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UN Rights Office in 'Survival Mode' as $90 Million Gap Forces 300 Job Cuts

Core monitoring with treaty reviews has been scaled back across multiple regions.

Overview

  • The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reports a roughly $90 million shortfall in 2025, prompting the elimination of about 300 posts, or roughly 15% of staff.
  • Assessed funding fell $67 million short of the $246 million approved budget, and only half of a $500 million voluntary appeal was received, officials said.
  • Country visits by special rapporteurs and fact-finding missions have been reduced, with state party treaty reviews dropping from 145 to 103.
  • Essential work has been cut in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar and Tunisia as operational capacity contracts.
  • High Commissioner Volker Türk warned of escalating risks in Sudan’s Kordofan and highlighted grave concerns in Gaza and Ukraine, noting a 24% rise in Ukrainian civilian casualties.