Good morning, this is Paula. For many employed in international Geneva, the axing of aid since early 2025 has meant living with constant uncertainty, wondering if jobs will be cut, what to do next if they are, and how to cope with increasing precariousness.
Swiss authorities, however, maintain that the employment situation isn’t as bad as they had forecast.
But this is of little consolation to international staff and a growing number of consultants, who are having to adapt to a new reality, as Sarah Zeines reports. |
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UNHCR's headquarters, near Place des Nations in Geneva. The agency, which has cut thousands of staff, will move into smaller premises at the Palais Wilson, saving on rental costs, on a date yet to be disclosed. (Guilhem Vellut/Flickr) UNHCR's headquarters, near Place des Nations in Geneva. The agency, which has cut thousands of staff, will move into smaller premises at the Palais Wilson, saving on rental costs, on a date yet to be disclosed. (Guilhem Vellut/Flickr)
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Meeting for coffee “is simply too much at the moment”, Laura* tells us. Our correspondence takes the form of a series of late-night messages.
The human rights lawyer has worked under nearly 20 contracts since arriving in Geneva in 2018. She’s currently completing an all-consuming four-month mission.
“Welcome to another aspect of the precarious contracts in the human rights world,” she jokes. “When they need you, they need you yesterday, temporarily, and for like 12 hours a day.” All the while, “you’re just figuring everything out as you go and will only really understand the job when it’s done”.
Laura says funding pressures and temporary contracting have been the norm for as long as she can remember
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Here's what else is happening
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💼Global Fund leadership shortlist unveiled amid donor friction and push for reform
The five candidates who reached the final phase of the selection process at the global health partnership include two US citizens: Mark Dybul, a former executive director of the organisation, and Richard Hatchett, outgoing chief executive of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Other candidates are Save the Children US CEO Janti Soeripto, Novartis global health president Lutz Hegemann, and Joyce Msuya, a former UN assistant secretary general.
Health Policy Watch (EN)
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⚖️UN aid chief Volker Türk urges global action against cruelty of war.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in extensive human rights violations, with more than 1,000 documented cases of sexual violence, according to a UNHCR report.
RTS (FR)
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🇺🇳UN refugee agency concerned by Malaysia returns to Myanmar.
The deportation of 1,500 Myanmar nationals is expected to be the first phase of a drive to return 5,000 people to the junta-led country.
Reuters (EN)
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➡️US sanctions push ICC member states’ annual meeting out of New York.
The International Criminal Court gathering will take place in The Hague from 30 November instead, due to concerns about restrictions on attendance.
Courthouse News Service (EN)
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🕊️More than a messenger: how Swiss diplomacy tries to improve the world.
Switzerland’s role as a mediator and facilitator in peace diplomacy has changed over time as the nature of its own neutrality has evolved.
Swissinfo (EN)
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