UN human rights chief warns of impunity for perpetrators

The UN human rights chief said on Thursday that his office is in “survival mode” as he presented an appeal for $400 million to meet its estimated needs this year, after funding cuts last year hurt its work in 17 countries, including Colombia, Myanmar and Chad. Volker Turk laid out his office’s needs after the United States and some other traditional top donors in the West cut back their outlays for humanitarian aid and many UN-related organisations in 2025, warning of damage to its monitoring of rights worldwide.

“These cuts and reductions untie perpetrators’ hands everywhere, leaving them to do whatever they please,” he told diplomats at his office’s headquarters overlooking Lake Geneva. “With crises mounting, we cannot afford a human rights system in crisis.” “I am thankful to our 113 funding partners - including Governments, private, and multilateral donors - for their vital contributions,” Turk said. “But we are currently in survival mode, delivering under strain.”