Szymon Hołownia applied for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees position, offering a salary of around 52,000 zł monthly.
UN High Commissioner Salary
Szymon Hołownia applied for the public recruitment for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The current commissioner’s term ends on December 31, and the new one will start in January. The annual salary for the position is 170,642 USD (around 621,000 zł), meaning a monthly salary of approximately 52,000 zł. As Marshal of the Sejm, Hołownia currently earns around 21,500 zł brutto monthly.
UN Commissioner Benefits and Privileges
The UN Commissioner is entitled to various benefits and privileges. The UN covers relocation costs related to the role. There is also a housing subsidy system in Geneva. Additionally, the United Nations covers part of the tuition fees for international schools for the children of its employees and provides commissioners with official cars and drivers. The commissioner can use a UN passport and enjoy immunity. The organization also offers a health insurance package for the entire family of its employees and participation in the UN pension fund.
Szymon Hołownia’s Statement
Szymon Hołownia confirmed on Facebook that he is applying for the position of UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “Never before has a Pole held such a position in the UN structures, and I know the topic of humanitarian support better than politics, as I have been involved in it twice as long, developing my foundations worldwide,” he emphasized. Hołownia added that political experience taught him how to build ties between countries. “No one needs to explain how important it would be to add to this enormous challenge the Polish and broader Eastern and Northern European perspective. Therefore, I am so grateful to the President of Poland, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the entire diplomatic machinery for their significant support and for engaging so much in this matter in the last days, activating personal contacts and the entire diplomatic machinery,” wrote Szymon Hołownia.
Chances of Securing the UN Position
Hołownia admitted that his chances of securing the position in the United Nations “are not great today; the UN is a complicated, unpredictable world.” “However, a week ago, when we started this process, they were non-existent. And I admit—after all this fuss, through which I have gone, the thought that I could again find myself where I can focus on the language that I know from my ‘previous’ life, and which everyone understands, regardless of views, faith, language, or skin color: the language of bread, bandages, hugs, and hope. Please, cheer for me,” wrote Szymon Hołownia.
