Complaint about Australian taxpayer funding of the United Nations

Two months ago, I sent a formal complaint to the Australian Government regarding taxpayer funding for UN Women and the broader messaging coming from parts of the United Nations system.

The complaint was sent on 15 January 2026, and resent on 11 February and 25 February to ensure it was received. It was addressed to the offices of Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Senator Katy Gallagher, Alicia Payne MP, and Australia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, James Larsen.

To date, there has been no response at all, not even an acknowledgement of receipt...

My complaint raises a straightforward issue: Australian taxpayers contribute tens of millions of dollars to UN Women and related UN programs every year. With that funding should come basic expectations of accuracy, balance, and adherence to the UN’s own principle to “Leave No One Behind”.

Yet there's increasing evidence that UN Women’s communications frequently frame compassion, protection and victimhood as sex-exclusive, often ignoring or minimising the realities faced by boys and men.

This matters because the UN’s credibility rests on universal human dignity. A system that advocates equality shouldn't overlook the well-documented challenges affecting males, including disparities in: education outcomes, suicide, homelessness, justice-system contact, workplace deaths, and social isolation.

My complaint asks the Australian Government to take several constructive steps:
• Provide greater transparency about Australia’s funding to UN Women
• An independent review of whether UN communications meet standards of evidence and neutrality
• Advocacy within the UN system for institutional recognition of boys’ and men’s issues (including formal recognition of International Men's Day, when there are over a dozen days to celebrate girls and women on the UN calendar)
• Ensuring that Sustainable Development Goals track outcomes for both sexes
• And, if reforms are refused, then reduce future funding of the UN by Australian taxpayers

Supporting women and girls is important. But truth, balance, and universal dignity should apply to everyone...

Ignoring legitimate concerns, especially when raised by taxpayers and citizens, isn't good governance.

I hope that the Australian Government and our representatives at the United Nations will acknowledge this complaint, and engage seriously with the substance of the issues raised. Because “Leave No One Behind” should mean exactly that...