THE OFFICE OF THE CNCDH Paris, February 14, 2026 Mr. Minister, The office of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) wishes to express its deep concern regarding the statements you made on February 11, 2026 to the National Assembly concerning Ms. Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
On the distortion of statements
The accusations against Ms. Albanese are based on a clear distortion of her words. During her speech at the Al Jazeera forum in Doha on February 7, 2026, she never referred to Israel as "’ common enemy of humanity »She denounced the international system that allows serious violations of international law to continue, stating:« We who control neither the vast capital Neither financiers, nor algorithms, nor weapons, let us now acknowledge that as humanity, we have a common enemy. »"In a clarification published on social media on February 9, Ms. Albanese stated:« The common enemy of humanity is the system that enabled genocide in Palestine »This fundamental distinction between criticizing a system and stigmatizing a state or a people has been deliberately ignored in the attacks directed at him.
As several journalistic investigations have demonstrated, the formulation "« Israel is the common enemy of humanity »This statement was wrongly attributed to the Special Rapporteur. This manipulation of the words of an independent UN expert is extremely serious as it undermines the integrity of public debate.
On the independence of the UN special procedures
By stating that Ms. Albanese« is neither an expert nor independent »and that she would be« an activist policy that stirs up hate speech »"You are undermining the very institution of the special procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
This type of attack follows a recurring pattern: questioning the expertise and independence of mandate holders and labeling them as "political activists" in order to delegitimize their findings when these document serious human rights violations.
…/… Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, 37 Quai d'Orsay, 75007 Paris, 20 Avenue de Ségur, 75007 Paris. Website: www.cncdh.fr. Ms. Albanese was appointed by the Human Rights Council through rigorous procedures guaranteeing her independence and expertise. After an initial term, she was reappointed in April 2025 for a further three years. Special Rapporteurs are independent experts whose mandate is precisely to document violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including when these findings are inconvenient for States. Challenging their legitimacy on the grounds that they are carrying out their mission constitutes a direct attack on the UN human rights system.
The dangerous precedent of a forced resignation
Demanding the resignation of a Special Rapporteur on the grounds that she is fulfilling her mandate constitutes unacceptable interference in the functioning of the UN human rights system. If this approach were to succeed, it would create an extremely dangerous precedent: any State criticized by a Special Rapporteur could demand her resignation, making independent documentation of human rights violations impossible.
This precedent would threaten the entire UN special procedures system, which is one of the pillars of international human rights protection. Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial killings, torture, freedom of expression, human rights defenders, and environmental defenders—to name just a few—would thus be exposed to campaigns for revocation if their reports displease the states concerned. This move is all the more worrying as it comes from a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a member of the Human Rights Council, and a country that presents itself as a champion of multilateralism. France would therefore bear a historical responsibility for the weakening of UN human rights protection mechanisms.
On freedom of expression and the work of human rights defenders
The personal attacks and smear campaigns targeting Ms. Albanese are part of a broader crackdown on critical voices regarding the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. These pressures aim to deter any serious and independent examination of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights in the region.
The CNCDH reiterates that criticism of a government's policies, including that of Israel, falls under the umbrella of freedom of expression and cannot be equated with antisemitism. Confusing political criticism with hatred of a people undermines essential democratic debate and renders the legitimate and necessary efforts to combat antisemitism meaningless.
Consequently, the CNCDH calls on the French Government both to withdraw its demand for Ms. Albanese's resignation and to publicly correct the inaccurate statements attributed to her. It reaffirms the importance of the independence of the Human Rights Council's special procedures and the need for France to respect UN human rights protection mechanisms. Please accept, Mr. Minister, the expression of our highest consideration.
The CNCDH Bureau: Jean-Marie BURGUBURU, Renée KOERING-JOULIN, Pierre TARTAKOWSKY, President, Vice-President
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