The UN Human Rights Council has extended Francesca Albanese’s mandate as Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories for an additional three years, despite opposition from several pro-Israel groups, including the United States.
On Friday, during the final day of the United Nations Human Rights Council's 58th session, a vote was held to approve a second three-year term for Albanese, extending her mandate until 2028.
She had been facing mounting pressure from pro-Israel groups and politicians demanding an end to her mandate.
Several countries had expressed reluctance to support her reappointment due to her outspoken criticism of Israel.
Albanese has consistently highlighted what she describes as ethnic cleansing and genocide against Palestinians in her official reports and media appearances.
As Israel faces mounting genocide accusations, the UN risks silencing one of its most principled voices on Palestinian rights—at the moment the world cannot afford moral cowardice.
Pro-Israel organisations
The backlash against Albanese has been fuelled by figures like British Labour MP David Taylor, who accused her of justifying Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack and portraying Israel as a "settler-colonial invasion" in an interview to The Jewish Chronicle, a pro-Israel newspaper.
Pro-Israel organisations, including UN Watch, have been at the forefront of the campaign against her.
UN Watch has published a 60-page report accusing Albanese of promoting anti-Semitism and "terrorism" under her UN role. The organisation also launched a petition urging the UNHRC to reject her reappointment.
At a recent UNHRC session in Geneva, UN Watch's director Hillel Neuer called for the immediate termination of Albanese's mandate.
Other groups, including the World Jewish Congress and the Zionist youth organisation Betar, have also targeted Albanese.
Betar allegedly threatened to attack her during a recent visit to London, referencing Israel's deadly air strikes in Lebanon last year.
