E-Commerce draft decisions ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference
Map of the Month 03/2026
The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) will be held 26–29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon. In 2024, members agreed to extend the ‘practice of not imposing’ customs duties on electronic transmissions until MC14 or 31 March 2026 (whichever comes first), when it will expire. The so-called E-Commerce Moratorium has existed since 1998, but renewals have become increasingly contested. Given the importance of digital trade, most members want greater predictability in the digital economy. Based on draft Ministerial Declarations and submissions to the WTO General Council: 19 members support making the moratorium permanent; 139 support at least extending it until the next Ministerial Conference.
Cedric Amon
March 24, 2026
Map of the Month
Contributions received for the United Nations Regular Budget in 2025 and 2026
Map of the Month 03/2026
The United Nations is primarily funded by its 193 member states through mandatory assessed contributions to the regular budget and the peacekeeping operations budget. This year’s regular budget of the UN amounts to 3,45 billion US-Dollar which is 7% less compared to the previous year. Only 55 States have respected the 30 days period specified in Financial Regulation 3.5 (by 8 February 2026) and paid their regular budget assessments in full and in time. This is 28% of the total UN membership and only 27% of the total assessments due. As of 20 March, 93 States have paid their regular budget assessments in full. This represents 47% of the UN membership and 39% of the total regular budget. Due to the size of the US-economy, the United States are charged with the highest dues (22%), shortly followed by China with 20%. Japan ranks 3rd with 6,9%, followed by Germany with ca. 5,7%, UK and France with around 4%. By the end of January, UN Secretary General Guterres had already warned that the UN may risk financial collapse by July if the dues are not paid in time. Back in 2025, the UN regular budget amounted to 3,72 billion US-Dollar but only 49 Member States (25%) had paid their regular budget assessments in full and in time. As of 30 December 2025, only 151 Member States (78%) had paid their regular budget assessments in full although often very late leaving the UN no time to meaningfully implement it. Together with arrears, a record 1,5 billion US-Dollar were still outstanding at the end of the year - a record high.
Sarah Ultes
March 20, 2026
Map of the Month
Joint Statement of „Friends of Human Rights Multilateralism“, 58th and 61st Human Rights Council
Map of the Month 03/2026
During the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, Albania on behalf of a core group (consisting of the Netherlands, Albania, Chile, Kenya and Kyrgyzstan) delivered a joint statement on behalf of a cross-regional group of 91 States in which they reaffirmed their „commitment to multilateral human rights cooperation“. It built on a joint statement on the same topic and led by the same group (without Kenya) which was delivered at the 58th UN Human Rights Council in March 2025. Back then it was endorsed by 71 States. This year’s statement received the total support of 91 States with several countries from the African and Asia-Pacific Group joining (see in light purple). When comparing support, 66 States decided to endorse both statements (see in dark purple). Only five decided not to continue their support in 2026 (in dark grey). The wording of the latest statement is very close to the first one. States commit themselves i.a. to „safeguard a multilateral system that upholds international law, human rights and the rule of law“, to „cooperate in good faith with the OHCHR, the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, as well as other rights-based mechanisms, and safeguard their independence or to „prioritise securing adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for the UN human rights pillar.“
Sarah Ultes
March 3, 2026
Map of the Month
Voluntary contributions to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2025
Map of the Month 02/2026
In early February, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk presented his office's annual UN Human Rights Appeal for 2026 and warned that, in light of mounting crises, the world cannot afford a human rights system in crisis. The clear appeal was also made against the backdrop of the “financial shockwave” that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), like many other UN organizations faced in 2025. There was a funding gap of over $65 million due to both a lack of contributions from the regular UN budget and voluntary contributions from member states. Voluntary contributions amounted to $262 million, accounting for around 60% of the OHCHR's income in 2025. The EU Commission and EU member states alone contributed 60% of all voluntary contributions. Germany was the second largest donor with USD 29 million. Traditionally the United States used to be the biggest donor to the OHCHR. In 2024 it contributed 36 mio. USD. Last year, however, the voluntary contributions by the US went to zero. As a result, several human rights monitoring missions, dialogues and country visits of the Treaty Bodies or Special Rapporteurs could not take place last year. Even the investigative bodies mandated by the UN Human Rights Council were unable to fulfill their mandates fully. The office itself lost around 300 staff (out of a total of 2,000, ca. 15%) and was forced to close or radically reduce its presence in 17 countries.
Sarah Ultes
February 20, 2026
Map of the Month
Support for the 39th special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Iran and the vote on the corresponding resolution
Map of the Month 01/2026
On 23 January 2026, the UN Human Rights Council held its 39th Special Session focusing on the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran after nationwide protests that broke out on 28 December 2025 had been met with a significant escalation of violence. The holding of the Special Session was officially requested on 19 January 2026 by Iceland, Germany, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It received the support of 21 Member States of the Human Rights Council and 30 Observer States. During the Session, a resolution was adopted with 25 States voting in favour, 7 against (China, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan and Viet Nam) and 14 States abstaining. It strongly deplored the violent crackdown of peaceful protests resulting in the deaths of thousands of persons, including children. It extended the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Iran for two years, and the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran for one year. It also called for an urgent investigation by the FFM into allegations of recent and ongoing serious human rights violations and abuses and crimes perpetrated in relation to the protests that began on 28 December 2025, including for potential future legal proceedings.
Sarah Ultes
January 23, 2026
Map of the Month
Voting behaviour of the members of the UN Human Rights Council in line with Germany or China in 2025
Map of the Month 01/2026
The map of the month illustrates the voting behaviour of the members of the UN Human Rights Council in line with Germany or China in 2025. During the three regular sessions, 92 resolutions were adopted. Germany supported 13 of the 25 resolutions (52%) that were only adopted after a vote. Another resolution, which aimed to end the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea, was rejected by a vote. It is excluded from the overview. Bulgaria voted most often in line with Germany, closely followed by Albania, Czechia, North Macedonia and Romania. Algeria, Bangladesh, China, the DR Congo, Indonesia, Kuwait and Sudan voted with Germany only once. Of all the Central and South American Council members, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico voted with Germany most often; of the African states, Malawi, Ghana, Gambia and Morocco did so.
Sarah Ultes
January 12, 2026
Map of the Month
Humanitarian aid contributions and recipients worldwide in 2025
Map of the Month 12/2025
The year 2025 was a defining year for humanitarian aid worldwide. A total of only USD 25.89 billion in funds was received. Although the United States remained the largest donor with nearly USD 3.7 billion (14.2% of all funds), it gave USD 10.5 billion less than at the same time last year. The other top 10 donors included the European Commission (12.3%), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, Sweden and Canada. The 10 largest donors together contributed approximately USD 19 billion, which corresponds to almost 72% of the total amount. In addition to the US, other traditional top donor countries also cut their funding, including France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The drastic cuts forced humanitarian organisations to significantly reduce their aid to people in crisis situations. Programmes were suspended, offices closed and thousands of employees laid off. The majority of the funds went to the occupied Palestinian territories. Nevertheless, this only covered 61% of the corresponding needs, despite the officially declared famine. Other recipient countries in the top 10 included Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Lebanon. The biggest humanitarian crisis in 2025 was in Sudan, where 30.4 million people (out of a total population of 46.8 million) needed humanitarian aid. Here too, famine was declared in parts of the country last year. However, due to funding cuts, only 39% of the humanitarian aid plan was covered.
Sarah Ultes
December 31, 2025
Map of the Month
States supporting the holding of the 38th Special Session on the situation around El Fasher in Sudan
Map of the Month 11/2025
On 5 November, the United Kingdom, on behalf of 23 member states of the UN Human Rights Council and 31 observer states, requested a special session to discuss the human rights situation in and around El Fasher in connection with the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The map shows the countries that supported the special session either as members or as observers. During the 38th special session, held on 14 November, the Council adopted a resolution without a vote in which it strongly condemned the reports of atrocities, expressed alarm at the presence of famine conditions and requested the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) for the Sudan to conduct an urgent inquiry into the recent alleged violations of international law committed in and around El Fasher. In addition, the FFM was tasked to identify, where possible, all those for whom there are reasonable grounds to believe that they are responsible. The resolution also condemned all forms of external interference and reminded to respect the existing arms embargo to Darfur.
Sarah Ultes
November 14, 2025
Map of the Month
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About this series
The "Map of the Month", a new series of the Multilateral Dialogue Geneva of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, uses maps to illustrate global trends and the role of Germany and Europe in the world on a monthly basis.
