BRUSSELS/GENEVA, (Unib Rashid) – Experts and diplomats at a seminar hosted by the World Muslim Congress have issued a stark warning: the chronic underfunding of the United Nations human rights system is directly undermining the ability of the international community to protect populations in occupied territories and conflict-hit regions.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, a panel of legal experts and former diplomats—including former President of AJK Ambassador Sardar Masood Khan and former UN Independent Expert Alfred de Zayas, Mr, Ahmer Bilal Soofi former federal minister for law and justice, Dr Blerim Mustfa , Professor Octavia Chereze Nimakta Farnadoo and Altaf Hussain Wani argued that financial constraints are not merely administrative hurdles, but are actively weakening the mechanisms required to hold oppressive regimes accountable.

UN Human Rights System Requires Urgent Funding to Address Atrocities in Occupied Territories and Conflict Zones. pic.twitter.com/NnfDdayQW7

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The speakers highlighted a dangerous correlation between the lack of resources for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the escalating impunity in occupied territories. They stressed that without sustainable and resilient funding, the UN cannot effectively monitor, document, or respond to grave violations of international law.

The seminar brought sharp focus to the dire situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Speakers expressed grave concern over the systematic silencing of Kashmir-based rights groups who have historically played a vital role in documenting state repression.

The panel noted that the absence of robust, well-funded UN accountability mechanisms has emboldened the crackdown on human rights defenders and the suppression of dissent. They called for India to be held accountable for grave human rights violations, asserting that a strengthened UN architecture is the only viable avenue for ensuring justice and upholding international law in the region.

The speakers expanded their concerns to include other conflict-hit regions, noting that the erosion of the UN’s financial capacity leaves the most vulnerable populations—particularly those in occupied territories like Palestine and others -without a protective shield. They warned that when treaty bodies and Special Procedures are underfunded, the “documentation of atrocities” is compromised, allowing perpetrators to operate with impunity.

The panel concluded that the continued underfunding of the UN human rights system is a strategic failure. They called for an immediate shift toward equitable and sustainable funding to ensure that the UN can:

• Effectively monitor human rights violations in occupied territories.
• Protect human rights defenders from state-sponsored retaliation.
• Ensure that international law is applied consistently to all occupying powers.

“Continued underfunding does not just weaken a bureaucracy,” the speakers warned, “it undermines the very mechanisms essential for ensuring accountability, respect for international law, and access to justice for the oppressed.”