“Gateway Pundit” reported that the watchdog group “UN Watch” accused Francesca Albanese, the Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, of “serious violations of United Nations rules and professional ethics” in a legal complaint filed in June. She was threatened by a planned visit to Australia and New Zealand in 2023 by a Hamas-linked lobby group.
Albanese is responsible for investigating “Israeli violations of the foundations and principles of international law” for the United Nations.
According to complaints filed with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turkweiss, Albanes allegedly accepted honoraria and payments from activists and advocacy groups that violated U.N. codes of conduct.
Albanese has a history of anti-Semitic, anti-Israel rhetoric.
She also claimed that Israel had no right to defend itself following the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, said: “Francesca Albanese’s unethical financial behavior is a serious violation of United Nations rules. The United Nations should take immediate action to investigate these allegations and hold her accountable.”
There are now reports of a rare United Nations investigation into Albanese.
BREAKING NEWS: The United Nations has launched an investigation into allegations that special rapporteur Francesca Albanese improperly accepted external funds from pro-Hamas groups to pay for a $20,000 lobbying trip to Australia. We are filing paperwork today to terminate her term. pic.twitter.com/G9jt58DIrt
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 2, 2024
The role of special rapporteur is a volunteer position and is technically independent from the United Nations. Expenses are to be paid from the designated budget, and payment, including travel expenses and honoraria, from “any governmental or non-governmental source” for the Special Rapporteur’s “activities carried out in the discharge of his mandate” is strictly prohibited.
The U.N. Watch complaint alleges that Albanese violated U.N. codes of conduct by illegally requesting payment for work performed in an official capacity, and contends that she circumvented a ban on accepting payments by directing payments to her research assistants. The organization’s complaint shows that Albanese’s assistant, Sara Troian, requested payment for lectures on Albanese’s behalf.
Neuer said: “Francesca Albanese’s unethical financial behavior is a serious violation of United Nations rules. The United Nations should take immediate action to investigate these allegations and hold her accountable.”
The complaint also included a letter from one of Albanese’s volunteer assistants requesting an honorarium from an unnamed research institution that supports work in Albanese’s office.
In addition, the indictment alleges that the Palestinian lobby sponsored Albanese’s trip to Australia in November 2023 at a cost of more than $20,000. According to UN Watch, the special rapporteur’s travel expenses should be paid for by the United Nations. Accepting sponsorship from lobby groups is prohibited.
Although Albanese disputes the allegations, she has yet to provide evidence to refute the assumptions, and the Australian Friends of Palestine (AFOPA) said on its own website that it “sponsored” Albanese’s visit.
You can read the full complaint filed by UN Watch below:
