Jitters As UN Agency To Relocate Staff From New York To Nairobi

"A fully integrated Programme and Technical Division will be in place by August 2024 ahead of the physical move planned between March and September 2025," the agency stated in its job adverts.

UNFPA explained that the move seeks to extend its reach to more people and make its services more accessible to countries where it is highly active.

The primary mandate of the organisation is to implement various initiatives focused on sexual and reproductive health within the United Nations framework.

"Another piece of good news that demonstrates a strengthening of Nairobi as the multilateral capital of the Global South," Kenya, through Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei, stated while welcoming the move expressing that it would raise the profile of the country.

However, some concerns emerged amongst the affected employees with about a quarter of the staff in the New York office set to be affected.

Some of the staffers had disclosed that the announcement provided via email to staff on September 2023 made them protest that the decision for the relocation was reached without prior consultation.

“When we asked for an analysis, like share with us the analysis that made you come to this decision, why Nairobi out of other places, why that was decided? None was provided," one of the staff told the international media house, Devex.

Most of the staff were also reported to be concerned about their job security, with anticipations that the move would prompt some of them to leave the UN body voluntarily before the relocation takes place.

Other than within the UNFPA, others expressed concerns that the relocation could trigger a spike in the cost of rent and buying a house near the proximity of the agency's offices.

"The United Nations Population Fund is relocating about one-quarter of its staff to Nairobi, from New York. Staff are concerned they'll be further away from the HQ, where decisions are made. (I'm also worried about what this could mean for the rest of us - and our house prices.)," stated journalist Moina Spooner on X.