UN Rights Office warns of ‘Survival Mode’ as donor funding shrinks and srises multiply

The United Nations’ top human rights official has warned that the global human rights system is under severe financial strain. His office is facing major funding shortfalls as global crises grow.

Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said his office was operating in “survival mode”. He announced a 400 million dollar appeal for voluntary funding for 2026.

Mr Turk said the funding gap is already affecting the UN’s ability to document abuses, support victims and report independently on human rights violations.