UN children's agency to move majority of jobs out of Geneva and New York following funding cuts

By Olivia Le Poidevin and Crispian Balmer

GENEVA (Reuters) -The majority of staff jobs at the United Nations children's agency in Geneva and New York will be relocated to cheaper locations, as the agency faces a 20% funding reduction due to global cuts in foreign aid, UNICEF said late on Wednesday.

The United Nations Children's Fund will relocate at least 70% of its staff in the two cities to lower-cost duty stations to cut costs, it said in a statement.

Swiss newspaper Tribune de Geneve reported on Wednesday that about 300 jobs could be relocated away from UNICEF's regional office for Europe and Central Asia in Geneva.

UNICEF has described its plans to move jobs from New York - which remains its global headquarters - and Geneva to Rome, Budapest, Florence, Istanbul, Brussels and Valencia.

The agency and the Swiss foreign ministry would not confirm to Reuters how many jobs would be relocated and where they would go. The Swiss foreign ministry said about 100 jobs would stay in Geneva, which UNICEF said would be for global advocacy and coordination.

An Italian government source said jobs were being moved to Rome, but did not provide further details. 

UN agencies face major cuts and a structural overhaul following a substantial reduction in foreign aid spending by the U.S. and major European donors.

UNICEF projects a 20% reduction in income over the next four years when compared to 2024 levels, prompting a 25% cut in headquarters and regional budgets and the relocation of staff to lower-cost locations.

In May, UNICEF said it would consolidate its regional offices for Europe and Central Asia and for the Middle East and North Africa into a single regional office based in Amman, Jordan.

UNICEF's relocations are the latest in a series of cuts and restructurings to UN agencies based in Geneva. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization said its workforce would shrink by nearly a quarter - or more than 2,000 jobs - by the middle of next year.

The International Labour Organization is considering abolishing up to 295 posts and relocating dozens of staff to cities like Turin as it faces "critical" cash-flow problems.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva and Crispian Balmer in Rome; Editing by David Gregorio and Thomas Derpinghaus)