The Geneva-based watchdog says earmarked funding raises conflict-of-interest concerns in a U.N. system built on expert independence.
A Geneva-based watchdog group says several current and former United Nations human rights experts have accepted earmarked funding from China, Russia, Qatar, and other donors, raising questions over financial transparency in a U.N. system where mandate-holders are expected to serve independently.
UN Watch made the allegations in a 104-page report released on May 26, saying that several U.N. special rapporteurs and independent experts received outside funding while issuing reports, statements, or country-visit assessments that the group said aligned with donor interests. The specific dollar amounts cited in the report have not been independently verified by The Epoch Times.
The allegations center on the U.N. Special Procedures system, a network of independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to report on human rights themes and country situations. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says these experts serve in their personal capacities, are not U.N. staff members, and do not receive financial remuneration from the United Nations.
Report Alleges Foreign Funding
UN Watch said Alena Douhan, who has served as a special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures, received $1.3 million through her office from China, Russia, and Qatar. The breakdown listed payments of nearly $980,000 from China, $265,000 from Russia, and $50,000 from Qatar.
The report also said Ben Saul, a special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, received $150,000 from China, and that George Katrougalos, an independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, received $100,000 from China in 2025. Those figures are allegations by UN Watch and have not been independently confirmed by The Epoch Times.
UN Watch said the funding raised concerns because rapporteurs are expected to act independently and because their reports and public statements can influence governments, international courts, media coverage, and human rights advocacy. The group said it reviewed 13 mandate-holders, a subset of the U.N. Special Procedures system.
Transparency Concerns Predate Report
The broader concern over outside funding of U.N. experts predates the UN Watch report.
A Universal Rights Group analysis said researchers reviewed financial declarations published between 2015 and 2019 by OHCHR, special procedures mandate-holders, and foundations funding the system. It found that 37 of 121 experts reported receiving 134 direct financial payments outside the U.N. system, totaling almost $11 million.
The same analysis said 40 percent of the Special Procedures budget came from extra-budgetary funding during that period. It said the system’s regular budget amounted to nearly $68 million, while almost $20 million more was paid voluntarily into the mechanism, mainly by the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. It also said states gave an additional $14.6 million to 51 of 121 experts through OHCHR.
The Code of Conduct for Special Procedures forbids U.N. experts from accepting any gift or remuneration from a government or non-governmental source for activities carried out in pursuit of their mandate. However, according to Universal Rights Group, in practice, disclosure of external funding is not compulsory or controlled by U.N. administrators, and direct payments are not reflected in OHCHR financial reports.
By Arthur Zhang
