UN Human Rights Agency is in "survival mode" – head of the office

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that his office was in "survival mode" due to a lack of funding and requested $400 million. The official was quoted by the media France24.

Turk warned countries that at a time when global human rights are under serious attack, his office is facing a severe funding shortfall that is hampering its increasingly important work.

"Our reporting provides truthful information about atrocities and human rights trends at a time when the truth is being blurred by disinformation and censorship," he told diplomats at the UN Human Rights Office headquarters in Geneva.

The official believes that his office is a savior "for those who are insulted, a mouthpiece for those who are silenced, and a loyal ally of those who risk everything to protect the rights of others."

In 2025, the agency's regular budget was $246 million, but in the end it received only $191.5 million of these funds. The organization also requested $500 million in voluntary donations, of which only half was received.

The UN's human rights work has long been chronically underfunded, but Turk said: "Right now we are in survival mode, working under great strain."

Last year, the agency lost about 300 of its 2,000 employees and was forced to suspend or reduce its work in 17 countries. For example, its program in Myanmar was cut by 60%.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is one of the many international organizations affected by the global funding crisis. The United States was the largest donor to the UN, but has cut its funding since the return of President Donald Trump to power in January 2025, while other countries have tightened their belts.

Against this backdrop, Turk is seeking $400 million in voluntary funding from countries and donors. He said that human rights accounts for a very small part of the UN's overall spending, but it produces "significant" results that help stabilize communities, build trust in institutions, and ensure lasting peace.

"The cost of our work is small; the human cost of insufficient funding is immeasurable," he emphasized.

In 2025, UN human rights staff working in 87 countries conducted more than 5,000 missions to monitor violations, down from 11,000 in 2024.

Citing examples of his office's work, Turk said that it has supported 67,000 victims of torture and modern slavery, documented tens of thousands of human rights violations, and identified discrimination in more than 100 countries.

According to him, his monitoring mission in Ukraine is the "only organization" that has a comprehensive record of confirmed civilian casualties "since the first Russian invasion in 2014."

• In October 2025, it was reported that the UN will reduce by a quarter peacekeeping contingent in nine operations around the world due to lack of funds.
• At the end of January 2026 UN Secretary General warned the organization is under the threat of "imminent financial collapse".