International organisations (IOs) such as those within the United Nations common system, the European Union, and the coordinated organisations (including ESA, NATO, OECD, and the Council of Europe) each operate under their own staff regulations and rules rather than the national employment law of their host country. These frameworks define the terms and conditions of employment for international civil servants, including salary scales, post adjustments, allowances, leave, pension entitlements, and disciplinary procedures. Staff immunities from local jurisdiction, set out in host state agreements, reinforce the independence of international civil servants.
For Dutch-hosted organisations such as Europol, Eurojust, OPCW, and the ICC, staff regulations mean that employees working as international civil servants are largely outside the scope of Dutch labour law, including the Dutch Civil Code provisions on employment contracts, dismissal protection, and collective agreements. This creates material differences in employment conditions compared to roles with the same title in the private sector or Dutch public service.
Professionals moving between IO employment and the commercial or Dutch public sector should be aware of the transition in applicable law and rights. Contractors, secondees, and interns engaged by international organisations occupy varying positions: contractors may remain subject to Dutch employment law, secondees retain their home-authority employment relationship, and interns are generally outside both frameworks. Understanding which category applies is essential when advising on employment arrangements in this sector.