STU/71st Council/25/010
8 October 2025
222nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board
Oral Statement by the UNESCO Staff Union (STU)
Thank you, Madam Chairperson, ADG/ADM, Distinguished Delegates, Dear Colleagues,
It is an honor to address you today on behalf of the UNESCO Staff Union, STU.
International cooperation and multilateralism are facing one of the most complex moments in history. The latest OECD report on Official Development Assistance (ODA) foresees a significant, double-digit drop in 2025, following a 9% decrease in 2024. This crisis is already tangible across the UN system, with thousands of colleagues losing their jobs in recent months.
This crisis is not merely an administrative or human resources issue. Many Delegations said it clearly: without the dedication, integrity, and independence of its staff, the UN, and we, UNESCO, cannot deliver on our vital mandate. Staff reductions inevitably go hand in hand with programmatic consequences: fewer projects, diminished impact, and less beneficiaries reached.
In these challenging times, STU remains steadfast in advocating for the protection of staff job security, rights and welfare, irrespective of the grade or contract type.
Distinguished Delegates,
In the past, UNESCO has already experienced the profound consequences of a funding decline. Thirteen years after the 2012 crisis, the Organization and its staff are still paying its consequences. Over the past decade, staff have continuously been asked to do more with less, and this model has become untenable. The results of the most recent Employee Engagement Survey clearly demonstrate the consequences: a picture of deep fatigue, disillusionment, and systemic strain.
The survey highlights chronic issues. Career advancement opportunities remain scarce, leaving many staff members feeling stagnant and undervalued. A lack of fairness and transparency in recruitment further aggravates the picture. Compared with other UN agencies, UNESCO lags far behind in professional development and career progression.
At the same time, the survey also reveals that staff well-being has deteriorated. Excessive workloads, blurred boundaries between personal and professional life, and declining confidence in leadership have fostered a culture of overwork and mistrust. Too many colleagues feel unsupported, with only a small portion believing that UNESCO genuinely cares about staff welfare. This erosion of trust, engagement and motivation is compounded by a climate of fear—many feel unsafe reporting misconduct or voicing concerns.
One encouraging finding, however, is the enduring pride and commitment of staff to UNESCO’s mission.
Distinguished Delegates,
We are not bureaucrats! UNESCO staff is made of talented experts, colleagues who continue to believe in the Organization’s mandate.
STU is increasingly concerned by widespread doubts regarding the transparency and fairness of recruitment processes within the Organization. Many staff have questioned the timing, consistency, and impartiality of these procedures. Considering these concerns, STU once again calls for an audit of recruitment in UNESCO, with a focus on a comprehensive reform of the Appointment Review Board, which should evolve from a rubber-stamping one into a robust oversight mechanism empowered to review all positions—including Heads of Office and Directors.
Regarding internal justice, STU welcomes recent improvements in the functioning of the Appeals Board but calls for the publication of an independent report to ensure transparency and accountability. We also request to accelerate the revision of the Appeals Board statutes, to align them with JIU recommendations. We strongly support the establishment of an Ombudsman Office.
Finally, we acknowledge the vital contribution of colleagues on non-staff contracts—Affiliate Personnel—whose professionalism underpins many successful projects. STU calls for better contract conditions, health insurance and unemployment benefits, and expresses solidarity with those affected by non-renewals due to budget constraints.
Distinguished Delegates,
The results of the G-staff salary survey in Paris confirm an increase in allowances. Regretting the document’s late preparation, STU notes with concern that the Administration plans to implement the results only from 1 October 2025—contrary to the methodology, which would normally foresee retroactive application from 1 October 2024.
While recognizing the Organization’s financial constraints, STU questions current spending priorities. Over the past year, funds were allocated to various expenses, yet allowances for G staff with disabled children, dependents, and spouses—frozen for 13 years—remain unchanged for another year. In light of the efforts towards inclusiveness the Organisation is taking, an increase of a disabled child allowance is not a privilege, but an essential support measure that reflect fairness and dignity in the workplace.
Excellencies,
We appeal to your sense of justice. In the discussion that follows, we urge you to send a clear and positive signal to our General Service colleagues. Please amend the draft resolution to establish 1 October 2024 as the effective implementation date for the new salary scales. At the same time, in recognition of the Organization’s budgetary pressures, STU recalls that the methodology foresees options to preserve retroactiveness in financially difficult times.
Distinguished Delegates,
It is never too late to do what is right.
Before concluding, STU welcomes the nomination by the Executive Board of Dr. Khaled El-Enany as candidate for the position of Director-General. We look forward to working with the incoming Administration, keeping in mind that a strong, motivated, and healthy staff is a prerequisite for an organization like UNESCO to thrive and deliver on its mandate.
Thank you for your attention.