Africa

Joshlin Smith's mother, branded the "mastermind" in her child's disappearance, is to be sentenced.

Joshlin Smith's mother, branded the "mastermind" in her child's disappearance, is to be sentenced.

Joshlin Smith's mother, branded the "mastermind" in her child's disappearance, is to be sentenced.

Joshlin Smith is yet to be found more than a year after she went missing from her home.

Greenpeace Africa has brought together over 40 Nigerian civil society groups to launch the Climate Justice Movement. Credit: Promise Eze/IPS

By Promise Eze
ABUJA, May 29 2025 (IPS)

Greenpeace Africa earlier in May brought together over 40 Nigerian civil society groups in Abuja to launch the Climate Justice Movement, the first of its kind in the country. The goal is to unite various climate efforts nationwide and address the severe impacts of climate change on Nigeria and the African continent.

The Climate Justice Movement in Nigeria is part of Greenpeace Africa’s broader effort to build new partnerships and strengthen collective action across the continent.  Similar launches have taken place in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Ghana. The movement promotes collaboration among grassroots groups, advocating for sustainable solutions and environmental justice across the region.

At the end of the two-day event, the groups signed the Polluters Pay Pact, calling on oil and gas companies to take responsibility for the environmental harm they have caused. A joint declaration followed, reaffirming their commitment to holding polluters accountable and ensuring Africa’s voice is heard in global climate negotiations.

“Africa’s contribution to the climate crisis, in terms of pollution, is so minimal that it’s almost negligible. Yet, our communities are among the hardest hit. While developed nations were industrializing, they polluted the environment and left us behind. Now, they are even resisting efforts to support other communities as we work to adapt and reduce the impact of climate change for the sake of our well-being and livelihoods,” said Murtala Touray, Programme Director at Greenpeace Africa.

Speaking on the importance of the movement in Nigeria, he added, “The destruction we are witnessing today demands action. We must rise to protect our planet, safeguard the livelihoods and dignity of our communities, and leave the world better for future generations. The launch of the Climate Justice Movement in Nigeria is not just a one-time event; it marks the beginning of a long journey.”

The Curse of Oil in Nigeria

Friday Nbani, a resident of the oil-rich Niger Delta, has witnessed many oil spills. For him, oil, once seen as a blessing, has become a source of pain and destruction.

The Niger Delta is considered one of the most polluted regions in the world. Decades of unchecked oil extraction have led to oil spills, gas flaring, and the release of toxic chemicals. These have poisoned the land and water, destroying livelihoods and the environment. Despite the huge wealth generated from oil, the region remains poor, with polluted rivers and the loss of important mangrove forests.

Only recently, on May 5, 2025, a fresh oil spill occurred in the Ikata community, Rivers State, in the Niger Delta. It happened along a 14-inch pipeline operated by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd. (RAEC). This company had recently bought Shell’s Nigerian assets in a $2.4 billion deal.

Now, RAEC is facing a lawsuit. The Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area is taking the company to court. They say the cleanup of two major oil spills from 2008, caused by pipelines operated by Shell, is still not properly done. Those spills reportedly released over 600,000 barrels of oil into their waters and damaged large areas of mangrove forests. Experts say it was one of the worst oil spills in the world, with about 40 million litres of oil spilled every year across the Niger Delta.

Shell, a British oil company that first pumped oil in the Niger Delta in 1956, is considered a notorious oil polluters in Nigeria. It has been accused of damaging the Niger Delta for many years. Now, critics say it is trying to escape responsibility by selling off its assets.

Sherelee Odayar, Oil and Gas Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, spoke out against this.

“For decades, oil giants like Shell have extracted billions in profits from Nigerian soil while leaving behind devastated ecosystems and broken communities. Recent media investigations exposing Shell’s negligence in the Niger Delta are an example of the toxicity and selfish, unempathetic profiteering communities have endured for generations. Through this declaration, we’re sending a clear message: the era of unchecked pollution and corporate impunity is over. It’s time for polluters to pay,” she said.

Shell, quoted by Reuters, blamed the majority of spills on illegal third-party interference, such as pipeline sabotage and theft. Two communities have taken the company to court over the environmental damage. A Shell spokesperson said litigation “does little to address the real problem in the Niger Delta: oil spills due to theft, illegal refining and sabotage, which cause the most environmental damage.”

Nbani, who leads the Lekeh Development Foundation, a grassroots-based advocacy organization, and supports the Polluters Pay Pact, believes the Climate Justice Movement can help communities get justice.

“The spills have affected our health, farming, and fishing. Even our homes are not safe,” he told IPS. “People are speaking up because they are suffering. Only those who live here truly understand. But the government still talks about producing more oil. We feel forgotten. How much longer can we live like this?”

A People-Powered Movement

“I believe the solution is people power. People need to realize the power they have. Movements like the Climate Justice Movement are important because they help people understand their right to control their resources. If you own something, you should have control over it,” Nbani said.

He is excited that the movement is being led by grassroots communities, activists, and civil society groups directly affected by the climate crisis. He added that it allows those most impacted to organize, push for environmental justice, and demand accountability from polluters.

Cynthia Moyo, Climate and Energy Campaign Lead at Greenpeace Africa, said launching a people-powered Climate Justice Movement in Nigeria is essential given the country’s significant role in the climate crisis.

“Nigeria’s climate and energy future depends heavily on political will, regional cooperation, and meaningful investment in clean energy. The choices we make in this decade will determine whether we become a climate-resilient continent with a stable economy or remain trapped in the risks and instability of fossil fuel dependence. It is essential that we begin a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy,” she told IPS.

While the Climate Justice Movement is people-powered, Tolulope Gbenro, a social impact consultant, emphasized the importance of youth involvement.

“Climate change affects everyone, and the justice movement fights for both the present and the future. Young people are not just leaders of tomorrow but also of today. If they’re not involved in decisions that affect the climate, their future and the planet’s will be at risk,” she said.

Hope in the Dark

Dandyson Harry Dandyson, a human rights advocate and resident of the Niger Delta, wants the government to impose taxes on oil polluters to hold them accountable for the damage they have caused. He advocates for leaving oil in the soil and focusing on sustainable solutions such as renewable energy. For him, the Climate Justice Movement represents hope in the dark, as it aims to empower communities to halt oil production and promote eco-friendly energy alternatives.

“Putting pressure on oil polluters to take financial responsibility for environmental damage will be effective. One of the major concerns we have here in Nigeria is the government’s lackadaisical attitude toward implementing policies and treaties they sign. When governments fail to take action, we continue to face these issues. However, with the Climate Justice Movement, as we begin pressuring and shaming polluters, especially the International Oil Companies, government ministries, and parastatals complicit in these practices, I believe things will change. Naming and shaming these entities will help bring the necessary attention to these environmental crimes,” he noted.

At the end of the event, participants presented their next line of action, which they would undertake in their communities immediately. These included an intense campaign for the cleanup of the Niger Delta, holding town hall meetings to help community members understand their rights, and an accountability campaign for the utilization of funds to combat desertification, gully erosion, and ocean surges.

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While a rise in temperature brings an uncertain future for the olive ridley sea turtles, the efforts of international conservation organizations that ban the trade in turtle meat, leather, and shells; the Indian government; coast guards; and village volunteers, including fishermen, have made a huge difference in ensuring their continued existence. Even young village children are eager to do their bit to make sure the turtles survive.

By Isabel Ortiz, Odile Frank and Gabriele Koehler
GENEVA / NEW YORK, May 29 2025 (IPS)

Rumors circulating at UN Headquarters suggest there is little appetite for ambition at the Second World Summit for Social Development, set to take place in Doha on 4-6 November 2025. Diplomats and insiders whisper of “summit fatigue” after a packed calendar of global gatherings—the 2023 SDG Summit, the 2024 Summit of the Future, and the upcoming June 2025 Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. Compounding this fatigue is the chilling rise of anti-rights rhetoric and political resistance from some governments, casting a shadow over multilateral efforts. For some, just getting any multilateral agreement is good enough. As a result, the Zero Draft of the Social Summit Political Declaration lacks the ambition required to confront the multiple social crises our world faces.

Isabel Ortiz

Many have raised the alarm: we need more than vague recommitments—we need a strong plan to bring people back to the center of the policy agenda. The stakes could not be higher. The world has changed dramatically since the historic 1995 first Social Summit in Copenhagen. Then, world leaders recognized the need for human-centered development. Today, the urgency has grown exponentially in our fractured and volatile world. People face multiple overlapping crises — a post pandemic poly-crisis, a cost-of-living crisis pushing millions into poverty, corporate welfare prioritized over people’s welfare, a rapid erosion of democracy leading to staggering disparities, an escalating climate emergency, a prolonged jobs crisis that is poised to dramatically worsen by the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Trust in governments and multilateral institutions is eroding, social discontent and protests are multiplying, and inequalities—within and between countries—have reached grotesque levels. A timid declaration would be a betrayal of the people who look to the United Nations as a beacon of fairness and human dignity.

The Summit is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for governments and the UN to remedy the grievous social malaise and lead a global recommitment to social justice and equity. For this, the Social Summit Declaration must offer more than aspirational language; it must define binding action with explicit commitments to build societies that work for everyone and bring prosperity for all, in areas such as:

• Reducing income and wealth inequalities, which deeply erode social cohesion, democratic governance, and sustainable development;


Odile Frank

• Making gender justice a pillar of the Declaration: a Social Summit that fails to prioritize gender equality will fail half of the world population and fail in its mission to deliver on human rights, dignity, and sustainable development;
• Delivering universal, quality public services by committing to publicly funded and delivered systems, with a clear focus on protecting public sector workers and eliminating barriers to quality services, in the context of robust public investment, grounded in fairer financing, reversing austerity cuts and aid cuts;
• Ringfencing social development from budget cuts, privatization and blended finance, reversing the harmful impacts of austerity cuts, privatization/PPPs and commodification of public services, particularly their negative impact on affordability, accessibility, quality and equity of public services;
• Addressing rising income precarity by investing in decent work with labor rights/standards and universal social protection systems and floors;
• Regulating and taxing technology equitably. While AI is generating unprecedented private wealth, it is estimated that 40% of jobs could be lost to AI by 2030, with administrative roles (predominantly held by women) facing nearly triple the risk of displacement; governments need to redress the negative social impacts of IA such as job displacement and wealth concentration, providing adequate social protection measures for those affected by job losses and taxation of AI-driven profits to redistribute benefits back to societies;


Gabriele Koehler

• Promoting a care economy supportive of women that prioritizes well-being over GDP growth;
• Moving beyond GDP growth, recognizing the limitations of growth-centric paradigms and committing to policies that promote ecological sustainability and equitable development;
• Systematically assessing the social impacts and distributional effects of economic policies, including disaggregated data by, at least, gender and income group; if analysis reveals that the majority of people are not the primary beneficiaries or that social outcomes and human rights are undermined, policies must be revised to ensure equitable development;
• Ensuring fair and sustainable resource mobilization, committing to progressive taxation, eliminating/reducing illegitimate debt, fighting illicit financial flows, collecting adequate social security contributions from corporations, and other feasible financing options;
• Pushing back against anti-rights and anti-gender movements, reaffirming global commitments to human rights and democracy.

Us make this summit the moment we choose dignity and social justice over apathy and mediocrity. We know we must strive for more ambitious commitments. The 2025 World Social Summit must not be a missed opportunity.

Isabel Ortiz, Director, Global Social Justice, was Director at the International Labor Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, and a senior official at the UN and the Asian Development Bank.

Odile Frank, Executive Secretary, Global Social Justice, was Director, Social Integration at the UN and senior official at the OECD, ILO and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Gabriele Koehler, Board Member of Global Social Justice and of Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), was a senior official at UN-ESCAP, UNCTAD, UNDP and UNICEF.

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• FEATURED TRANSLATION – FRENCH

The Kenyan author sent shockwaves through African literature by refusing to write in English.

The Kenyan author sent shockwaves through African literature by refusing to write in English.

The Kenyan author sent shockwaves through African literature by refusing to write in English.

Documents found inside the boat washed ashore in St Vincent and the Grenadines indicate the migrants were from Mali.

Presley Chweneyagae, the star of Oscar-winning 2005 film Tsotsi, died from natural causes, his family says.

Concentration camps and pseudoscientific experiments were used by German officials to torture and kill.

It follows growing criticism from Kenyans targeting Tanzania's president over the recent deportation of activists.

Egypt's Mohamed Salah was the stand-out player in this season's Premier League - but what do the statistics say about other African stars?

Egypt's Mohamed Salah was the stand-out player in this season's Premier League - but what do the statistics say about other African stars?

Li Junhua, head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Secretary-General, Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative of France to the UN and Costa Rican Ambassador Maritza Chan Valverde during a press conference ahead of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice: Credit: Twitter

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, May 28 2025 (IPS)

A greater understanding and appreciation of the world’s oceans is needed to protect them. As the global community prepares to convene for the ocean conference, they must also prepare to invest in scientific efforts and education that will bolster their joint efforts.

France and Costa Rica will co-host the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, from June 9-13. Over the course of the week, governments, the private sector, intergovernmental groups, and non-governmental groups, among others, will convene over the urgent actions that need to be taken to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans.

This year’s conference will be the first to take place during the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), which brings together stakeholders in which the UN and its partners will oversee the actions that need to be taken to protect the oceans’ unique ecosystems and biodiversity and how to promote greater awareness and research into ocean sciences and how to better protect them.

UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) oversees and tracks the progress of the UN Ocean Decade, which brings together the global ocean community on the principles of understanding, educating, and protecting the oceans.

There will be an emphasis on strengthening the data-collection capacities in the global system for observing the ocean. Data scarcity and limitations in collection methods have meant that organizations have challenges grasping the full scope of the ocean and the changes they face in the wake of climate change.

Julian Barbiere, UNESCO’s Head of Marine Policy, told reporters that science-based discussions will be at the core of UNOC. For UNESCO, there will be discussions over how to translate scientific facts into tangible climate actions. This includes scaling up the current efforts at ocean-floor mapping. At present, only 26.1 percent of the seafloor has been mapped out by modern standards, with the goal to have 100 percent of the seafloor mapped out by 2030.

Seaweed is grown or farmed in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, off Wasini Island, Kenya, with plants tied to ropes in the water. Credit: Anthony Onyango / Climate Visuals

Joanna Post, head of the IOC’s Ocean Observations and Services, remarked that there is a “real need for recognition” of the critical functions that the system performs, such as in monitoring weather conditions, mapping the ocean floor, maritime security, and disaster risk management. She announced a new initiative that would mobilize at least 10,000 commercial and research ships to collect data and measure the ocean. Commercial and research ship vessels play a key role in tracking and collecting data on the oceans, which Post emphasized must be shared across global channels.

UNESCO’s agenda for this forum also includes encouraging stakeholders to invest in and strengthen global education efforts on the ocean. “Education is key if we want to have a new generation that is aware of the importance of the ocean system,” said Francesca Santoro, a senior programme officer in UNESCO, leading the Ocean Literacy office.

Santoro stressed that education is not limited to students and young people; private investors should also be more aware of the importance of investing in the oceans.

UNESCO aims to continue expanding the networks of schools and educators that incorporate ocean literacy into their curricula, especially at the national level. Ocean literacy emphasizes the importance of the ocean for students, educators, and local communities within multiple contexts.

One such programme is the SEA BEYOND initiative, in partnership with the Prada Group, which provides training and lessons to over 20,000 students in over 50 countries. Under that initiative, a new multi-partner trust fund will be launched at UNOC3 on June 9, which will be used to support projects and programs that work toward ocean education and preserving ocean culture. As Santoro noted, “For many people and local communities, the main entry point to start interest in the oceans… is in [identifying] what UNESCO calls ‘intangible cultural heritage.’”

Human activity, including pollution, “directly threatens” the health of the ocean, according to Henrik Enevoldsen from UNESCO-IOC’s Centre of Ocean Science.

He announced the development of a new global assessment, led by UNESCO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), on marine pollution, to be launched on June 12.  This would be a “major leap forward,” Enevoldsen remarked, adding that this assessment would be the first of its kind that provided a global overview of ocean pollution.

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By Helen Stjerna and Rajika Mahajan
STOCKHOLM / BANGKOK, May 28 2025 (IPS)

The World Health Organization (WHO) for this year’s World No Tobacco Day (May 31) has chosen the theme, “Unmasking the Appeal”, to reveal the tactics employed by the tobacco and nicotine industries to make their harmful products enticing, particularly to young people.

Global Youth Voices at the 10th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Credit: Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control

The tobacco industry promotes the concept of harm reduction by shifting focus from traditional smoking to modern alternatives such as e-cigarettes, vaping pens, nicotine pouches, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, heat-not-burn devices and other heated tobacco products.

The same tactics used decades ago to manipulate young people into smoking are now being rehashed to push these new products—often marketed under the guise of innovation or “safer” alternatives—to countries around the world. While the packaging and products may look new, the playbook remains the same: addict youth, expand markets, and shift the blame. And now, they’re calling it “harm reduction.”

The Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC) estimates the tobacco industry costs the global economy a net loss of USD 1.4 trillion annually and kills more than 8 million people. Over 37 million teenagers aged 13-15 years use some form of tobacco.

The tobacco industry’s promotion of novel and emerging tobacco products as “harm reduction” has been firmly challenged by the Global Youth Voices (GYV), a global coalition of over 40 youth organizations advocating for a ban on these new recreational products. The youths also want the industry to be held financially accountable for harms caused to both current and future generations.

The GYV, in their 2024 Declaration, refused to accept compromised solutions that prioritize corporate profit over youth health. They have rejected the tobacco industry’s new so called “smoke-free products” and instead called for a ban on any new recreational and youth-appealing addictive products.

“The industry’s ‘harm reduction’ narrative is a smokescreen. These so-called alternatives are gateways to addiction, not exits. We must act before another generation is lost to nicotine dependence.”

Against this backdrop, Swedish member of GYV, A Non Smoking Generation, are warning global public health community not to follow the Swedish experience of embracing oral nicotine pouches, snus, as a safer alternative to cigarettes.

Snus and new nicotine products in Sweden have been touted by the tobacco industry as safer alternative to smoking. In reality, it is fueling a surge in nicotine addiction among Swedish youth. Tobacco and nicotine use among young people is higher than ever, alongside their exposure to aggressive marketing of and easy access to nicotine products.

A Nicotine Pouch. Credit: A Non Smoking Generation

Sweden is not a model to follow—it’s a warning. What’s happening there is spreading globally, and the cost will be another generation trapped in nicotine addiction.

According to Sweden´s public health agency, 11 percent of the population still smokes, while the use of e-cigarettes, snus and nicotine pouches is increasing dramatically – particularly among youth.

A staggering 65 percent of high school students have tried at least one nicotine product, and smoking prevalence in this age group has increased from 17 to 21 percent in just three years. Swedish tobacco regulations have failed to protect children and youth from harmful nicotine addiction.

When nicotine pouches and vapes entered the market, Sweden’s critical misstep was allowing them to bypass their tobacco legislation. As a logical step, these products should have been regulated as tobacco, since all commercial nicotine products, despite being labeled “tobacco-free,” still contain tobacco-derived nicotine.

This regulatory gap allowed the tobacco companies to circumvent current regulations, and lure youth through misleading social media promotions, including candy flavored, youth-appealing products.

Seven in ten Swedish youth state the fact that new nicotine products “seem less harmful” than traditional tobacco can be a reason to try these out.

Nicotine is a poison and is addictive. Extensive use of nicotine involves a large number of scientifically proven and serious health risks such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and birth defects. It can also quickly impair cognitive functions and increase the risk of mental illness.

The false narrative from Sweden — portrayal of vapes and pouches as harm reducing alternatives to cigarettes—is unfortunately spreading globally. The public awareness of all severe health risks associated with nicotine is alarmingly low, and risks having devastating consequences for public health.

The Swedish government recently lowered the excise tax on snus, thereby increasing the risk of more young people initiating a harmful nicotine addiction. Nicotine pouches evade the excise tax on tobacco completely and can presently be sold at a price cheaper than ice cream.

This completely ignores WHO’s recommendation that taxation as the most effective way to reduce youth access to tobacco and a cost-effective tool to prevent subsequent substance abuse.

Since the problem is created by an industry, the youth urge the Swedish government—and others watching Sweden’s model—to hold the tobacco industry financially liable for the harm it causes. This includes implementing taxes, levies, compensation mechanisms, sanctions, and other legislative tools to mitigate the damage.

Countries that have legalized new tobacco and nicotine products are now grappling with a significant rise in youth vaping. But there is hope—over 40 countries have banned these products, including, most recently, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea, which have banned e-cigarettes.

Contrary to the tobacco industry´s claims about snus, vapes and pouches as products for smoking cessation, independent research show that these products more often work as a gateway to smoking and higher intake of alcohol and drugs.

To reduce and prevent all forms of nicotine addiction, including smoking, the scientific evidence supports strong, coherent national regulations of tobacco and nicotine products. Not because each product carries identical risks, but because every child and young person is entitled to the highest standard of health and a sustainable future.

A Non-Smoking Generation, together with GYV youths call on government officials and policymakers to not repeat the Swedish misstep but to unmask and reject the tobacco industry’s tactics and false narratives.

Helen Stjerna is Secretary-General, A Non Smoking Generation, Sweden; Rajika Mahajan is Communication Officer, Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control & Convenor of the Global Youth Voices, Bangkok

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The UN in Geneva

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, May 28 2025 (IPS)

As the UN continues with its plans to restructure the world body, designated UN 80, the complaints continue to pour in—first, the Staff Union in New York and now, the Staff Union in Geneva.

After a meeting with management last week– to discuss UN 80 through the Staff-Management Committee (SMC)—a memo addressed to staffers, says that among the issues raised was “the continuing lack of transparency and lack of consultation”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is quoted as having told the staff that “leaks and rumours may create anxiety”.

“But how else are staff expected to find out about UN 80?”, the 4,500-strong Staff Union asked in a May 27 memo.

The Union points out:

• The requirement to move staff out of Geneva and New York: Staff found out from the New York Times.
• The initial proposals, marked “strictly confidential” for organisational mergers: Staff found out from Reuters.
• The requirement to cut budgets by 20%: Staff had to pay attention to a two-hour video of an informal session of the General Assembly, where the information was buried in a side remark.
• Discussions between the UN and Qatar on hosting organisations in Doha: Staff found out from the Tribune de Genève.
• A proposal from Rwanda to host organisations in Kigali: Staff found out from Devex.
• Discussions between OHCHR and Austria to move staff to Vienna: Staff found from Le Temps (management later stated that the number of posts moving to Vienna was much lower).

Currently over 40 UN system organizations and entities, along with the secretariats of numerous international treaty bodies, are based or have regional offices in Geneva.

This includes major UN agencies like the World Health Organization, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and International Labour Organization (ILO), among others.

Asked for her comments, Stephanie Hodge, a former UNDP staff member (JPO 1994–1996; BDP staff 1999–2004) and UNICEF Education staff member (2008–2014), told IPS: “As an external observer who has worked closely with this institution for many years, I would like to express my support for the concerns raised by staff regarding recent developments.”

“While I do not speak on behalf of any internal constituency, I believe it is important to acknowledge how these issues resonate beyond the organization’s walls.”

Staff voices are the backbone of any institution’s credibility and effectiveness, she pointed out. “When their insights, contributions, and lived experiences are sidelined in major reform efforts, it weakens not only internal morale but also the trust of partners and stakeholders who rely on the institution’s integrity. Many of us in the wider development and humanitarian community have long admired this organization’s ability to deliver in challenging environments”.

That capacity is built on the dedication and expertise of its staff, said Hodge, who now serves as an independent evaluator and consultant for development programmes worldwide

The current climate of uncertainty, she noted, combined with the perception that staff are being informed through leaks or informal channels, is concerning. Transparency and consultation are not luxuries—they are preconditions for sustainable, mission-driven reform.

No change initiative, however well-intentioned, can succeed without the active engagement of the very people tasked with carrying it forward, she argued.

Meanwhile, the Staff Union further says: “We also asked for clarification on what would actually be consulted on with staff unions (the Secretary-General has stated several times that the initiative is subject to consultation and that a meeting will take place in Kosovo). The reply was that any consultation would be limited to so-called mitigation measures, which could include:

• Imposition of external recruitment freezes
• Priority consideration for internal candidates to the new positions
• Facilitated relocation of GS staff to other duty stations, although at their own cost and subject to agreement by the new host country
• Training courses
• Separation packages (although we already know that there will be no enhanced packages).

As you can imagine, both the lack of transparency and lack of willingness for any meaningful consultation, renders hollow the words of the Secretary-General, says the Staff Union.

Added to this is a lack of clarity on how the proposed cuts and relocations will strengthen the UN, improve support for multilateralism in a transactional era or resolve the liquidity crisis.

“Some have described a sense of panic among New York management. We fear this will lead to an outcome that weakens and undermines the organization we believe in and work for.”

“As you may have seen, we are not the only ones with this view. Member states and civil society have been vocal too.

“We are therefore reaching out to all actors (member states, media, academia, civil society) to make our case. We have also been raising these concerns with you and through traditional and social media. We are in close contact with senior managers that share these concerns”.

“Our aim is to bring reason and sense to any reforms that take place, knowing that the UN must evolve to survive.”

“At the same time, we are reviewing all legal options and coordinating with other staff unions on these matters. We will continue to keep you updated and rely on you in our next steps as we define our collective response”.

The memo was authored by Laura Johnson, Executive Secretary and Ian Richards, President of the Staff Union.

Meanwhile, the New York Staff Union, which was also critical of being left out of the discussions on UN reforms, was expected to:

–Call on the Secretary-General to formally include the United Nations Staff Union (UNSU) as a full participant in all aspects of the UN80 Initiative, including by having designated representatives of the Union in the UN80 Task Force, notably in its Working Group, with a view to ensure staff representation in the deliberation and decision-making processes.

— Request that the Staff Union be granted equal consultative status within the Task Force, including its Working Group, alongside other stakeholders, to provide input on matters directly impacting staff welfare, organizational efficiency and institutional reform.

Emphasize that Staff Union involvement in change management process with such a global scale/impact is critical to provide insights into daily operations and identify potential inefficiencies and challenges for improving the effectiveness of the organization

Mandeep S. Tiwana, Interim Co-Secretary General, CIVICUS, told IPS for all intents and purposes the United Nations is the secular conscience of the world. Hence, it’s leadership is expected at all times to act with good faith, professional integrity and principled courage.

For too long, he said, the UN’s top decision makers have impeded the institution from achieving its full potential, by resorting to bureaucratic ways of functioning, submission to perceived political realties and personal ambition.

The current frustration expressed by the UN Staff Union in Geneva about lack of consultation and transparency by the UN’s leadership is a symptom of a much larger problem that pervades the institution, including of not taking responsibility for one’s own failures and seeking to place the blame wholly on the belligerent actions of UN member states

Elaborating further, Hodge said from the outside, what appears most pressing is the need to center reform not just on financial savings or structural shifts, but on strengthening the institutional culture and protecting the human capital that makes success possible. Efficiency is important, but it should never come at the cost of dignity, fairness, or clarity of purpose.

“I urge leadership to approach this moment not as a public relations challenge, but as an opportunity to reset the tone of internal dialogue. Meaningful inclusion of staff in shaping the future of the organization would not only improve outcomes—it would set a positive example for the entire multilateral system.”

“Those of us who care deeply about the UN as an institution want to see it thrive. That means listening to staff, acting with integrity, and making space for shared problem-solving. Reform done with people—not to them—is always more powerful and enduring.” She declared.

https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/05/uns-proposed-structural-changes-laid-strictly-confidential-internal-document/

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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