EuroWire, GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Office has launched a $400 million appeal for voluntary contributions in 2026, saying it needs urgent funding to sustain monitoring, protection, and accountability work as crises multiply worldwide. High Commissioner Volker Türk told diplomats the human cost of underinvestment is “immeasurable” and warned that a weakened human rights system leaves people at greater risk when violations surge and oversight declines.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, known as OHCHR, said it entered 2026 after a severe funding squeeze in 2025 that forced it to scale back operations and postpone or cancel work across multiple regions. OHCHR said its approved regular budget for 2025 was $246 million but it received $191.5 million, a shortfall of $54.5 million. It also requested $500 million in voluntary contributions and received $257.8 million.
OHCHR said the shortfalls translated into concrete losses in staff and field capacity. The office reported it lost about 300 staff positions in 2025 and closed or sharply reduced its presence in 17 countries, weakening what it calls “Protection by Presence,” the practice of placing trained human rights officers on the ground to deter abuses, document violations, and help reduce harm in real time.
The office said it carried out less than half the number of human rights monitoring missions in 2025 compared with the previous year, limiting independent reporting and follow up in fast moving emergencies. OHCHR also cited broader disruption across the UN human rights system, including 35 treaty body dialogues with states that could not take place, as well as curtailed visits and other activities linked to prevention and accountability.
Funding shortfalls squeeze monitoring and protection
For 2026, OHCHR said the UN General Assembly approved a regular budget of $224.3 million, based on assessed contributions from member states, which the office said is about 10% lower than in 2025. OHCHR also pointed to continuing uncertainty over how much will ultimately be available, citing wider UN liquidity constraints. The new appeal seeks an additional $400 million in voluntary funding to cover 2026 needs.
OHCHR said its work spans conflict monitoring, support to victims and survivors, and technical assistance to governments and institutions. It said funds raised in 2025 helped enable reporting on armed conflicts in 21 countries, documentation of tens of thousands of human rights violations, global monitoring of threats against human rights defenders, and support for about 67,000 survivors of torture and modern slavery and their families. It also cited work exposing discrimination in more than 100 countries.
Appeal focuses on response capacity and accountability work
Türk said the office aims to strengthen early warning and faster deployment for crisis response, including improved analytical capacity and expanded use of data and technology. OHCHR has highlighted plans to further develop its innovation and analytics work and to reinforce investigative support, including tools used to document violations and preserve information for accountability processes in line with international standards.
OHCHR said it is seeking support from a broad range of contributors, including governments and other partners, and noted it had 113 funding partners in its most recent reporting. Türk urged donors to treat human rights work as an essential part of crisis prevention and protection, saying the office’s ability to operate depends on predictable resources that match the scale of rising global needs.