UN experts urge FAO to protect staff over work in Gaza — Anadolu Agency

UN experts on Tuesday urged the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to uphold human rights and protect staff who worked on food insecurity and hunger issues in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by Anadolu Agency.

Concerns about staff

The experts expressed concern over statements by the FAO director-general which, in their view, linked the departure of senior officials from the organization to their human rights work.

They stressed that human rights principles are central to FAO's mandate. According to the experts, documenting hunger in the Gaza Strip is consistent with the organization's task of combating hunger and does not constitute a breach of impartiality.

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Call for accountability

The experts warned that possible retaliatory measures against staff could create an atmosphere of fear and undermine the UN's credibility. They called on FAO to comply with the UN Charter and on member states to ensure accountability of the organization's leadership.

The experts also said that human rights obligations should be a key criterion in the election of the next FAO director-general in 2027.