IWGIA fears alarming impact of USA cuts on global human rights protections and Indigenous Peoples’ rights

Written on 18 February 2025. Posted in News

Recent developments confirm that the U.S. government is making significant reductions in its financial contributions to the United Nations Human Rights system, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The scope of these reductions, while not yet fully detailed, is expected to have a severe impact on the UN human rights system.

On 4 February 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order withdrawing the U.S. from and ending funding to certain UN organizations, including the Human Rights Council while initiating a review of U.S. support to all international organizations. This decision signals a broader disengagement from multilateral human rights institutions, raising serious concerns about the future of global human rights protections.

>> Read the full Executive Order here

Government contributions are crucial to ensuring the effective functioning of the Human Rights System, including the Human Rights Council, its mechanisms, and the Special Procedures, such as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNSRIP). The Human Rights Council plays a vital role in monitoring, promoting, and protecting human rights worldwide, including for Indigenous Peoples who rely on these mechanisms to address violations of their rights, advocate for their lands, and seek justice. A weakening of the system will undoubtedly lead to a considerable erosion of Indigenous Peoples' rights and their ability to engage effectively with international human rights bodies.

OHCHR funding has already been declining for years, leading to severe limitations. Budget restrictions have reduced the number of country visits by Special Rapporteurs from two to one. The support provided to Special Rapporteurs, including the UNSRIP, is already at a minimum, forcing the human rights system to rely increasingly on external funding. Further cuts would be catastrophic, jeopardizing not only the UNSRIP mandate but also the broader work of the Human Rights System, weakening the essential protections for Indigenous Peoples and other marginalized communities. Numerous Special Rapporteurs, including the UNSRIP, believe that any further reduction in resources available for their mandates would cripple the UN Human Rights System and escalate the marginalization of many people worldwide.

Additionally, the U.S. government has decided to severely reduce its financial contribution to the Inter-American System, particularly to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This decision is already having a catastrophic impact on this crucial regional human rights institution and will considerably weaken protections for Indigenous Peoples' rights in the Americas.

The Inter-American Human Rights System has played a leading role in advancing Indigenous Peoples' rights, particularly in recognizing their self-governance and legal pluralism. It also provides Indigenous Peoples with more direct access to decision-making bodies than other human rights systems. Additionally, the system has integrated human rights within broader legal frameworks, such as international environmental law, strengthening protections for Indigenous Peoples and their communities. Given its critical role, restricting the Inter-American System would significantly undermine Indigenous Peoples’ rights both regionally and globally.

In this regard, IWGIA welcomes and strongly endorses a statement issued by over a dozen American human rights experts who have served on UN human rights bodies for decades. In their statement, they strongly condemn the Trump administration’s attacks on international human rights law and institutions.

>> Read their statement here

IWGIA urges all governments, high-level UN officials, and the international human rights community to take decisive action. The consequences of these cuts will be long-lasting and deeply damaging. We call on all States to increase their contributions to the UN Human Rights System to compensate for the U.S. withdrawal. Now is the time to stand together in defense of human rights, peace, and security, as well as the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The international community must not remain silent in the face of this assault on the very principles of non-discrimination, justice and equality that the UN was created to uphold.

Tags: Human rights