Vote on the UN General Assembly resolution concerning the UN80 Initiative (workstream 2 on UN mandates)
Map of the Month 04/2026
On 31 March 2026, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) voted on a resolution in the context of the UN80 reform Initiative. Launched in March 2025, the initiative aims at improving the UN’s efficiency and impact, thereby reaffirming the value of multilateralism at a time when it is under enormous strain. The UN 80 Initiative consists of three workstreams. The first focuses on improving internal efficiency in the UN Secretariat which has resulted in deep budget cuts and a staff reduction of nearly 19 per cent over the past year. The second deals with the review of around 40,000 mandates that Member States have created since 1946 in search of duplication, overlap or redundancies. The third one discusses more than 80 proposals for structural reform of the UN architecture at large. The resolution that was adopted on 31 March is the main outcome document of workstream 2 on mandate review. It lays out principles for a more structured approach across the lifecycle of UN mandates, from their creation, over their implementation to their review. It further asks the Secretary General to establish digital tools that would assist Member States in doing so and creates a formal Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review. A large majority of 168 states voted in favour, only 4 against (Belarus, Honduras, North Korea and Russia) with 21 abstaining after Russia had called for a vote.
Sarah Ultes
April 27, 2026
Map of the Month
MC14 outcome: Signatories of the WTO Plurilateral Agreement on E-Commerce with Interim Arrangements
Map of the Month 04/2026
The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, between March 26 and 29. 66 WTO members (with the European Union as the 67th), covering around 70% of the world trade, announced that they adopted a plurilateral E-Commerce agreement on an interim basis. The participating countries commit to a permanent ban on customs duties on electronic transmissions to foster an
open environment for digital trade. This will not entirely replace the E-Commerce moratorium, which expired on March 31 and was not extended at MC14. The negotiations on the moratorium will resume at the next WTO General Council, scheduled for May 2026. Credit for this agreement lies with three co-convenors: Australia, Japan, and Singapore. Through coordination, medium-sized countries can help shape the future of trade among themselves. The E-Commerce agreement will enter into force for members who adopt it 30 days after at least 45 members have deposited their instruments of acceptance. In parallel, these members will continue to work towards the agreement’s incorporation into the WTO legal framework of rules, and will engage and encourage all WTO Members to join the E-Commerce agreement.
Nicoline Lavanchy
April 27, 2026
Map of the Month
Key results of the 61st UN Human Rights Council
Map of the Month 04/2026
During the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, which convened in Geneva from 23 February to 31 March 2026, a total of 38 texts were adopted, 28 of them (81%) by consensus. 25 resolutions were thematic in nature and 12 were country-specific. A key focus of the spring session was the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. On 28 February, at the request of Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Jordan, the Council held an urgent debate, during which it unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Iran, amongst other things, to “immediately and unconditionally cease all unprovoked attacks, threats and provocations” against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Iran, together with China and Cuba, also requested an urgent debate, which was held on 27 March and addressed the airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ School in Minab (Iran) as a "grave breach of international humanitarian law and international human rights.” Among the country-specific resolutions put to the vote were, among others, the mandate extensions for Ukraine, South Sudan and Belarus, which are illustrated in the maps of the month. A new initiative at the 61st session was a resolution adopted by consensus on the human rights of homeless people, calling on states to take all necessary measures to abolish laws criminalising homelessness and to implement and strengthen nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all. Numerous resolutions once again referred to the United Nations’ liquidity crisis. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the UN Human Rights Council, 81 states also delivered in a joint statement in which they praised the Council as a key pillar of the multilateral system and pledged to renew their commitment to preserve, strengthen and support the Council, among other things by renewing their determination to stand firmly for adequate and predictable funding for the entire human rights pillar, including the treaty bodies.
Sarah Ultes
April 7, 2026
Map of the Month
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
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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.
