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The White House has recommended ending US funding for nearly two dozen programmes that support war crimes investigations and accountability efforts globally, including in Sri Lanka, according to a report in Reuters last month.
The report, which cites internal government documents and officials familiar with the matter, said the recommendation issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on 26 June, is not yet final. It allows the US State Department the opportunity to appeal for selected programmes to be preserved.
However, the move sets the stage for a policy shift that could significantly reduce Washington’s support for international justice mechanisms.
Programmes potentially affected by the cuts include work in Sri Lanka as well as Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine, Iraq, Nepal, Colombia, Belarus, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan and the Gambia.
In Sri Lanka, the US reportedly funds legal aid and accountability initiatives through contributions to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project. That project, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), aims to gather and preserve evidence related to war crimes.
The OHCHR revealed that, as of July 2024, its repository contained over 96,000 items from more than 470 sources, including testimonies from over 220 witnesses.
However, the OHCHR has already acknowledged budget pressures. In October last year, it reported that the Sri Lanka Accountability Project had been affected by a liquidity crisis within the UN’s regular budget.
The potential US withdrawal of funding comes amid broader cutbacks in multilateral aid and human rights support under the Trump administration. In February, the US formally announced its withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council. A comprehensive review of its contributions to multilateral institutions is currently underway, with outcomes expected in August.
Officials say that even if Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is now tasked with reviewing the OMB recommendations, intervenes to preserve some programmes, there may be insufficient staff remaining to manage them.
"Even if Secretary Rubio intervenes to save these programs, many of which he supported as a senator, there will be no one left to manage these programs," one official told Reuters.
A source familiar with the process noted that the US State Department bureaus hoping to retain specific programmes have been instructed to submit justifications by 11 July. Internal emails reviewed by Reuters indicate that these appeals must demonstrate "clear and direct alignment to administration priorities."