And then the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a 4-year year term for the current UN human rights chief, Volker Turk. ✅

Then #Russia stepped up and proposed a brief extension for the UN human rights chief - two and a half months until the end of this year. That proposal also failed. ❌

Before the vote, the US tried to derail UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Turk's reappointment by calling for a postponement of the discussion. The US proposal failed. ❌

🚨 @hrw.org's reaction to UN General General assembly decision to reappoint UN human rights chief Volker Turk for a second 4-year term, after rejecting attempts by the US, #Russia, #Israel & others to derail it. Attributable to me on behalf of HRW.

😀 A bit of good news at a difficult time! This week the UN General Assembly rejected US pressure & adopted resolution urging UN member states to transform the International Court of Justice ruling on state responsibility on #climatechange into action, led by #Vanuatu. @hrw.org's take follows in 🧵

“UN member countries rightfully rejected #Belarus, a government that persecutes human rights defenders and has effectively outlawed civil society, as unfit for the NGO Committee." - Widad Franco, UN advocate at @hrw.org. But there's also some bad news...

😀 Some good news from the UN. ECOSOC elected new members of the NGO Committee, the UN's gatekeeper for civil society. (Most members are hostile to civil society, esp. human rights groups.) BUT - fortunately Central/East Europe's group had competition. #Belarus lost!👏 @hrw.org's reaction follows. 🧵

🚨 @hrw.org Amnesty USA @aclu.org and 200+ other groups & experts call for an end to #Trump’s threats of war crimes and call for accountability. The signatories say: "A threat to wipe out 'a whole civilization' may amount to a threat of genocide." Full statement 👉 www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/u...

🚨 New from @hrw.org: US School Attack in #Iran Findings Show Need for Reform, Accountability Use of Outdated Intelligence Shows Failure to Take All Feasible Precautions 👉🏼 www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

With the inaugural meeting happening today at the White House, it's worth revisiting this article on #Trump's Board of Peace by @apnews.com -- "Trump's wide ambitions for Board of Peace spark new support for the United Nations" apnews.com/article/boar...

#Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ puts rights abusers & war crimes suspects in charge of the global order -- my new opinion piece on @aljazeera.com By sidelining the UN & human rights, the US president is proposing a club of impunity @hrw.org 👉 www.aljazeera.com/opinions/202...

A little background reading as I reflect on the Board of Peace…

🚨 @hrw.org’s reaction to the #Trump administration’s decision to “withdraw” from 66 more international programs and agencies (35 of them are UN programs).

UN member states are expected to pay assessed contributions at the start of the year. You can see here #China did eventually pay up but not until Oct 29, though earlier than 2024 (Dec 27). US still hasn't paid up. US & China cover over 40 pct of UN regular budget. www.un.org/en/ga/contri...

UNGA's 5th Committee (5C) is currently negotiating on the UN's regular budget. It covers the UN secretariat's basic operating costs & much funding for various UN departments & agencies, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights & human rights mechanisms member states created.

It’s crunch time at UN General Assembly’s 5th Committee, which oversees the UN budget. It's even more difficult than usual this year because of a liquidity crisis caused by US #China & others not paying their dues. A thread on 5th Committee & what it means for human rights.🧵 @hrw.org

Human Rights Watch @hrw.org is deeply alarmed by the arrest of several human rights defenders in #Iran, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, Sepideh Gholian, Pooran Nazemi, Hasti Amiri, and Alieh Motalebzadeh.

🚨 New from @hrw.org: #Russia's authorities & military forces have systematically tortured and ill-treated Ukrainian prisoners of war. Such abuses constitute grave violations of Geneva Conventions that apply in international armed conflict & are war crimes. www.hrw.org/news/2025/12...

🚨 @hrw.org reaction to reports of a successful Canadian-US troop-pledging conference for a new #Haiti force: “Pledges from multiple countries to commit personnel for the Gang Suppression Force are a welcome step toward providing Haitians with the protection they urgently need." 1/x

At launch of @civicusalliance.bsky.social report on shrinking civic space around the world, @hrw.org @amnesty.org @aclu.org join CIVICUS in warning of crackdowns on free speech, right to protest in US, Germany, France, Israel & elsewhere.

🚨 @hrw.org’s reaction to the Israeli raid on @unrwa.org’s compound in East Jerusalem.

🚨 Regarding #JamalKhashoggi’s 2018 murder, US President Trump claimed today in front of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the Saudi leader “knew nothing about it and we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest.” @hrw.org’s @joeyshea.bsky.social reacts here 👇🏼

One of those headlines that unfortunately says it all -- "US and European aid cuts could result in 22.6 million deaths worldwide, study finds" - @reuters.com www.reuters.com/business/hea...

🚨 The UN Security Council has just adopted a US-drafted resolution to authorize an international stabilization force for #Gaza with 13 votes in favor, 0 against, 2 abstentions (Russia & China). @hrw.org's reaction follows in a short thread. 🧵

Mass walkout from the UN General Assembly hall as #Israel PM Netanyahu took the podium to speak at #UNGA80.

Letter to the editor the @nytimes.com published after Trump’s #UNGA speech

🚨🧵 @hrw.org on Trump's #UNGA80 speech: -- He made too many false claims about world affairs to seriously address them. What is serious is Trump’s obvious lack of respect for international organizations that promote human rights, like the UN, which the US played a central role in creating. 1/x

🧵 Thanks to #Chile & #Netherlands for organizing important #UNGA side event on UN funding crisis & UN80 reform plans. @hrw.org's Federico Borello spoke & told attendees: ✳️ Prioritize UN human rights & humanitarian work ✳️ UN's proposed reforms risk disproportionately harming human rights (cont.)

The UN's avoidable financial crisis (largely caused by countries like the US and #China) is jeopardizing UN humanitarian work & human rights investigations in #Ukraine, #Russia, #Sudan, #Syria, #Israel/#Palestine, #DRC, #Afghanistan, #Myanmar, #NorthKorea and elsewhere.

@hrw.org: Wealthy UN member states in EU & elsewhere should increase voluntary contributions to offset damage by states like US, #China, etc who either pay late or default, causing the UN's avoidable financial crisis. Lifesaving UN humanitarian & human rights work depends on money.