OTTAWA – The union representing staff at Global Affairs Canada claims that the diplomatic service is laying off dozens of its most qualified diplomats, while asking other diplomats relocated from one continent to another to wait months to retrieve their personal effects.
These cuts come as Global Affairs implements its plans to meet budget austerity requirements imposed last year by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The layoff targets set by the department are sparking outrage among former diplomats and international relations experts, who argue that these cuts contradict Ottawa’s efforts to gain influence in this time of geopolitical crisis.
“The workforce reduction rate envisaged will hit foreign missions hard,” warned Pam Isfeld, a career diplomat and president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers. “I simply think that things have not been fully thought through.”
The latest Global Affairs ministerial plan, released on March 13, foresees the department cutting 1,240 full-time equivalents by March 2029 – a 9.4% reduction from a workforce of 13,185 full-time equivalents in March 2025.
In January, the department sent notices to 3,095 employees warning that they could lose their jobs, adding that some of them could switch positions or be spared if others resign or retire.
Global Affairs Canada stated that it must reduce its workforce by 12 to 13% by 2030.
Ms. Isfeld explained 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 said, but 34 positions are simply eliminated.
In a written statement, the department did not deny the information about the 34 layoffs.
“Global Affairs Canada is refocusing its foreign affairs activities to have a maximum impact in a changing geopolitical context. The ministry continues to maintain a strong and competent workforce within the diplomatic service, operating on a rotation system,” spokesperson Thida Ith wrote.
“Given that the need for FS-04 positions will be very limited in the future, FS-04 assignments will be filled on a temporary basis by current ministry employees, as needed,” Mrs. Ith said.
The ministry will continue to recruit at the lowest level and will maintain a higher proportion of intermediate-level diplomats.
Ms. Isfeld noted that the FS-04 level targets functions with specific knowledge, such as that of a nuclear specialist assigned to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
“You have just eliminated the framework of the most experienced and specialized people. Your influence doesn’t really come from Ottawa’s press releases,” she said.
Expense Reduction
In its ministerial plan, Global Affairs plans to save half a billion dollars in the upcoming fiscal year, $747 million the following year, and $1.12 billion in the fiscal year ending in March 2029.
The plan indicates that these savings will come from various sources, including efforts to refocus Canada’s diplomatic presence, streamline commercial services, and connect foreign aid and security initiatives to economic growth.
The document also states that Global Affairs will achieve unspecified efficiency gains in all its missions, sell some real estate abroad, and modernize infrastructure and cybersecurity measures in these missions to reduce personnel protection costs.
Global Affairs’ budget cuts 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 could close or merge with others, and which themes will be at the center 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.
– Context: Global Affairs Canada is facing criticism for laying off qualified diplomats and implementing workforce reductions. – Fact Check: The department is working to save money and reallocate resources in line with budget austerity measures.
