UN Human Rights Office Faces Severe Funding Cuts Amid Global Donor Retrenchment

The United Nations (UN) human rights office is experiencing a significant financial crisis, with a reported funding shortfall of approximately $90 million this year. This crisis, highlighted by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, has led to the elimination of around 300 jobs, comprising about 15% of the office's workforce. Türk's announcement comes at a time when major donor countries such as the UK, Finland, France, and the United States have reduced their contributions to UN agencies, placing the human rights office in a precarious 'survival mode.' On Human Rights Day, Türk expressed the gravity of the situation, indicating that funding for essential human rights work at various levels worldwide—including critical operations in Colombia, Congo, Myanmar, and Tunisia—has been drastically curtailed. The approved budget for the human rights office this year was $246 million; however, it received $67 million less than anticipated. Furthermore, the office sought an additional $500 million through voluntary contributions but has received only half that amount. As it stands, the human rights office is expected to have spent around $273 million by year’s end, resulting in a deficit of another $23 million. The broader impact of these funding cuts is being felt across other UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), leading to job reductions and budget slashes across various humanitarian efforts. Despite these broader challenges, Türk emphasized that his office has been disproportionately affected, signifying that cuts to already limited resources have far-reaching consequences. Currently, the human rights office has around 2000 employees, but after significant job cuts, it anticipates reducing staff by an additional 70 to 80 positions by the end of 2025. The cuts to funding and staffing come at a time when the need for robust human rights protections is more critical than ever, underscoring the dire implications of the current global financial landscape on humanitarian initiatives. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2