UNICEF to shift most roles from Geneva, New York amid budget cuts
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UNICEF is set to move 70% of its Geneva and New York staff amid a 20% funding shortfall and global foreign aid cuts, shifting roles to cheaper duty stations.
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The UNICEF logo is seen at the German UNICEF headquarters in Cologne, Germany, on Feb. 5, 2008 (AP)
The United Nations children's agency plans to shift most of its staff positions in Geneva and New York to cheaper locations amid a 20% funding shortfall driven by broad global cuts to foreign aid, UNICEF announced late Wednesday.
In a statement, the agency said at least 70% of posts in the two cities will be moved to lower-cost duty stations as part of its cost-saving measures. Meanwhile, the Swiss daily Tribune de Genève reported that around 300 jobs could be transferred from UNICEF’s regional office for Europe and Central Asia in Geneva.
UNICEF outlined plans to reassign roles from New York, which will remain its global headquarters, and Geneva to cities including Rome, Budapest, Florence, Istanbul, Brussels, and Valencia. Neither the agency nor the Swiss Foreign Ministry would confirm the exact number of roles affected or their destinations.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry noted that roughly 100 positions are expected to remain in Geneva, focused on global advocacy and coordination, a detail UNICEF also confirmed. An Italian government source said some posts would be moved to Rome but offered no additional information.
Foreign contribution cuts throw UNICEF off
The restructuring comes as UN agencies grapple with significant budget cuts following steep reductions in foreign aid contributions from the United States and major European donors. UNICEF expects its income to fall by 20% over the next four years compared with 2024 levels, prompting a 25% reduction in headquarters and regional budgets and a shift of staff to less costly locations.
In May, UNICEF announced it would merge its Europe and Central Asia regional office with its Middle East and North Africa office, consolidating both into a single hub in Amman, Jordan.
The agency’s restructuring is part of a wider pattern of cuts across Geneva-based UN bodies. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization said it planned to reduce its workforce by nearly a quarter, more than 2,000 jobs, by mid-2025.
Meanwhile, the International Labour Organization is considering cutting up to 295 posts and relocating dozens of staff to cities such as Turin as it confronts what it has described as “critical” cash-flow pressures.
