Global Affairs lays off its most experienced diplomats, according to the union

OTTAWA – The union representing staff at Global Affairs Canada says the diplomatic service is laying off dozens of its most qualified diplomats, while asking other diplomats reassigned from one continent to another to wait months to recover their personal effects. These cuts come as Global Affairs implements plans to meet the budgetary austerity requirements imposed last year by Prime Minister Mark Carney. The staff reduction targets set by the ministry have sparked backlash from former diplomats and international relations experts, who argue that these cuts contradict Ottawa’s efforts to gain influence in this period of geopolitical crisis. “The projected staff reduction rate will hit foreign missions hard,” warned Pam Isfeld, a career diplomat and president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers. “I simply think things have not been fully thought through.” The latest ministry plan from Global Affairs, released on March 13, envisions the ministry cutting 1,240 full-time equivalents by March 2029 – a 9.4% reduction from the workforce of 13,185 full-time equivalents in March 2025. In January, the ministry sent notices to 3,095 employees warning them they might lose their jobs, adding that some of them could be reassigned or spared if others resign or retire. Global Affairs Canada indicated it needed to reduce staff by 12 to 13% by 2030. Ms. Isfeld stated that these cuts target the elimination of a specialized level of agents, known as FS-04. Most employees at this level are either reclassified as managers or demoted, she explained, but 34 positions are simply being eliminated. In a written statement, the ministry did not dispute reports of 34 dismissals. “Global Affairs Canada is reshaping its foreign business activities to have a maximum impact in a changing geopolitical context. The ministry continues to maintain a strong and competent diplomatic service, operating on a rotation system,” spokesperson Thida Ith wrote. “As the need for FS-04 positions will be very limited in the future, FS-04 assignments will be filled on a temporary basis by using current ministry employees as needed.” Ms. Ith noted that the ministry will continue to recruit at the lowest level and maintain a higher proportion of mid-level diplomats. Ms. Isfeld explained that the FS-04 level pertains to roles requiring specific knowledge, such as that of a nuclear specialist assigned to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. She mentioned being appointed to the FS-04 level when her assignment in Warsaw evolved to include monitoring Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 and following the developments in neighboring Belarus. “It’s a structural inconsistency to say that we will be active and engaged in this ambitious foreign policy – the legacy of the G7 presidency, Indo-Pacific issues, African issues, Ukrainian issues, climate financing, now all sorts of Arctic issues, cooperation with Nordic countries,” she said. “You just wiped out the entire cadre of the most experienced and specialized people. Your influence doesn’t really come from Ottawa press releases.” Expense Reduction In its ministry plan, Global Affairs aims to save half a billion dollars in the upcoming fiscal year, $747 million the following year, and $1.12 billion by the end of the fiscal year ending in March 2029. The plan states that these savings will come from several sources, including efforts to refocus Canada’s diplomatic presence, streamline commercial services, and link foreign aid and security initiatives to economic growth. The document also indicates that Global Affairs will achieve unspecified efficiency gains across all its missions, sell some real estate abroad, and upgrade the infrastructure and cybersecurity measures of these missions to reduce personnel protection costs. Global Affairs’ budget cuts precede a review of foreign policy that is expected to be released later this year. This review could indicate which countries will see an increase in diplomatic positions, which missions could close or merge with others, and which issues will be at the forefront of the diplomatic service’s concerns in the future. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand stated that her ministry already has the broad outlines of Canada’s new foreign policy and can use it to define its staffing priorities. By: Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press