China and Russia Fail to Defund UN Human Rights Work

China and Russia Fail to Defund UN Human Rights Work

Subject : International Relations

Section: International Organization

Concept :

• United Nations member states agreed to fully fund UN human rights mechanisms that China, Russia, and their allies had sought to defund in the 2023 budget. This should set a precedent for UN human rights funding in the future.

Background

• During the General Assembly’s budget negotiations in late 2022, China, Russia, and allies proposed a resolution to defund human rights investigations in various countries.
• all these efforts failed.
• The Czech Republic as European Union president countered by proposing full funding for human rights mechanisms at the level proposed by Secretary-General António Guterres. The resolution passed by a sizable majority.

UN Human rights funding

• Almost two thirds of UN Human Rights’ income come from voluntary contributions from Member States and other donors.
• The remainder is covered by the UN regular budget.

UN Regular Budget

• The UN regular budget, approved by the General Assembly, is funded by “assessed contributions” from each Member State.
• These are determined by a formula that takes into account the size and strength of their respective national economies.
• The 2023 regular budget is the fourth annual budget prepared in accordance with the UN management reform agenda.
• Indeed, during its seventy-second session, the General Assembly approved the proposed change from a biennial to an annual budget cycle on a trial basis, beginning with the programme budget for 2020.
• The General Assembly reviewed the implementation of the annual budget at its seventy-seventh session in September 2022, with a view to taking a final decision.

India’s Contribution

• India has paid USD 29.9 million in UN regular budget assessments for the year 2022.
• Apart from regular contribution, India has contributed four lakh US dollars to four Voluntary Trust Funds as part of its commitment to global promotion and protection of human rights and support for United Nations Human Rights.
• The four Trust Funds to which contribution has been made includes,
• Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture,
• Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation,
• Voluntary Fund for financial and technical assistance for the implementation of Universal Periodic Review,
• Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to support the participation of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) in the work of the council.