Overview
- OHCHR requested $400 million in voluntary funding for 2026 after warning that core human rights monitoring and protection are at risk.
- In 2025 the office conducted about 5,000 monitoring missions, down from roughly 11,000 in 2024, and lost around 300 of 2,000 staff.
- Funding gaps last year included a $54.5 million shortfall in the regular budget ($191.5 million received of $246 million approved) and about $257.8 million raised of $500 million sought in voluntary contributions.
- Program impacts included cuts of more than 60% to the Myanmar portfolio, reductions of up to 75% in work on gender‑based violence and LGBTIQ+ rights, and a DRC probe struggling to become fully operational.
- The UN General Assembly approved a $224.3 million regular budget for OHCHR in 2026, 10% lower than 2025, as the UN faces a liquidity crunch that Secretary‑General António Guterres warned could exhaust cash by July.