The Permanent Mission of Switzerland has informed CERN that some international civil servants and members of their families are henceforth entitled to vote on commune matters in the Canton of Geneva and are entitled to vote and are eligible for election at commune level in the Canton of Vaud.  

For further information, in particular regarding the special procedure to be followed to apply to exercise this entitlement, you are invited to consult the information published, in French only, on the Swiss Mission’s website.

In this regard, you are reminded that:

• Under Articles S I 3.05 and S I 3.06 of the Staff Rules, a member of the personnel « wishing to take part in the public and political life of a State shall comply with the relevant legislation (...) » and « shall refrain from any act or activity which is incompatible with [his] functions » or « which would be morally or materially prejudicial to the Organization » ;
   
• Article R I 3.03 the Staff Regulations stipulates that : « Employed members of the personnel wishing to engage in a political activity shall first notify the Director -General in writing, who shall take a decision pursuant to Article S I 3.05. Political activity shall include the exercise of a public function, conducting an election campaign and public participati on in the life of a political party. »;
   
• The Department of Human Resources regularly publishes information concerning these rights and obligations, in particular prior to election periods.