China and Russia Attempt to Cut Funding for UN Human Rights Activities: Human Rights Account for Only 5% - The Quiet Battlefield Over the UN "Human Rights Budget"

1) What's Happening: "Weaponization of the Budget"

According to a Reuters report from Geneva, a new report by the ISHR (International Service for Human Rights) points out that over the past five years, a small group led by China and Russia has "systematically" attempted to cut the budget for the UN's human rights-related activities. The targets include the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the operational costs of special investigations into serious violations by various countries. ISHR calls this the "weaponization of the budget process." China has completely denied these claims as "groundless." Reuters

2) Specific Examples: Motions for "Complete Suspension" in 2021 and 2024

The report highlights two typical examples. One is in 2021, when China and Russia jointly attempted to stop funding for about 17 projects established by the Human Rights Council. Another is in 2024, when China, Russia, and others proposed to "completely cut off" funding for investigations related to Iran, North Korea, Ukraine, Belarus, Eritrea, Sudan, and Venezuela. Although neither was ultimately successful, these instances highlighted the reality that budget deliberations could be used as a de facto "veto." Reuters

3) The Fifth Committee and Advisory Bodies: Dynamics of Closed-Door Meetings

The detailed version by ISHR focuses on the closed-door negotiations of the Fifth Committee of the UN General Assembly (commonly known as the "Fifth Committee," which handles the budget) and its surrounding bodies (the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, ACABQ, and the Committee for Programme and Coordination, CPC). It describes how China's influence has expanded there, with repeated proposals targeting the human rights field under the guise of excessive "efficiency" and "prioritization." Russia is seen as a "loud spoiler" disrupting negotiations, while China quietly uses norms and procedures to undermine consensus—such a division of roles can be discerned. ISHR

4) The Budget is Already "Thin": Human Rights' Share is 5% of the Regular Budget

Among the UN's three pillars (peace and security, development, and human rights), human rights have historically been the least funded. The proportion in the regular budget is only 5%, making it susceptible to financial deterioration. In fact, there are already signs of reduced operational capacity on the ground, such as delays in investigations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Reuters

5) Dual Crisis: UN80 Reform × Funding Shortage

ISHR analyzes that the overlap of the UN's large-scale review (UN80 initiative) and liquidity crisis has resulted in a real reduction impact of 13% (2024) to 27% (first half of 2025) on the human rights pillar. The US has $1.5 billion in arrears for 2025, and China's payments are habitually delayed until the end of the year, creating a reverse incentive where cash cannot be used during the fiscal year and becomes a "credit" for the following year. Concerns were also raised that the cut rate in the human rights field could be larger than in peace and security or development. ISHR

6) Where Does "Politics" End and "System Design" Begin?

China dismisses the report as "groundless," reiterating the "balance of the three pillars" and "sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs." Meanwhile, Chinese media have emphasized framing such as "balanced human rights," "respect for sovereignty," and "multipolar multilateralism." This narrative is linked to the rationale of emphasizing "economic and social rights" in budget allocations and cutting politically perceived investigation mechanisms. Reuters

7) Achievements and Limitations: Attempts Unsuccessful, but Precedents Remain

So far, attempts to cut or block funding have not been successful. However, the fact that an extreme card of "stopping everything" was played at the negotiation table lowers the "starting point" for the next negotiations. ISHR confirmed through voting analysis in the Fifth Committee that motions targeting the funding of investigation mechanisms are continuously being proposed. ISHR

8) Impact on the Ground: Numbers like "25 Times" and "12 Times" in Belarus and Iran

The English version of Swiss public broadcaster Swissinfo reports that there have been 25 attempts to cut funding for human rights mechanisms related to Belarus, and over a dozen for Iran and Russia. This suggests that accountability measures for individual countries are being systematically targeted from a budgetary perspective. SWI swissinfo.ch

9) Reactions on Social Media: Polarization into "Pay," "Protect," and "Respect Sovereignty"

• NGO and Expert Side: ISHR and its affiliates are sharing the report and events on X, with posts highlighting the impact of arrears and delays on human rights functions using hashtags like "#UN80" and "#PayYourDues." X (formerly Twitter)

• Media Dissemination: Headlines are being widely shared, with accounts from various countries spreading keywords like "5% for human rights" and "weaponization of the budget." X (formerly Twitter)

• Forum Discussions: On Reddit, discussions are unfolding with framing like "functioning as a budget veto" and "UN's institutional fatigue." While some threads are politically charged, many voices are calling for transparency in the budget process. Reddit

• Counterarguments and Alternative Perspectives: Chinese media consistently emphasize "opposition to the politicization of human rights agendas" and "respect for sovereignty," with posts and editorials highlighting their "constructive contributions" such as the adoption of China-led human rights resolutions at the UN. Global Times

10) Why This Matters Now: Amid "Retreating Multilateralism"

The ISHR report portrays the US's arrears and funding freeze, along with China's payment delays, as a "double shock." The withdrawal-like stance of the largest contributor expands the financial and institutional influence of China and Russia relatively. In other words, "who pays and when" directly affects the strength of the human rights agenda. Budgetary techniques are politics, and politics is directly connected to safety and relief on the ground—this simple truth has been exposed. ISHR

11) Future Focus: "Transparency" and "Minimum Safeguards"

In the short term, the key points are (1) the final design of the UN80 reform, (2) procedural transparency in the Fifth Committee and ACABQ (such as rules for conflicts of interest and the introduction of cooling-off periods), (3) advancing the contribution schedules of each country and reducing arrears, and (4) boosting voluntary contributions to the OHCHR. In the medium to long term, how to raise the allocation of "5% for human rights" is crucial. To counter the "invisible veto" of the budget process, embedding the concept of "minimum guarantees" in the system design is worth considering. ISHR