the utmost confidence in the commitment of our staff to ensure each other's safety.