The UN Pension Fund continues to manage around 82 per cent of its portfolio internally and it is paying off. According to an independent study by CEM Benchmarking, a firm specialized in comparing investment funds across the world, UNJSPF outperformed its pension fund peers in competitive cost-effective investment returns.

“Managing most of our portfolio internally gives us more control over our expenses, and this translates to our outperformance relative to our peers in terms of cost-efficiency,” said Mr. Pedro Guazo, Representative of the Secretary-General for the investment of the Fund’s assets. “And as the results show, we’re also performing well ahead of the median in terms of returns."

The analysis compared the UN Pension Fund's performance in the five-year period ending 31 December, 2023, to 281 global pension funds and a subset of peers. Since size affects costs, the analysis compares the Fund to a group of 19 peers whose assets under management range from $47.5 billion to $142.9 billion. This group provides the most meaningful comparisons in terms of investment returns, total cost of investment and other parameters. As of 31 December 2023, the UN Pension Fund managed $88.1 billion in assets. 

Key takeaways from the analysis include: 

“This study is a confirmation from a respected third party that the Office of Investment Management is stewarding the Fund’s assets effectively and efficiently,” added Mr. Guazo. “It shows our participants, retirees, beneficiaries and stakeholders at large that the pensions we are responsible for are in good hands.”  

All staff members at the Fund are also participants.   

To download the 2019-2023 CEM Investment Benchmarking Analysis, click here.