Current and former United Nations staff members have strongly defended Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, after criticism from a pro-Israel NGO and several European foreign ministers.
Albanese, who is appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but is independent, has faced repeated attacks, particularly from UN Watch. The NGO circulated an edited video falsely claiming she called Israel “the common enemy of humanity,” although her actual statement referred broadly to defending fundamental freedoms.
The edited clip influenced officials in countries including France, Germany, Austria, Czechia and Italy, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot calling for her resignation.
UN Staff for Gaza, a group of current and former UN workers, condemned the accusations as misinformation and urged an end to personal attacks. Albanese has gained strong backing from UN staffers, human rights advocates, UNRWA, and more than 100 artists, who argue she is being targeted for her reporting on Palestinian rights.
Critics, including Amnesty International, say European officials misrepresented her remarks and called for apologies, but Barrot has not withdrawn his resignation demand.
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