US Sanctions On Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese Threaten Human Rights System: UN Experts

8 August 2025

UN human rights experts* today expressed their continued support for human rights principles and fundamental standards that underpin international human rights and humanitarian law and condemned the United States’ decision to impose sanctions on the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese. They issued the following statement:

“Echoing the statement issued by the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council on 10 July 2025, we unconditionally denounce the United States' decision to impose sanctions on the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) and reaffirm our commitment to defending fundamental human rights principles against efforts to undermine them and intimidate or silence those working to defend them. We express our full solidarity with Francesca Albanese, whose mandate and reporting are essential to upholding international legal standards and accountability.

The Special Rapporteur's work represents a principled commitment to a human rights mandate, providing rigorous, independent analysis of grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territories, including forcible transfer, systemic discrimination and a wide range of international crimes, several of them targeting or particularly affecting women and children. In fulfilling this responsibility, Albanese has come under significant pressure, underscoring the importance of safeguarding impartial and evidence-based human rights reporting. This mandate plays an essential role in documenting structural injustice and advancing accountability under international law—an endeavour that must be upheld and protected.

Sanctioning the Special Rapporteur for fulfilling this responsibility, which is mandated by the Human Rights Council, is a direct attack on the integrity of the UN human rights system. These measures violate international law, including the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The 1946 Convention accords UN experts such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the independent exercise of their functions. Violating this framework sends a dangerous message, threatens the independence of the Special Procedures system and has a chilling effect on global human rights advocacy. States that disagree with the views of UN experts should constructively engage with them through established processes of diplomatic dialogue.

The targeting of the Special Rapporteur cannot be separated from the egregious international crimes and human rights abuses being perpetrated against Palestinians and the longstanding efforts to delegitimise those who defend their rights. The prejudice and threats faced by human rights defenders – whether they are scholars, civil society actors, UN officials or experts – reflect a broader strategy of silencing dissent and shielding abusive power structures from scrutiny.

We call on all States to expressly condemn these sanctions and refuse to cooperate in carrying them out and reaffirm their commitment to the UN Special Rapporteurs, Working Groups and Independent Experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.”

*The experts:

• Bina D’Costa (Chair), Barbara G. Reynolds, Catherine Namakula, Isabelle Mamadou, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent;
• Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito (Chair-Rapporteur), Ravindran Daniel, Michelle Small, Joana de Deus Pereira, Andrés Macías Tolosa, Working Group on the use of mercenaries;
• Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons;
• Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education;
• Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation;
• Astrid Puentes Riaño, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment;
• Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights;
• Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children;
• Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression;
• Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions;
• Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons;
• Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls;
• Elisa Morgera, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change;
• Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity;
• Graeme Reid, Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity;
• George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order;
• Ashwini K.P., Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism;
• Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing;
• Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery;
• Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights;
• Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development;
• Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food;
• Heba Hagrass, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities;
• Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association;
• Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders;
• Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan;
• Bernard Duhaime, Special Rapporteur on truth, justice and reparation;
• Nils Muižnieks, Special Rapporteur on Belarus;
• Mai Sato, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran;
• Beatriz Miranda-Galarza, Special Rapporteur on discrimination against persons with leprosy (Hansen’s disease);
• Elizabeth Salmón, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea;
• Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues;
• Ana Brian Nougrères, Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy;
• Gabriella Citroni (Chair-Rapporteur), Grażyna Baranowska (Vice-Chair), Aua Baldé, Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez, and Mohammed Al-Obaidi, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances;
• Pichamon Yeophantong (Chairperson), Damilola Olawuyi (Vice-Chairperson), Fernanda Hopenhaym, Lyra Jakulevičienė and Robert McCorquodale, Working Group on business and human rights; Working Group on peasants;
• Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;
• International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement;
• Joel Malesela Modiri (Chair-Rapporteur), Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

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