Thirteen of 59 UN special rapporteurs show a consistent pattern of ideological bias despite being required to remain neutral, claims a new report by UN Watch, a human rights monitoring organization focused on the United Nations, published on Tuesday.
The 104-page report also alleges unethical conduct and significant financial conflicts of interest, including funding linked to Qatar, Russia and China.
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UN Watch director Hillel Neuer; 'The result is a powerful bloc of compromised officials who enjoy not only diplomatic immunity, but complete impunity'
(Photo: Shutterstock)
The report, titled “From Watchdogs to Ideologues,” accuses senior UN human rights officials of advancing clear political agendas while abandoning their role as impartial observers, undermining the credibility of the international human rights system.
“The UN’s rapporteurs operate without ethical constraints or consequences — and there’s not even a procedure to remove them,” said UN Watch director Hillel Neuer. “The result is a powerful bloc of compromised officials who enjoy not only diplomatic immunity, but complete impunity.”
Praising rights-violating states and supporting Hamas
According to the findings, Alena Douhan, the UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, received $1.3 million in funding from China, Russia and Qatar. The report alleges that her official visits to Tehran, Beijing, Damascus, Doha and Caracas were conducted in part to legitimize authoritarian regimes rather than to assist civilian victims.
“Alena Douhan, the UN special rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, who defines Western sanctions on dictatorships as illegal, received 1.3 million dollars from China, Russia, and Qatar,” Neuer said. “No one is even checking how this money is being used. If a judge took 1.3 million dollars from one of the parties, they would be immediately disqualified and removed from the bench. If a journalist openly endorsed a terror group on social media, they would be fired on the spot.”
In another case, Ben Saul, the UN special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, who has previously called on foreign governments to halt arms exports to Israel, reportedly received $150,000 from China, a country widely accused of systematic human rights violations against minorities. The report says Saul has consistently avoided statements on the persecution of China’s Uyghur Muslim minority, including their detention in re-education camps, and has not challenged Beijing’s framing of its actions as “counterterrorism.”
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Expressed support for armed struggle and said 'Hamas are not terrorists'
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The report also cites Tlaleng Mofokeng, the UN special rapporteur on the right to health, who has previously expressed support for armed struggle and said “Hamas are not terrorists.” She was previously found guilty of unprofessional conduct by South Africa’s health regulator and fined after calling the UN Watch director “a white man" and "an evil scum.”
Michael Fakhri, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, who has accused Israel of genocide, was invited on an official visit to Venezuela, a dictatorship that restricts UN monitoring. He concluded the visit with praise for the Maduro government.
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He concluded the visit with praise for the Maduro government
(Photo: Jesus Vargas/AP)
The report further claims that Gina Romero, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of assembly, who once compared the Guantanamo detention facility to a concentration camp, rejected claims that the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” constitutes a call for the elimination of the Jewish state, instead describing it as a message of “advocates for freedom, human rights and dignity for all in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
George Katrougalos, an independent expert to the UN Human Rights Council on a democratic and equitable international order, reportedly received $100,000 from China in 2025. That same year, he promoted Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s book, praising his vision as one of “openness, development and dialogue." In November 2025, Katrougalos visited Tehran, met Iran’s foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi and discussed alleged crimes by the United States and Israel.
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That same year, he promoted Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s book, praising his vision as one of 'openness, development and dialogue'
(Photo: Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)
Context on UN Watch
UN Watch is widely described as a human rights advocacy group focused on the United Nations and anti-discrimination work, but it has also been criticized by some as disproportionately defending Israel against perceived bias and accusations of antisemitism in UN bodies, potentially at the expense of broader human rights discourse. The organization has also stated that it opposed Switzerland’s 2009 ban on mosque minarets, calling it discriminatory.
The report adds that UN agencies frequently rely on unverified NGO reports and confidential sources, which it argues undermines accepted evidentiary standards. Despite these concerns, such reports continue to be cited by international courts, governments and major media outlets.
In its conclusions, the report calls for broad structural reforms, including independent oversight mechanisms, transparency requirements and clear sanctions for misconduct. Proposed measures include a coalition of democratic states to regularly evaluate special rapporteurs, a ban on receiving external government funding, an independent external body for oversight and discipline, more stringent vetting of candidates outside UN political selection processes, and stricter evidentiary standards to reduce reliance on anonymous and unverified sources.