The United Nations is requesting $400 million for human rights in 2026
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has launched an urgent global appeal for $400 million in donations to ensure the continued operation of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and to meet the growing human rights needs around the world during 2026. This appeal comes at a critical time when the UN system is facing unprecedented financial challenges that threaten its ability to perform its basic monitoring and follow-up tasks.
A funding crisis threatens humanitarian work
In his statement, Turk warned that the continued funding shortfall is jeopardizing the international human rights system, noting that the deficit is not merely a matter of budget figures, but a painful reality that translates into a lack of oversight and protection for the most vulnerable. The High Commissioner explained that the forced resource cuts implemented in 2025 had dire consequences on the ground, forcing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to make difficult and painful decisions to reduce its expenditures.
Turk revealed alarming facts regarding the impact of this deficit, confirming that the lack of funds has already led to the reduction of field monitoring missions and the closure of vital human rights programs in 17 different countries. This forced withdrawal leaves a dangerous vacuum that could be exploited by human rights abusers, and it silences the impartial international voice that documents violations and defends victims in areas of conflict and tension.
The international context and the importance of the UN role
This appeal is doubly important given the current global context, marked by an escalation of armed conflicts, a decline in the rule of law in many regions, and the new challenges posed to human rights by climate change and digital transformation. In these circumstances, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) serves as the first line of defense and the primary international authority for monitoring violations and providing technical support to governments and civil society to strengthen human rights standards.
The UNHCR relies heavily on voluntary contributions from member states and donors to fund a large portion of its field operations, while the regular UN budget covers only a small fraction of the costs. Therefore, a decline in voluntary contributions directly impacts its field operations, limiting the UNHCR's ability to respond quickly to emergencies or deploy fact-finding missions to new conflict zones.
A call for flexible and sustainable financing
In his appeal, Volker Türk stressed the need for support to be “urgent and flexible.” Flexible funding refers to donations that are not earmarked for a specific project or geographic region, thus enabling the UNHCR to effectively direct resources to the most vulnerable areas and to forgotten crises that receive insufficient media coverage. According to the UN perspective, investing in human rights is an investment in international peace and security, as addressing human rights grievances is the most effective way to prevent conflict and achieve sustainable stability for states and societies.
The High Commissioner concluded his warning by stating that 2026 will be a pivotal year; either the international community will unite to save this vital system, or we will face a world in which accountability mechanisms are eroding and impunity is increasing.
