The UNESCO Chair unequivocally condemns the targeted and punitive measures imposed by the United States government against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. These measures reportedly pertain to her cooperation with international legal mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court, in connection with potential accountability processes involving officials of the United States and Israel.

Such actions are indicative of a broader and deeply troubling trend of undermining international human rights frameworks and compromising the independence of UN mechanisms, particularly in the context of ongoing judicial investigations by the International Court of Justice, following their orders made concerning a plausible risk of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. As the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council has stated in the strongest possible terms, these measures represent not only a direct attack on an individual mandate holder but also a significant threat to the foundational values of international human rights law: justice, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

Francesca Albanese is implementing the mandate conferred upon her by the UN Human Rights Council, which explicitly calls for the monitoring and reporting of violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories. In the face of sustained political pressure and coordinated personal attacks, including threats to her safety and that of her family, she has continued to fulfil her duties with professionalism, independence, and an unwavering commitment to human dignity.

We commend Francesca Albanese for her principled position, legal and intellectual integrity, and reaffirm our full solidarity with her and her essential work in defending the right to access justice, accountability, and the protections enshrined in international law. As the UNESCO Chair for Refugee Integration through Education, Languages and Arts we are grateful to her for the courage and tenacity she has shown in her unwavering commitment to fulfilling her mandate despite severe threats and intimidation.

We call upon academic institutions, governments, and civil society actors around the world to publicly repudiate these unjustified sanctions and to uphold the independence and legitimacy of the UN human rights system.

Image credit: image was originally posted to Flickr by The Left and is licensed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

First published: 11 July 2025

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