On 9 February in Geneva, the United Nations deputy human rights chief delivered a stark warning about the severe impact of the ongoing financial crisis on the UN’s ability to promote and protect human rights worldwide. She described a system “at breaking point,” with travel restrictions, halted atrocity investigations, and pro bono human rights experts unable to operate due to drastically reduced budgets. This follows a warning from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the organization could face collapse by summer 2026 if member states fail to pay their dues.
Despite repeated calls for sustainable solutions, member states have largely focused on efficiency measures and cuts, rather than addressing the root causes of the crisis. The deputy rights chief noted that “there is no longer any fat in the system” and that the UN is now “cutting into the bone.” In 2025, monitoring work by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was reduced by over 50 percent, and UN Special Procedures, treaty bodies, and independent investigative mechanisms have reported significant operational constraints. Cuts to interpretation, translation, and accessibility support, including sign language and live captioning, threaten the inclusivity and effectiveness of human rights work, with the UN Committee on Disability Rights warning that such reductions amount to discrimination.
Human rights work has historically been underfunded, receiving less than 1 percent of the UN budget, despite being one of the organization’s three pillars. UN human rights chief Volker Türk emphasized that while the financial cost of the work is relatively low, “the human cost of underinvestment is immeasurable.” The combined efforts of OHCHR and independent mechanisms have tangible impacts: preventing violations, supporting victims, strengthening national law, improving access to justice, and guiding responses to emerging issues such as artificial intelligence, transnational repression, and social protection. Special Procedures, often described as the “eyes and ears” of the human rights system, provide early warnings and investigative support that inform both national and international accountability measures.
Independent investigative bodies are critically understaffed, operating at 30–60 percent of expected capacity. For example, the Commission of Inquiry for atrocities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, established in February 2025, had not been staffed by the end of the year. Commissioners, mandate holders, and treaty body experts are frequently top human rights lawyers and academics who contribute pro bono, meaning budget cuts also reduce the valuable voluntary expertise available to the system.
Efficiency measures should not undermine the core mandate of the human rights pillar or the decades of tools and mechanisms developed to address violations. Experts have warned that some proposals risk “sacrificing individual justice on the altar of administrative efficiency.” The crisis stems from chronic underfunding compounded by delayed or unpaid member state contributions, with the United States responsible for around 95 percent of the current shortfall. By the end of 2025, 42 countries, including eight members of the Human Rights Council, had not paid dues on time. Late payments, including $300 million returned due to China’s delayed contributions, have further strained the budget.
Addressing this crisis requires urgent, multi-faceted action. States must ensure assessed contributions are paid in full and on time, enforce penalties for late payments, and mobilize voluntary funding to support the human rights pillar and independent mechanisms. Cross-regional groups, such as the “Friends of Multilateralism,” have pledged to prioritize adequate and sustainable funding for human rights, and these commitments now need to translate into concrete financial and political support. Civil society can play a key role in advocating for sustained investment and protecting the integrity of the system.
Investing in human rights is critical not only for protecting individual freedoms but also for building resilient societies, preventing conflict, and sustaining durable peace. In the face of intensifying global crises, atrocities, and attacks on multilateralism, states must act urgently to safeguard the UN human rights system. Failing to do so risks the collapse of the entire system, with profound consequences for human rights protections around the world.
