International lawyer Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based UN Watch, has revealed that UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinians Francesca Albanese did not tell the truth about her travel funding.
Neuer stated bluntly: “We found that she did not tell the truth.” While Albanese originally claimed her trips to Australia and New Zealand were entirely UN-funded, a committee of her peers confirmed she accepted external money.
The sources of this funding are particularly damning. Investigations revealed the Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFOPA) sponsored her travel—a group known for openly praising Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7th terrorist attacks in Israel.
“One of the most murderous terrorists in the world was praised by the group that funded her travel… contrary to what she had said,” Neuer noted.
The scandal has escalated beyond financial misconduct to a violation of UN procedures. When Albanese’s term expired in April 2025, the United Nations ignored formal objections from multiple member states. Under UN rules, such opposition should have triggered a vote. Instead, leadership allegedly bypassed regulations to announce her “automatic” reappointment.
Neuer emphasized: “Legally, she was never reappointed.” He added that the UN “trampled its own rules,” resulting in Albanese having no immunity from accountability.
This lack of legal protection has left Albanese exposed. She is currently being sued for defamation in U.S. federal court by Christian advocacy groups, and the U.S. State Department has effectively neutralized her through targeted sanctions.
Neuer described the personal toll: “She said her life has been ruined. She can’t access bank accounts, use a credit card, or even reserve a hotel room. No one wants to talk to her because she’s been sanctioned … and that’s the result of our exposing her crimes and corruption.”
When asked whether Albanese represents an isolated case or part of a systemic issue, Neuer characterized her as “the most pernicious supporter of terrorism” currently at the UN, thriving in a “gap in accountability” because rapporteurs are not standard employees.
Despite the corruption, Neuer remains a realist: “The UN is there to stay, sadly,” he said. “We have to demand our governments do the minimum to fight the world’s worst dictatorships and radical Islamists who subvert what the UN was founded to be.”
