UN office in ‘survival mode’ as funding cuts continue to wreak havoc on daily functioning

OHCHR has $90 million less in funding than it needed this year, which resulted in 300 jobs cuts, directly impacting the office’s work, says chief Volker Türk.

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends the Human Rights Council at the UN European headquarters in Geneva on 8 September 2025. | Denis Balibouse | Reuters

Geneva: The United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday his office was in “survival mode” due to major funding cuts from global donors, while rights violations and needs in conflict-affected areas surge.

“Our resources have been slashed, along with funding for human rights organisations – including at the grassroots level – around the world. We are in survival mode,” said the High Commissioner for the U.N. human rights office (OHCHR) told reporters.

OHCHR has $90 million less in funding than it needed this year, which resulted in 300 jobs cuts, directly impacting the office’s work, Turk said.

“Essential work has had to be cut, including on Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Tunisia and other countries at a time when the needs are rising,” Turk stated.

He said country visits by UN Special Rapporteurs, who are independent experts, as well as investigative missions by fact-finding bodies have been reduced, while dialogues with states on their compliance with UN human rights treaties have had to be postponed, with the number of state parties reviews falling from 145 to 103.

“All this has extensive ripple effects on international and national efforts to protect human rights,” Turk said.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Madeline Chambers)

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