The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or OHCHR, was forced to cut its funding for the human rights program in Myanmar by 60%, due in part to U.S. funding cuts.
Date: 2/26
Region: East Asia & Pacific
Country: Myanmar
Topic: Governance & Rights
Policy Lens: Democracy & Governance
Entry Type: Operational Impact
Additional Context: In 2025, staff working for the OHCHR in 87 countries observed more than 1,300 trials, supported 67,000 survivors of torture, documented tens of thousands of human rights violations, and contributed to the release of more than 4,000 people from arbitrary detention. The OHCHR is one of the few institutions maintaining a presence in the country to document human rights abuses since the 2021 coup.
Devex Researcher Note: The OHCHR faced a $54.5 million regular budget shortfall and received $242 million less in voluntary contributions than requested in 2025. While framed as a multi-country issue with many donors pulling back, the 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: OHCHR

