On Wednesday, 25th September 2024, the Staff Association (SA) was delighted to host its traditional Ambassadors' Cocktail Evening. This event is organised twice a year, in March and September, following the meetings of the Finance Committee. It is a unique opportunity to bring together delegates from Member States, Associate Member States, and some of our colleagues chosen as “ambassadors of the SA” to represent the Association and the personnel.

These events are more than a simple exchange; they provide an excellent opportunity to:

- Engage in discussions on topics of importance to the Staff Association;

- Have broader conversations about the future of CERN and its personnel;

- Hear and understand the delegations' points of view and concerns.

On this occasion, ambassadors presented the topics of the latest Proton publication[1]: towards a lasting social protection for CERN personnel.

We express our thanks to all participants, the delegates of member and associate member States - of the 28 delegations present - and to our colleague ambassadors for their commitment, the key to the success of these meetings.

Our gratitude goes out to the logistical and catering teams, the Association secretariat for organising this event, and the Council secretariat for forwarding invitations to delegations.

We look forward to welcoming back the delegations and ambassadors in March for the next cocktail party!

[1] https://staff-association.web.cern.ch/sites/default/files/Proton-Special-2024-Vers-la-perennite-de-la-protection-sociale.pdf