from Your News:
The United Nations’ human rights chief says the agency is operating in “survival mode” amid funding shortfalls, as U.S. contributions to key U.N. budgets and affiliated bodies remain suspended.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United Nations’ top human rights official warned Thursday that his agency faces an acute financial crisis and is struggling to maintain operations, citing reduced funding and the absence of U.S. contributions. Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, announced a $400 million appeal to sustain the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights through 2026, according to an AFP report.
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Türk’s comments followed remarks last week from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who cautioned that the United Nations as a whole is nearing a liquidity crisis and could exhaust available cash by July unless member states pay outstanding dues.
The funding strain has intensified as the United States, the U.N.’s largest contributor, has declined to fund portions of the organization’s regular and peacekeeping budgets and has withdrawn from several U.N. agencies. The U.S. administration has described some of those bodies as a misuse of taxpayer funds. Among the entities affected are the U.N.’s population agency and the U.N. framework that governs international climate negotiations, according to an Associated Press report.
The Trump White House has also signaled plans to exit dozens of other international organizations and initiatives outside the formal U.N. system that receive substantial U.S. funding, as part of a broader push by President Donald Trump for financial accountability. Commentary on the funding dispute has circulated on social media, including a post shared by journalist Simon Kent on X.
Addressing diplomats at the U.N. human rights office headquarters in Geneva, Türk said funding cuts are already constraining the agency’s work. “Our reporting provides credible information on atrocities and human rights trends at a time when truth is being eroded by disinformation and censorship,” he said, according to AFP.
The news agency also quoted Türk as describing the office as “a lifeline for the abused, a megaphone for the silenced, and a steadfast ally to those who risk everything to defend the rights of others.”
Financial data released by the agency show that in 2025 its regular budget, set by the U.N. General Assembly, totaled $246 million, but only $191.5 million was ultimately received. The office also sought $500 million in voluntary contributions and collected $257.8 million of that amount.
