Good morning, this is Paula. Months into the massive aid cuts, staff working in international Geneva are scrambling to figure out their way forward as they deal with layoffs and relocations.

In our final part of our series about the world of international work, we check in with a few of them as they cope with a new reality. We also provide a run-down of what you need to know as massive restructuring efforts raise questions about visas and labour rights.

And looking at broader efforts to reform the UN and its aid architecture, an expert unpacks the myth of neutral aid and why we should let it go.

Paula Dupraz-Dobias

25.07.2025

World of international work

Photo article

Staff from Geneva-based international organisations and NGOs at an information meeting at the Palais des Nations in Geneva for staff affected by layoffs following donor aid cuts, 20 June 2025. (Geneva Solutions/Paula Dupraz-Dobias)

For many working at multilateral organisations and NGOs in Geneva, landing their job was an idealist’s dream come true: a chance to improve lives worldwide and uphold human rights.

But as funding dries up, restructuring plans kick in and the wave of job cuts shows no signs of slowing, workers are confronted with the harsh realities of today's state of multilateralism. Geneva Solutions spoke with those who have already received dismissal notices, and others still awaiting a decision, about how they were coping.

They speak of their disappointment with organisations whose core mission is to help people yet fail to protect their own employees, their fear of publicly sharing a painful experience, their resignation to the new reality and their optimism.

Read the full story on Geneva Solutions.

✚BONUS TRACK: Lost your job in international Geneva? Here’s what you need to know

📖Read the rest of our series – World of international work: navigating uncertain times

Here's what else is happening

⛔WTO reform prospects clouded by investment deal block, sources say. An initiative to boost foreign investment in developing countries was blocked by India, South Africa and Turkey during a trade meeting.
Reuters (EN)
⌛Gaza has been at risk of famine for months, experts say. Here’s why they haven’t declared one. Officials at the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the main mechanism used to determine if a famine is taking place, say such declarations often come too late.
Associated Press (EN)
🏥WHO projects up to 40 per cent cut in health aid in 2025. World Health Organization officials say developing countries will have to prioritise spending on health. Other health officials are calling for blended finance and health taxes to boost budgets. Devex
Devex (EN)
💭Opinion: Trump to Human Rights Council: ‘I wish I knew how to quit you’. Since the Trump administration ordered US officials not to participate in Council discussions, human rights violators have been able to argue their cases in the absence of Washington’s previous advocacy drives in the chamber. PassBlue
PassBlue (EN)

What they think

❝Aid isn’t neutral – and that might be our best bet. With efforts underway to reform the UN and the aid architecture, it's time to acknowledge the political realities that shape the system and turn them to our advantage instead of blaming them for every failure, writes Erica Harper, head of research and policy studies at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

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