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….