The UN Human Rights Office today launched its most ambitious funding appeal yet, urging states and private donors to bolster the office’s ability to work and stand up for human rights for all people, everywhere.

"Our world has entered a period of profound uncertainty. In numerous countries, even the rules are under attack, xenophobia and calls for racial and religious discrimination have entered mainstream discourse and every day, seemingly, are more widespread and more deeply rooted," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said.

"A collective failure to prevent, minimise and resolve conflicts and proxy wars is feeding brutal extremist groups and creating wave upon wave of the most shocking human suffering, including forcing millions of people to flee their homes and everything they have ever known," he added.

The UN Human Rights Office is this year seeking US$ 252.9 million in extra-budgetary funding for its 2017 programme of work, including in-country assistance, support to UN independent human rights experts and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as a number of trust funds to support work on issues such as torture, contemporary forms of slavery and the rights of indigenous peoples. This extra-budgetary funding would be in addition to the UN regular budget funding of US$107.56 million provided to the UN Human Rights Office