The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will move nearly 400 staff from its New York headquarters to Germany and Spain, the organization said late Monday, following funding cuts from the United States.
– This move is part of continuous efforts to adapt to the changing financial and development environment, strengthen partnerships and maximize UNDP’s ability to support the most vulnerable people around the world – the organization said in a statement.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in a separate statement that the move, which will be implemented over two years, shows confidence in German diplomacy at a time when “the United Nations system and multilateral principles are under pressure.”
US President Donald Trump cut US foreign development aid by more than 80 percent last year as part of a government overhaul led by billionaire Elon Musk.
UNDP said that nearly 400 employees, representing “a significant portion of the jobs currently located at the organization’s headquarters,” will be covered by this transfer, with about 300 moving to Bonn, Germany, and about 100 to Madrid, Spain.
The German government stated in its statement that the United Nations already has 27 institutions and around 1,200 employees in Bonn.
(Vijesti.ba)
