Some states accused of human rights abuses have sought to use the U.N. Human Rights Council, or HRC, financial crisis as cover to attack the council’s country-focused investigative mandates or undermine the broader work and independence of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or OHCHR.
Date: 7/25
Region: Global
Country: Global
Topic: Governance & Rights
Policy Lens: Democracy & Governance
Entry Type: Secondary Effect
Additional Context: Though not new, countries that are under investigation for rights abuses have pushed back on the work of the HRC since inception. But usage of the current financial crisis has paved the way for newfound pushback. For example, HRW ties Eritrea's invocation of the funding crisis in its ultimately unsuccessful effort to end council scrutiny of its own rights record.
Devex Researcher Note: The OHCHR, where the HRC sits, faced a $54.5 million regular budget shortfall and received $242 million less in voluntary contributions than requested in 2025. While many donors pulled back, this funding gap was driven in large part by reductions in U.S. foreign assistance — historically the largest source of U.N. human rights funding.
Source: HRW