The United Nations’ chief for human rights has said his office has been forced into “survival mode” as it seeks $400 million to meet its funding needs for the current year.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Thursday that budget cuts last year led to a reduction of operations in 17 countries, including Colombia, Myanmar and Chad. He warned that the cuts were weakening global human rights monitoring, as he outlined his agency’s financial requirements following reductions in humanitarian spending by the United States and other major Western donors, as well as lower support for UN-linked agencies.

“These cuts and reductions untie the hands of perpetrators everywhere, leaving them free to act as they wish,” he told diplomats at the agency’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. “With crises increasing, we cannot afford a human rights system in crisis.”

Although the US government under former president Joe Biden remained the largest single voluntary donor to the agency, contributing $36 million in 2024, the current administration under President Donald Trump halted its contributions in 2025.

Türk said he was grateful to the agency’s 113 funding partners, including governments and private and multilateral donors, for their support, but added that the office was operating under severe strain.

President Trump has repeatedly said the United Nations has potential but has failed to meet expectations. During his time in office, the United States withdrew from UN bodies including the World Health Organization and UNESCO, and reduced funding for dozens of other agencies.

Last month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned in a letter to all member states that the organisation faced “imminent financial collapse” unless financial rules were reformed or all 193 member states paid their full dues.

It is pertinent to note that last year, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sought $500 million in voluntary contributions but received $257 million. It also received $191 million from the regular UN budget, around $55 million less than originally approved.