Avantages
Some great colleagues, great issues to deal with, different perspectives to gain. Decent salary & benefits although below what the UN system offers & very much below the EU.
Inconvénients
No transparency in recruitment. Depends a lot in the recruiting manager and his/her honesty. I was lucky to be recruited based on skills and aptitude, but often it’s who you know, what country you are from, and if you fit perfectly into the box. Initiative is not welcome, the less waves you make the better. Corruption, harassment and ineffectiveness are never really sanctioned. Higher management is appointed according to political criteria (geographical distribution & pressure from states), so no real visionaries or reformers. With seconded staff it’s a roulette: if you’re lucky they can be great people, if not… And despite the limitations on length of service, some people somehow find ways to stay on for much longer than 7-10 years. No pension (only a Provident Fund which is similar to mandatory savings with an equal contribution of the organization. Budget getting smaller & smaller (Zero net growth which results in inadequate resources). Gender balance and “safe environment” are proclaimed but not really implemented if you look beyond numbers.