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Reduction in Diplomatic Staff at Global Affairs Canada Sparks Controversy

The union representing Global Affairs Canada employees claims that the diplomatic service is laying off dozens of its most qualified diplomats while asking others who are being reassigned from one continent to another to wait months to retrieve their personal belongings.

These cuts come as Global Affairs implements plans to meet the budgetary constraints imposed last year by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The proposed staff reductions by the ministry have sparked outcry among former diplomats and international relations experts, who argue that these cuts contradict Ottawa’s efforts to gain influence during this period of geopolitical crisis.

“The planned staff reduction will hit foreign missions hard,” warned Pam Isfeld, a career diplomat and president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers.

“I simply don’t think things have been fully thought through,” she added.

The latest ministerial plan from Global Affairs, released on March 13, anticipates cutting 1,240 full-time equivalents by March 2029 — a reduction of 9.4% from an workforce of 13,185 full-time equivalents in March 2025.

In January, the ministry issued notices to 3,095 employees warning them that they may lose their jobs, with some possibly changing positions or being spared if others resign or retire.

Global Affairs Canada stated that it needs to reduce its workforce by 12 to 13% by 2030.

Isfeld explained that these cuts target the elimination of a specialized level of officers known as FS-04. Most employees at this level will either be reclassified as managers or downgraded a level, she clarified, but 34 positions will simply be eliminated.

In a written statement, the ministry did not dispute reports of 34 layoffs.

“Global Affairs Canada is realigning its foreign affairs activities to have maximum impact in a changing geopolitical landscape. The ministry continues to maintain a strong and competent diplomatic service, operating on a rotation system,” wrote spokesperson Thida Ith.

“Given that the need for FS-04 positions will be very limited in the future, FS-04 assignments will be temporary and filled by current ministry employees as needed,” Ith added.

Ith stated that the ministry will continue to recruit at the lowest level and maintain a higher proportion of mid-level diplomats.

Isfeld noted that the FS-04 level serves roles that require specific expertise, such as a nuclear specialist assigned to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.

She shared her own experience of being appointed at the FS-04 level when her posting in Warsaw evolved to include monitoring the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014 and following the developments in neighboring Belarus.

“It’s a structural inconsistency to say that we’re going to be active and engaged in this ambitious foreign policy — the legacy of the G7 presidency, Indo-Pacific issues, African issues, Ukrainian issues, climate finance, now all sorts of Arctic issues, cooperation with Nordic countries,” she stated.

Expense Reduction

In its ministerial 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 March 2029.

The plan outlines that these savings will come from various sources, including efforts to realign Canada’s diplomatic presence, streamline commercial services, and link foreign aid and security initiatives to economic growth.

The document also mentions that Global Affairs will achieve unspecified efficiency gains across its missions, sell some overseas real estate, and modernize the infrastructure and cybersecurity measures of these missions to reduce costs related to personnel protection.

The budget cuts at Global Affairs precede a review of foreign policy expected to be released later this year.

This review could indicate which countries will see an increase in diplomatic posts, which missions may close or merge with others, and what themes will be central to the diplomatic service’s future focus.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand stated that her ministry already has the broad strokes of Canada’s new foreign policy and can use it to define its staffing priorities.