Acting on the basis of a recommendation of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), which regulates and coordinates the conditions of service of staff in the entire UN common system, the General Assembly decided that benefits and allowances for staff working in non-family duty stations should be the same for the entire UN common system, whether you work for a UN field mission or for a UN agency, fund or programme.
In December 2010, the General Assembly approved one compensation package for all UN common system staff serving in non-family duty stations. The package included an additional hardship allowance to compensate for the added financial burden and psychological hardship of keeping a second household and being away from family (this non-family hardship allowance will eventually replace the special operations approach used by agencies, funds and programmes). Furthermore, the package included the same rest and recuperation scheme for all UN common system staff, including paid travel.
The General Assembly also decided that the designation of mission duty stations as family or non-family should be harmonized on the basis of security assessment and the practice of the UN agencies, funds and programmes.
The General Assembly’s decision to harmonize conditions of service of staff in non-family duty stations was effective 1 July 2011. For the full text of the General Assembly decision, see resolution 65/248.