UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer says Francesca Albanese’s renewed UN mandate is “invalid,” citing violations of internal procedures and calling for sanctions.
The extension of Francesca Albanese’s tenure as UN Special Rapporteur has come under sharp criticism, with watchdog group UN Watch asserting that her reappointment breaches internal United Nations procedures and is therefore null and void.
In a formal communication to UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent on Monday, Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, argued that Albanese’s mandate was improperly renewed.
Neuer pointed to procedural failures by Jürg Lauber, president of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), claiming Lauber withheld critical objections from member states and U.S. lawmakers during the reappointment process.
Neuer said formal letters opposing Albanese’s renewal—submitted by the governments of Argentina, Hungary, and Israel, as well as by Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee—were never presented to council members as required.
Under council protocol, its president is obligated to forward all pertinent information, including evidence of “persistent non-compliance” by a mandate-holder, to the council prior to any term renewal. “In the absence of the above-mentioned information, the terms in office of the mandate-holders shall be extended,” Neuer quoted from the council’s rules. He argued that Lauber circumvented this obligation by passing the objections only to the special procedures office, which lacks decision-making authority.
In a parallel move, Neuer also addressed a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging immediate action. He argued that Albanese’s reappointment violates established UN procedures and should be treated as void.
“Francesca Albanese holds no UN mandate, no immunity and can be sanctioned and denied entry,” he wrote.
He further recommended that the U.S. government deny Albanese a visa, revoke any diplomatic protections, and treat her as liable under US civil and criminal law. “As you have emphasized, individuals who endorse or abet terrorist organizations must face consequences, including visa denial,” Neuer stated. “Francesca Albanese’s abuse of a global platform to spread hatred and legitimize terrorism demands an unequivocal response.”
Albanese, notorious for her bias against Israel, began her final three-year term on Thursday.
Her anti-Israel bias was first exposed in 2022, in the form of antisemitic posts she made on social media, in which she claimed that the “Jewish lobby” controls the US.The extension of Francesca Albanese’s tenure as UN Special Rapporteur has come under sharp criticism, with watchdog group UN Watch asserting that her reappointment breaches internal United Nations procedures and is therefore null and void.
In a formal communication to UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent on Monday, Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, argued that Albanese’s mandate was improperly renewed.
Neuer pointed to procedural failures by Jürg Lauber, president of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), claiming Lauber withheld critical objections from member states and U.S. lawmakers during the reappointment process.
Neuer said formal letters opposing Albanese’s renewal—submitted by the governments of Argentina, Hungary, and Israel, as well as by Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee—were never presented to council members as required.
Under council protocol, its president is obligated to forward all pertinent information, including evidence of “persistent non-compliance” by a mandate-holder, to the council prior to any term renewal. “In the absence of the above-mentioned information, the terms in office of the mandate-holders shall be extended,” Neuer quoted from the council’s rules. He argued that Lauber circumvented this obligation by passing the objections only to the special procedures office, which lacks decision-making authority.
In a parallel move, Neuer also addressed a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging immediate action. He argued that Albanese’s reappointment violates established UN procedures and should be treated as void.
“Francesca Albanese holds no UN mandate, no immunity and can be sanctioned and denied entry,” he wrote.
He further recommended that the U.S. government deny Albanese a visa, revoke any diplomatic protections, and treat her as liable under US civil and criminal law. “As you have emphasized, individuals who endorse or abet terrorist organizations must face consequences, including visa denial,” Neuer stated. “Francesca Albanese’s abuse of a global platform to spread hatred and legitimize terrorism demands an unequivocal response.”
Albanese, notorious for her bias against Israel, began her final three-year term on Thursday.
Her anti-Israel bias was first exposed in 2022, in the form of antisemitic posts she made on social media, in which she claimed that the “Jewish lobby” controls the US.
At the time, Albanese rejected arguments that the comments about the “Jewish lobby” were antisemitic and claimed they were “mischaracterized”, but her anti-Israel bias has continued to be exposed since.
More recently, Albanese compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. She also claimed that the nature of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza was illegal and “not proportionate”.
