Whistleblower accuses UN of providing ‘dangerous benefits’ to China and covering up coronavirus outbreak

Emma Reilly, a former employee of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), has made serious accusations against the organization. Reilly claimed that the OHCHR has been providing “dangerous benefits” to the Chinese government, which she believes is part of China’s broader strategy of using the United Nations to pursue national interests.

Written evidence was published by the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. The evidence was submitted to it as part of its inquiry into international relations in the multilateral system. The Commission’s investigation focuses on how states engage with multilateral organizations, whether by influencing them, bypassing them or obstructing them.

Riley’s accusations include accusations that China bribed two UN General Assembly presidents, harassed NGO representatives and edited a UN report on Covid-19.

Bribery allegations during SDG negotiations

Reilly accused China of bribing two consecutive UN General Assembly presidents during two years of negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.

The evidence shows that these presidents “ultimately oversaw the entire process and had significant influence on the final text submitted to the convention.”

In a post on X, Riley also tagged U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and said he was “working hard” to remain silent. “When he fired me, he knew he had broken his own rules—his moral czar told him so,” she wrote.

In addition, Reilly claimed that China made a secret condition to the United Nations agency that funds provided by China could not be used by countries with diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Advance information for human rights activists

Reilly said the French director of the OHCHR Human Rights Council branch was secretly sharing advance information with China about human rights activists’ plans to attend the Human Rights Council.

“UN officials at all levels knowingly lied to Member States, including the British delegation, who inquired about the UN’s policy or consent to unknowingly provide names, including those of British citizens and residents, to the People’s Republic of China.”

Impact on NGO representatives

Reilly’s evidence included chilling descriptions of the alleged consequences faced by NGO representatives whose names had been given to China in advance by the UN Secretariat. The representatives reported harassment, arbitrary arrests, house arrest, disappearances, torture and, in some cases, deaths of family members in custody.

Riley claimed that one delegate attended only one side event, later returned to China and died in custody.

Additionally, China reportedly issued an Interpol Red Notice for an NGO representative.

About the Covid-19 report being edited

Reilly claimed that World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reports on the origins of Covid-19 were edited to downplay the possibility of a laboratory leak.

Reilly’s evidence was submitted to the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, which held its first evidence meeting on April 16.

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