Financial management
The financial management of UWW is ensured at many levels.
The Congress (the general assembly of the 180+ affiliated members), as the foremost body, defines how the federation’s finances are managed by assigning responsibilities and laying out the roles of, respectively, the Bureau, the Executive Committee, the President and the Secretary general (cf. UWW’s Constitution). The Congress approves, by vote, the yearly budget, the annual accounts and all amendments to UWW’s Financial Regulations. It is also responsible for selecting the type and the level of requirement of the control (external and internal) it wishes to see applied to the federation’s financial management.
Although UWW constitutes an association (art. 60ss of the Swiss Civil Code) non subject to regular audits under article 69b CC, the Congress has chosen to voluntarily submit the accounts of the federation to external scrutiny by registered statutory auditors (restricted control).
The external auditors must meet the legal requirements for approval requisite and independence. They are chosen by vote by the Congress and will serve in that capacity for four years (renewable). The external auditors carry out a yearly audit on the accounts and report to the Congress.
The Bureau validates the decisions taken by the Executive Committee. It pre-approves the budget, the accounts and the amendments to the financial regulations, before submitting them to the Congress. The Bureau recommends the external auditors to the Congress.
The Executive Committee consists of the President, the Secretary general and five vice-presidents. Together, they hold the responsibility to organize and ensure a financial management that complies with the requirements of the Congress and the Bureau. They review the budget and the yearly accounts of UWW prepared together by the Secretary general and the accounting department. The five vice-presidents hold a role quite similar to that of a finance commission. They advise the President and the Secretary general and oversee their financial management.
The President and the Secretary general direct day-to-day the qualified staff at work in the headquarters of the federation in Switzerland, including the employees of the financial department. Both of them are empowered to legally commit the federation (signature according to the registration on the Register of Commerce of the canton of Vaud). They must validate all the financial operations.
The Accounting Department consists of four qualified employees (FTE 3.5) holders of diplomas in economics. It is principally concerned with ensuring that records are kept properly and in accordance with the provisions of the Swiss law, the accounting of debtors and creditors, investment activities and the preparation of financial statements.
Remuneration and expense allowance
The Bureau members (elected) are not remunerated to the exception of the President and the Secretary general who, according to articles 14 and 15 of UWW’s Constitution, have the right to receive compensation for the time they dedicate to the federation’s activities (see below). The Bureau members have the right to receive compensation for their travel and accommodation expenses and the representational costs resulting from their activities for the federation. Regarding the representational costs, a per diem indemnity of CHF 100.- (a hundred Swiss francs) is planned. Other expenses are reimbursed upon presentation of supporting documents (real costs).
For 2023, the total amount of costs incurred by Bureau members for their federation-related activities was of CHF 163'412.-, including:
- Travel expenses: CHF 103'491.-
- Accommodation expenses: CHF 1'249.-
- Per diem indemnity: CHF 58'672.-
The President, the Secretary General, and the qualified staff at the headquarters are remunerated in full compliance with Swiss law and the level of salaries is set with the help of the benchmarking tool National wage calculator (admin.ch) provided by State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss confederation.
Financial statements
The financial statements presented here are the statements reviewed by the official auditor (Ofisa) selected by UWW and approved by the Congress.
The auditors are appointed by the Congress.
For more information, please contact finance@uww.org
Useful link: www.ofisaberney.ch
Management of risks
The UWW Bureau conducts regular risk assessments to identify and analyze potential threats that may impact the organization, allowing UWW to navigate challenges effectively and ensure the resilience of the UWW. Specific risks related to financial investments are dealt with by our financial partners.