Staff Salaries and Education Grant Survive Fifth Committee; Budget Agreement Reached : Shared by Tom McDermott

Great to see that the G77 and others were able to head off efforts by the US and EU to eliminate the education grants for staff and maintain salary levels.  Talk about late night compromises - this one came at 3:18 a.m.

Tom

UN Budget Agreement Reached

LinkedIn posts by Ian Richards and Loris C.

Date: December 26-27, 2024

Summary:

Meeting on Christmas Eve, UN member states adopted a resolution on the common system that rejected proposals to cut staff pay and maintained current education grant provisions. The decision comes as the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) conducts an ongoing compensation review examining education grants for staff posted abroad and childcare support.

The resolution preserves UN staff salaries, which according to Richards are "already well below levels of the US comparator, the EEAS, OECD and NATO." The US government comparator fully reimburses some of the most expensive schools in duty stations, while the UN provides only partial assistance through education grants.

The ICSC compensation review is examining total UN compensation versus comparators, including the margin (pay level differential). A significant disparity exists: US government officials posted in Geneva receive a minimum $95,000 annual housing allowance on top of their salaries, while most UN officials receive no housing allowance.

Richards characterized the negotiations as complex for diplomats in New York, with staff unions working to explain the rationale for UN compensation structures. Separate negotiations on the UN budget had continued with major sticking points including the number of posts to be cut, disputed relocation values, and funding for human rights programs.

At 3:18 a.m. on December 27, the Fifth Committee reached agreement on the budget after what Loris C. described as "one of the most demanding and consequential budget and reform negotiations in recent years, shaped by the broader UN80 reform context." The budget is scheduled for formal adoption by the General Assembly on Tuesday, December 30. Loris C. noted the outcome "will shape the organizations for the decades to come."

Quotes:

"Staff unions worked hard to explain the rationale for UN compensation as did others." - Ian Richards

"A long few weeks come to an end. With an outcome which will shape the organizations for the decades to come. For better or worse…" - Loris C. ```