The signs started popping up at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva in early October: “Escalator closed due to the high cost of energy and the liquidity crisis.”
Then, the heat was turned down, the outdoor lights dimmed, and a freeze was imposed on new hires. Even the pizza oven in the cafeteria was shut off. For two and a half weeks in December and January, the U.N. announced its Swiss headquarters would be closed — “Another step in our efforts to save energy,” a U.N. spokesperson, Rolando Gomez, explained.
“We’re like a government that can’t pay for its public goods,” a senior Geneva-based diplomat told Devex on WhatsApp.