Around 40 UN interns protested on the Place des Nations yesterday demanding they be paid for their work.
The UN said almost a decade ago it would look at the issue of paying interns after it was highlighted by a New Zealander who revealed he was living in a tent in Geneva.
Some organisations, such as the ILO, do pay interns. But the UN General Secretariat still offers nothing.
The system is deemed unfair as the only people who could consider taking up an intern post need an income from another source – normally a wealthy family.
The UN General Assembly has asked the Secretariat to develop a compensation system for interns – but there’s been no further information.
The UN is currently in a cash crunch as many member states have not paid their dues. The building has cut heating and services and even switched off elevators to save money.
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