According to Human Rights Watch, world leaders gathering for the United Nations General Assembly must defend international human rights institutions and uphold accountability for serious global crimes as the UN faces coordinated pressure and an existential funding crisis from major powers including the United States, Russia, and China. In a statement issued ahead of the meetings in New York, the organization urged governments to resist efforts to weaken international law and address ongoing conflicts and abuses in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other crisis zones.
Defending the International Criminal Court Against US Sanctions
The International Criminal Court is facing mounting pressure from the United States, which according to Human Rights Watch has imposed sanctions on ICC officials and judges alongside a targeted UN human rights expert and three Palestinian human rights organizations. Last year, the ICC investigated alleged international crimes across Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, and Palestine, issuing arrest warrants for figures including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin. These warrants concern allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity without constituting convictions. In August, Human Rights Watch and three partner organizations filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York challenging the US sanctions regime, arguing that the measures interfere with their legal representation of victims, submission of materials to the ICC, and core advocacy work.
Addressing the Existential UN Financial Crisis
The United Nations is navigating an existential financial liquidity crisis driven largely by unpaid or delayed assessed contributions and the cancellation of voluntary funding, particularly from the United States and China. According to Human Rights Watch, these funding shortfalls have already directly undermined peacekeeping operations and human rights investigations in Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and North Korea. Wealthy European nations including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden have also reduced foreign aid budgets. The organization emphasizes that the incoming UN secretary-general taking office at the end of 2026 must prioritize stabilizing the organization’s budget and strengthening human rights mandates.
Did You Know?
The UN relies on mandatory assessed contributions from member states to fund its regular budget and peacekeeping operations. When major contributors delay payments or withhold voluntary funding, agencies often face immediate liquidity shortfalls that restrict active field investigations.
Global Crises and Accountability Demands
World leaders attending the General Assembly face pressure to address widespread violations of international humanitarian law across multiple continents. Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, stated that international organizations created to protect human rights are under attack from countries that had pledged to defend them. Federico Borello, interim executive director at Human Rights Watch, added that human rights and the UN itself are in the crosshairs of powerful governments to an unprecedented extent. Ahead of a high-level summit on Palestine, the organization urged states recognizing a Palestinian state to move beyond symbolic gestures by suspending arms transfers to Israel, banning trade with illegal settlements, and imposing targeted sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for ongoing crimes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main concern raised by Human Rights Watch at the UN General Assembly?
Human Rights Watch called on world leaders to defend international human rights institutions, uphold accountability for serious crimes, and resist efforts by major powers to weaken the UN and the International Criminal Court.
Why is the International Criminal Court facing pressure?
According to Human Rights Watch, the United States has imposed sanctions on ICC officials and judges, as well as a UN human rights expert and three Palestinian human rights organizations, prompting a legal challenge in New York.
What caused the UN’s financial crisis?
The liquidity crisis is largely attributed to unpaid or delayed assessed contributions and the reduction of voluntary funding from major member states, notably the United States and China, alongside cuts by several European nations.