UNITED NATIONS, Could 01 (IPS) – The Trump administration’s on-again-off-again threats in opposition to the United Nations, and US withdrawals from a number of UN companies aggravated additional by monetary cutbacks, have left most staffers with rising apprehension and uncertainty about their future— and their psychological well being.
Will the UN’s liquidity disaster lead to downsizing of employees or set off a spherical of wage cuts? Will there be a freeze on promotions and on wage will increase? And can non-American staffers be disadvantaged of everlasting residencies within the US—and compelled to return, together with their households, to their dwelling international locations, on retirement?
In the meantime, the Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN’s humanitarian company, is going through vital price range cuts because of a funding hole, primarily stemming from a discount in US funding. This has led to plans for a 20% discount in employees and a scaled-back presence in a number of international locations, in line with OCHA.
Moreover OCHA, the price range cuts have additionally impacted on the World Meals Program (WFP), UNICEF and the UN Excessive Fee for Refugees, who’re both closing workplaces, decreasing employees or ending applications because of a pointy lower in US funding.
In a memo to staffers final week, the UN Workers Union (UNSU) in New York acknowledged “the numerous concern and potential uncertainty brought on by the present monetary state of affairs of the Group.”
“We imagine that prioritizing psychological well being and well-being is important throughout these unsure occasions. As such, the Union is getting ready a sequence of Psychological Well being Classes to supply sensible suggestions and methods for managing what might lie forward.”
“Be assured that your Union stays steadfast in defending your rights to truthful and equitable remedy and stands able to navigate the anticipated challenges forward collectively,” says the memo from Narda Cupidore, President of UNSU.
In the meantime, the Workers Administration Committee (SMC), which was convened in Vienna, April 7-12, addressed essential points impacting employees welfare and circumstances of service.
The agenda was dominated by three subjects: I) UN80 Initiative; ii) the monetary disaster; and iii) the downsizing coverage. These deeply interconnected subjects and their mixed influence on employees have been the central focus over a number of days of deliberations.
The Secretary-Common has requested “the UN80 Initiative Process Power and Working Teams to develop proposals to i) quickly determine efficiencies and enhancements in the way in which we work; ii) overview the implementation of the mandates obtained from Member States; and iii) conduct a programmatic realignment inside the UN system, whereas rationalizing sources.”
Dr Purnima Mane, former President and CEO of Pathfinder Worldwide and one-time Deputy Government Director (Programme) and UN Assistant-Secretary-Common (ASG) on the UN Inhabitants Fund (UNFPA), informed IPS the US authorities’s threats of monetary cutbacks and withdrawals from many UN companies is a matter of particular concern not just for Member States but additionally the UN employees themselves, affecting their psychological well being and skill to carry their finest to their already difficult work.
“With a number of world upheavals all around the world, the UN clearly is an establishment from which a lot is predicted at the moment. However monetary cutbacks critically threaten the UN’s skill to ship and its employees members’ skill to do their job”.
It’s subsequently reassuring, she mentioned, that the involved our bodies affiliated to the UN, which deal with employees welfare, are honing in on the psychological well being of the employees who’re working on this present surroundings of maximum uncertainty. .
It’s encouraging to notice that the UN Workers Union is getting ready a sequence of psychological well being periods for employees to have entry to sensible suggestions for managing what might lie forward.
The Workers Administration Committee XIII which met early April in Vienna additionally targeted on essential points impacting employees welfare and circumstances of service, and never surprisingly, the monetary crises that the UN is threatened with and the downsizing coverage have been two of the foremost subjects that the SMC targeted on.
“Uncertainty after all makes issues even harder because the US administration has introduced cutbacks to establishments the place the US is a sole or main contributor after which reversed its resolution within the case of some,” she identified.
If the UN shouldn’t be seen as a sound funding by the US, and its place on cutbacks and withdrawals stay with none alteration, the paralysis, by way of motion, will likely be extreme and can take a excessive toll by way of employees psychological well being and subsequently, their skill to carry out already formidable duties, declared Dr Mane.
The World Meals Program, UNICEF and the UN Excessive Fee for Refugees are amongst UN companies which are slicing jobs, closing workplaces, ending applications and taking different cost-cutting measures because of a pointy lower in US funding.
In 2024, the UN Secretariat employed over 35,000 employees members throughout 467 responsibility stations worldwide. This contains employees from over 190 nationalities, as a part of the broader UN household with over 100 our bodies and organizations, together with some 30 companies, funds and programmes.
The money disaster has been aggravated by non-payment or late fee of dues by member states. As of April 30, solely 101 out of 193 member states, have paid their assessed contributions in full.
Requested concerning the budgetary cuts by UN companies, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric informed reporters April 28, there are totally different sorts of cuts.
“Essentially the most violent that we’ve got seen actually hit our humanitarian and growth companions as a result of the cuts are fast. The way in which they’re funded are by way of voluntary contribution. The cash is allotted for particular programmes, so the cash shouldn’t be there. The work’s not getting performed”.
“So, I feel the Secretary-Common has mentioned that we’re, proper now going through a liquidity disaster. We’re managing that. We’re clearly, and he at all times has been seeking to be essentially the most probably accountable caretaker of the cash that’s entrusted to us”.
Dujarric mentioned the technique can be to make sure that Member States perceive the short and actual influence of those cuts.
Presently, the largest single defaulter is the US, which, as the most important contributor, pays 22% of the UN’s common price range and 27% of the peacekeeping price range.
The US owes $1.5 billion to the UN’s common price range. And, between the common price range, the peacekeeping price range, and worldwide tribunals, the whole quantity the US owes is a hefty $2.8 billion.
The highest 10 contributors to the UN’s common price range, based mostly on assessed contributions, are america, China, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Canada, Brazil, and Russia.
The common price range for 2025 is $3.72 billion—round $120 million greater than the $3.6 billion determine unveiled by Secretary-Common António Guterres in October 2024—and $130 million higher than the Organisation’s 2024 price range.
The full price range appropriation for 2025 quantities to $3,717,379,600. After the US, China is the second-largest contributor, assessed at 18.7% of the common price range.
In its attraction to staffers, the Workers Union says the Secretary-Common’s UN80 Initiative “might carry substantial adjustments to our group and have vital influence on our circumstances of service”.
“Whereas the complete extent of those adjustments continues to be unknown, we acknowledge the underlying stress and anxiousness it would trigger, particularly in opposition to the backdrop of fixed media protection of comparable challenges occurring throughout the Frequent System.”
In direction of this effort, the UN80 Initiative has created a suggestion field to submit help and concepts.
“As we imagine the simplest answer units can come from these immediately concerned within the day-to-day work of the group and with an upcoming deadline of 1 Could 2025, we encourage you to share your progressive and inventive proposals not solely with the UN80 Initiative however along with your Union as properly”.
By sending your recommendations to [email protected], says the memo, “ we will be capable to report the dynamic contributions of Workers Members and re-emphasize the essential significance of an inclusive, Secretariat vast decision-making course of inside the three pillars of efficiencies and enhancements, mandate implementation, and programme realignment.”
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