Report on the 101st ICSC Session
The International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) held its 101st session in New York, from 24 March to 2 April 2026.
During its session, the Commission considered a number of issues including the ongoing comprehensive review of the compensation package for staff in the Professional category, post adjustment matters, and conditions of service for General Service and locally recruited staff in London and other matters.
Regarding the comprehensive review of the compensation package, the Commission considered reports of two working groups established for the review: one relating to the dependency benefits including the education grant, and the other relating to allowances and benefits provided in the field.
All recommendations of the Commission are currently preliminary; final recommendations will be consolidated during the 102nd session in Vienna (July 2026) for submission to the UN General Assembly.
Main discussions of the Compensation Review include:
Field-related entitlements
Family Hub Model: A new model was proposed to mitigate family separation in difficult duty stations. FICSA supported this provided it remains voluntary and that allowances continue to be based on a staff member’s physical place of assignment.
FICSA emphasized that evacuation-related benefits are essential and strongly opposed replacing financial hardship and mobility incentives with non-financial measures, arguing that financial compensation remains a legitimate component of the employment framework.
Regarding to the ongoing pilot project for D and E duty stations, FICSA supported the continuation of the pilot until such time as the Family Hub model is fully operational.
FICSA underscored that the nonpayment of daily subsistence allowance (DSA) during R&R periods is a fair solution, in the current fiscal restraint climate. It stressed that evacuation-related benefits and entitlements are essential instruments underpinning the duty of care owed by organizations to their staff in highly volatile and unpredictable operating environments.
FICSA stressed that efforts to adjust or streamline evacuation benefits must not compromise their core objective.
Focusing solely on cost-cutting risks eroding staff morale and compromising both operational readiness and system integrity.
FICSA views non-financial measures as additions to—not replacements for—hardship and mobility incentives. Although UN staff are deeply motivated by the organization's mandate, financial compensation is still a fundamental component of their employment.
Family-related benefits
Discussions on a range of items pertaining to family-related benefits are still ongoing and will be continued during the last working group meeting from 18 to 22 May 2026 in Geneva.
During the ICSC session, FICSA reiterated that the current education grant system and its sliding scale function as intended. No modifications are necessary at this stage, provided that thresholds are adjusted to reflect the steep increase in education costs in recent years.
With regards to early childhood education and care, FICSA supported a targeted measure to provide support only to staff in duty stations that need it. Within this framework, FICSA supported, out of the three options presented by the working group, option 3: Leave Education Grant as is, and add an “early childhood subsidy scheme”, similar to rental subsidy.
With regards to the child allowance, FICSA fully supported the proposal to phase-in the revised level of the child allowance over a five-year period, while updating the review cycle from every three years to every five years. At the same time, FICSA expressed its concern for the lack of update of the allowance during the past 14 years.
FICSA reiterated the importance of the secondary dependent’s allowance, particularly for staff members without a dependent spouse whose secondary dependents meet all the stringent requirements.
Finally, FICSA strongly opposed capping the number of eligible children for the education grant and child allowance at six. Such a cap is inconsistent with the internal logic of the UN common system and violates international social protection principles.
Other items discussed by the Commission:
The ICSC also reviewed various technical agenda items and UNGA decisions impacting staff compensation and service conditions, including:
Standards of Conduct: The UNGA’s endorsement of the revised Standards of Conduct.
Post Adjustment: The upcoming 2026 launch of a new round of place-to-place surveys.
Hardship Classification: The ongoing review of hardship classifications.
Salary Surveys: Results of the London General Service salary survey.
Methodology Review: The 2028 holistic review of the GS salary survey methodology, following the completion of surveys in Madrid (2027) and Vienna.
