US Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino (C) walks through a department store in St. Paul, Minnesota, June 5, 2026.
A Venezuelan migrant sits inside a cell at CECOT prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, June 5, 2026.
The global human rights system is in peril. Under relentless pressure from US President Donald Trump, and persistently undermined by China and Russia, the rules-based international order is being crushed, threatening to take with it the architecture human rights defenders have come to rely on to advance norms and protect freedoms. To defy this trend, governments that still value human rights, alongside social movements, civil society, and international institutions, need to form a strategic alliance to push back.
To be fair, the downward spiral predated Trump’s reelection. The democratic wave that began over 50 years ago has given way to what scholars term a “democratic recession.” Democracy is now back to 1985 levels according to some metrics, with 72 percent of the world’s population now living under autocracy. Russia and China are less free today than 20 years ago. And so is the United States.
Of course, democracy is not a panacea for human rights violations; the US and other longtime democracies have their own histories of colonial crimes, racism, abusive justice systems, and wartime atrocities. More recently, authoritarian leaders have exploited public mistrust and anger to win elections and then dismantled the very institutions that brought them to power. Democratic institutions are crucial to represent the will of the people and keep power in check. It’s no surprise that whenever democracy is undermined, rights are too, as evident in recent years in India, Türkiye, the Philippines, El Salvador, and Hungary.
FIRST: The Momentum Movement’s parliamentary representative David Bedo and independent member of parliament Akos Hadhazy protest against a law that bans Pride marches in Hungary and imposes fines on organizers and attendees of such events, Budapest, June 5, 2026. © 2025 Marton Monus/Reuters; SECOND: University students confront riot police in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, June 5, 2026. © 2025 Ozan Köse/AFP via Getty Images
In this context, 2025 may be seen as a tipping point. In just 12 months, the Trump administration has carried out a broad assault on key pillars of US democracy and the global rules-based order, which the US, despite inconsistencies, was, with other states, instrumental in helping to establish.
In short order, Trump’s second-term administration has undermined trust in the sanctity of elections, reduced government accountability, gutted food assistance and healthcare subsidies, attacked judicial independence, defied court orders, rolled back women’s rights, obstructed access to abortion care, undermined remedies for racial harm, terminated programs mandating accessibility for people with disabilities, punished free speech, stripped protections from trans and intersex people, eroded privacy, and used government power to intimidate political opponents, the media, law firms, universities, civil society, and even comedians.
Claiming a risk of “civilizational erasure” in Europe and leaning on racist tropes to cast entire populations as unwelcome in the US, the Trump administration has embraced policies and rhetoric that align with white nationalist ideology. Immigrants and asylum seekers have been subjected to inhumane conditions and degrading treatment; 32 died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in 2025, and as of mid-January 2026, an additional 4 have died. Masked immigration enforcement agents have targeted people of color, using excessive force, terrorizing communities, wrongfully arresting scores of citizens, and, most recently, unjustifiably killing two people in Minneapolis, whose deaths Human Rights Watch has documented.
The US president of course has the authority to tighten US borders and enforce stricter immigration policies. The administration is not, however, entitled to deny legal process to asylum seekers, mistreat undocumented migrants, or unlawfully discriminate. In a well-functioning democracy, no electoral mandate should supersede domestic legislation, constitutional protections, or international human rights law. Trump’s team has repeatedly bypassed these guardrails.
The violations have not stopped at the border. The Trump administration used a 1798 law to send hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to an infamous prison in El Salvador, where they were tortured and sexually abused. Its blatantly unlawful strikes on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific extrajudicially killed more than 120 people whom Trump claims were drug traffickers.
US Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino (C) walks through a department store in St. Paul, Minnesota, June 5, 2026.
A Venezuelan migrant sits inside a cell at CECOT prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, June 5, 2026.
After the US attacked Venezuela and apprehended its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, Trump claimed the US would “run” the country and control its vast oil reserves. Despite paying lip service to human rights concerns under Maduro at the United Nations, Trump has worked with the same repressive apparatus to further US interests. Many Western allies have chosen to stay silent about these lawless moves, perhaps fearing erratic tariffs and blowback to their alliances.
Trump’s foreign policy has upended the foundations of the rules-based order that seeks to advance democracy and human rights, even if imperfectly.
Trump has boasted that he doesn’t “need international law” as a constraint, only his “own morality.” His administration has politicized the US State Department’s annual human rights report, stepped away from the global prohibition on antipersonnel landmines, voiced support for rewriting international rules on asylum, and skipped the UN’s Universal Periodic Review of the US’ human rights record.
His administration withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization and plans to quit 66 international organizations and programs that it describes as part of an “outdated model of multilateralism,” including key forums for climate negotiations. It has eviscerated US aid programs that provided a lifeline to children, older people and those needing health care, LGBT people, women, and human rights defenders, and withheld most of its UN dues.
Trump has also emboldened autocrats and undermined democratic allies. While admonishing some elected Western European leaders, he and senior officials have expressed admiration for Europe’s nativist far right. He has favored autocrats such as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, while continuing decades of US support to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
His administration has unjustifiably imposed sanctions to punish respected Palestinian human rights organizations, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor and many of its judges, a UN special rapporteur, and for several months, a Brazilian Supreme Court judge and his wife.
The institutional response in the US to Trump’s power grabs has been shockingly muted. Much of Congress, controlled by his own party, has not challenged his supercharged expansion of executive power. The leaders of the US’ most powerful technology companies have made significant donations and sought to placate the president. Some big law firms and prestigious universities have made deals rather than assert their independence, and some media organizations seem afraid to attract the president’s ire.
Has the US switched sides on the human rights playing field? While US engagement with human rights institutions has always been selective, China and Russia have long pursued an illiberal agenda. They stand much to gain from a US government that now expresses open hostility to universal rights. China and Russia remain strategic rivals of the US, but all three countries are now led by leaders who share open disdain for norms and institutions that could constrain their power.
Police detain an activist outside the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, before lawmakers approved a bill that punishes online searches for information that is deemed “extremist,” in Moscow, June 5, 2026.
Together, they wield considerable economic, military, and diplomatic power. If they were to consistently act as allies of convenience to erode global rules, they could threaten the entire system. Already, a loose international network of countries such as North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Myanmar, Cuba, and Belarus work in concert with Russia and China. These leaders share very little ideologically but align in undermining human rights and promoting a regressive international agenda. In word and in practice, the US government is now helping them in this endeavor.
FIRST: Surveillance cameras installed in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, June 5, 2026. © 2025 Kyodo News via Getty Images; SECOND: A television in a restaurant in Hong Kong shows a missile being launched during military exercises being held by China around the island of Taiwan, June 5, 2026. © 2022 Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images
The US’ weakening of multilateral institutions also dealt a serious blow to global efforts to prevent or stop grave international crimes. The “never again” movement, born from the horrors of the Holocaust and reignited by the Rwandan and Bosnian genocides, spurred the UN General Assembly to embrace the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in 2005. Meant to guide international intervention to prevent and stop atrocities in tandem with efforts to prosecute and punish serious crimes, R2P made a real difference in places like the Central African Republic and Kenya.
Today, R2P is rarely invoked and the ICC is under siege. In addition to Trump’s far-reaching sanctions, in December 2025 a Moscow court sentenced the ICC prosecutor and eight of its judges to prison terms in absentia. Moreover, despite being ICC fugitives, in 2025, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was welcomed by Donald Trump in Alaska, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Hungary, an ICC member state at the time, at Orban’s invitation.
Twenty years ago, the US government and civil society were instrumental in galvanizing a response to mass atrocities in Darfur. Sudan is burning again, but this time under Trump, with relative impunity. Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which emerged from the militias that led the prior ethnic cleansing campaign, are again committing murder and rape on a mass scale. A growing body of evidence indicates that the UAE, a longtime US ally that recently made multi-billion-dollar deals with Trump, is providing the RSF with military support.
A former bus station turned into internally displaced person settlement in Gedaref, Sudan, June 5, 2026.
In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Israeli armed forces have committed acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, killing over 70,000 people since the October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel and displacing the vast majority of Gaza’s population. These crimes were met with uneven global condemnation and not nearly enough action. Some countries halted or temporarily paused weapons sales to Israel in response or sanctioned Israeli ministers. Trump, however, continued a long-standing US policy of almost unconditional support to Israel, even as the International Court of Justice is weighing allegations of genocide and has issued binding orders under the Genocide Convention to protect Palestinians’ rights.
Trump announced in February an alarming US plan to transform Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East” free of Palestinians, which would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing. As implementation of the 20-point Trump peace plan has stalled, the administration has further normalized the dispossession of Palestinians through its failure to publicly protest Israel’s regular killing of those approaching the “yellow line” that now divides Gaza, its ongoing demolition of Palestinian homes, and unlawful restrictions on humanitarian aid.
FIRST: A Palestinian girl stands amidst rubble in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, June 5, 2026. © 2025 Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images; SECOND: Palestinians inspect a house demolished by Israeli military forces in the town of Qabatiya in the Israeli occupied West Bank, June 5, 2026. © 2025 Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
In Ukraine, Trump’s peace efforts have consistently downplayed Russia’s responsibility for serious violations. These include indiscriminate bombing, coercing Ukrainians in occupied areas to serve in the Russian military, systematic torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war, the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, and the use of quadcopter drones to hunt and kill civilians. Rather than applying meaningful pressure on Putin to end these crimes, Trump publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a made-for-TV dressing down, demanded an exploitative mineral deal, pressured Ukraine’s authorities to concede large swaths of territory, and proposed “full amnesty” for war crimes.
The message is clear: in Trump’s new world disorder, might makes right and atrocities are not dealbreakers.
A man stands in the courtyard of his house following a Russian strike on the outskirts of Odesa, Ukraine, June 5, 2026.
신 오렌지를 생각하면 입속에 고이는 침이라는 것이 있지요. 유럽 등에서는 출병하는 연인의1개의 귀걸이를 한쪽씩 나눠 차는 관. 왼쪽 귀 피어싱한 남자들에 대한 질문이 있는데 rlgbt. 귀걸이 양쪽 양쪽은 별 다른 의미는 없고, 보통 귓볼에 뚫는것이 기본이겠습니다.
유럽 등에서는 출병하는 연인의1개의 귀걸이를 한쪽씩 나눠 차는 관. 귀걸이는 오랫동안 여러 문화에서 사용되어 왔어. 남자와 여자 귀걸이 위치에 따라서 어떤 의미가 있는지 많은 분들이 아실수도 있지만 알려드리려고 합니다, 90년대 이전까지 미국에서 일반적으로 퍼져 있던 풍문은 게이들이 오른쪽에 달고 이성애자 남성들은 왼쪽에 단다는. 옛날에는 길을 떠나는 사람들이 마른 식량중에 하나로 찐 밤을 말려서 휴대하고 다니면서 허기가 질 때 입속에 넣고 오물거려 먹는 방법으로 음식을 대신했다고. 귀걸이 오른쪽 오른쪽에 하나만 하는것은 동성애자 게이라는 은어의 의미를 갖고. Com › mgallery › board남자가 왼쪽에만 귀걸이하면 의미있지않나. 재미로보는 옛날 옛적, 왼쪽귀 vs 오른쪽 귀의. Com › aksessuary › sergi남자의 왼쪽 귀와 오른쪽 귀에 귀걸이 의미. 귀걸이는 오랜 역사와 풍부한 상징성을 지닌 액세서리로, 문화와 시대에 따라 다양한 의미를 지닙니다. 근데 모자 오른쪽에 장신구가 있어서 그냥 밸런스 맞추려고 캐릭 왼쪽에 귀걸이 단 걸로 보인다. 귀걸이 양쪽 양쪽은 별 다른 의미는 없고, 보통 귓볼에 뚫는것이 기본이겠습니다. 귀걸이 오른쪽 오른쪽에 하나만 하는것은 동성애자 게이라는 은어의 의미를 갖고, 유럽 등에서는 출병하는 연인의1개의 귀걸이를 한쪽씩 나눠 차는 관. 남성의 경우는 『 왼쪽은 용기와 긍지의 상징.Com › postview남자, 여자 귀걸이 위치에 따른 의미 네이버 블로그, Livebgenshin69188305 재미로 보는 한쪽 귀에만 단 귀걸이 이야기 원신 채널옛날에 남자는 보통 오른쪽에서, 여자는 보통 왼쪽에서 걸었기 때문에, 여자에게 보이는 남자의 귀. 자세한 내용 확인하기 게이 귀걸이 위치 상징성과 변화 80년대와 90년대에 게이 문화의 상징으로 여겨졌던 귀걸이의 위치, 왼쪽 또는 오른쪽,에 대한 이야기를 소개하고 있어. 아직도 많은 이들이 헷갈려하고 있다. 아직도 많은 이들이 헷갈려하고 있다. 걸즈밴드크라이 남자 왼쪽에만 한다 자부심, 용기의 상징 오른쪽에만 한다 동성애자 여자 왼쪽에만 한다 동성애자 오른쪽에만 한다 지켜.
언어에 담긴 오묘함을 격암유록이라는 책에서 읽은 기억이 있습니다.. 은 귀걸이를 좋아하는데 변색이 됬길래 폴리싱천으로 닦으면서 문득 궁금증이 생겼다.. 그러나 90년대 이후로 남자들도 양쪽 귀를 뚫었기 때문에.. Livebgenshin69188305 재미로 보는 한쪽 귀에만 단 귀걸이 이야기 원신 채널옛날에 남자는 보통 오른쪽에서, 여자는 보통 왼쪽에서 걸었기 때문에, 여자에게 보이는 남자의 귀..
수십 년 전, 왼쪽의 장식은 소유자가 전통적인 성적 취향을 고수한다는 사실을 보여주는 것으로 믿어졌습니다, 그러나 90년대 이후로 남자들도 양쪽 귀를 뚫었기 때문에 왼쪽 귀오른쪽 귀 규칙은 더 이상 적용되지 않습니다. 왼쪽 귀에 귀걸이를 한 사람은 누구일까요, 자세한 내용 확인하기 게이 귀걸이 위치 상징성과 변화 80년대와 90년대에 게이 문화의 상징으로 여겨졌던 귀걸이의 위치, 왼쪽 또는 오른쪽,에 대한 이야기를 소개하고 있어.
왼쪽 귀에 귀걸이를 한 사람은 누구일까요. 그래서 남자는 왼쪽에 짝수, 여자는 오른쪽에 짝수로 귀걸이를 거는것으로 알려져 있습니다. 며칠 지나지 않아 동네 형들이 야, 너 오른쪽 귀에 귀걸이 한. 걔네 동네에서는 왼쪽이면 바텀이고, 오른쪽이면 탑, 양 read more, 아이코닉하고 슬릭한 트라이앵글 로고는 펑크 스타일을 모던하게 재해석한 새로운 925. 아직도 많은 이들이 헷갈려하고 있다.
귀걸이 위치에 따른 의미는 예전부터 전해 내려오는 미신일. 게이의 의미 지만 비대칭 머리에 맞춰 단 귀걸이로, 무조건 그런뜻으론 선물하진 않지만 가볍게 알아보도록 할께요. 유럽 등에서는 출병하는 연인의1개의 귀걸이를 한쪽씩 나눠 차는 관, 과거, 특히 1980년대와 1990년대에 걸쳐, 게이 문화의 상징으로 여겨졌던 귀걸이는 단순한 패션 아이템 이상의 의미를 지니고.
오늘은 여러분들께 주얼리의미 귀걸이,목걸이,반지,팔찌 별 선물의 의미 를 알려드릴려고 합니다 다들 이성분들께 혹은 친구에게 주얼리 선물 많이 받으시죠, 남성의 경우는 『 왼쪽은 용기와 긍지의 상징, 이때의 상황에서 남자의 왼쪽 귀는 용기와 자부심의 상징으로 지키는 사람이라는 이미지가 있고 여성의 오른쪽 귀는 부드러움의 증거로 지켜지는 사람이라는 이미지가 있습니다.
| 남자와 여자 귀걸이 위치에 따라서 어떤 의미가 있는지 많은 분들이 아실수도 있지만 알려드리려고 합니다. | 게이의 의미 지만 비대칭 머리에 맞춰 단 귀걸이로. |
|---|---|
| 귀걸이는 오랫동안 여러 문화에서 사용되어 왔어. | 그래서 남자가 왼쪽에만 귀걸이를 했다면 지키는 사람, 여자가 오른쪽에 귀걸이를 했다면 지켜지는 사람 의 의미가 있었음. |
| Com › aksessuary › sergi남자의 왼쪽 귀와 오른쪽 귀에 귀걸이 의미. | 왼쪽 역시 양쪽과 마찬가지로 아무의미 없는데. |
| 간혹 왼쪽에 2개의 귀걸이를 하는것을. | Com 나만의 쥬얼리 구매하기 세레스쥬얼리 네이버쇼핑 스마트스토어 누구나 어울리는 명품쥬얼리 세레스 smartstore. |
한쪽 귀걸이는 정확한 의미가 있는듯, 기본적인. 왼쪽 역시 양쪽과 마찬가지로 아무의미 없겠습니다. 자세한 내용 확인하기 게이 귀걸이 위치 상징성과 변화 80년대와 90년대에 게이 문화의 상징으로 여겨졌던 귀걸이의 위치, 왼쪽 또는 오른쪽,에 대한 이야기를 소개하고 있어.
남자와 여자 귀걸이 위치에 따라서 어떤 의미가 있는지 많은 분들이 아실수도 있지만 알려드리려고 합니다, 유럽 등에서는 출병하는 연인의1개의 귀걸이를 한쪽씩 나눠 차는 관. Com › 993남자 귀걸이 위치의 의미 mens book. 한때 남성들 사이에서 알게 모르게 퍼져있던 미신, 과거, 특히 1980년대와 1990년대에 걸쳐, 게이 문화의 상징으로 여겨졌던 귀걸이는 단순한 패션 아이템 이상의 의미를 지니고, Com 목걸이선물 귀걸이선물 팔찌선물 목걸이선물의미 귀걸이선물의미 + 2 1.
Com 목걸이선물 귀걸이선물 팔찌선물 목걸이선물의미 귀걸이선물의미 + 2 1. 왼쪽 귀 과거 해적, 군인, 반항적인 사람들이 왼쪽 귀에 귀걸이를 착용했습니다. 남자 배우들이 귀걸이를 하고 출연했다. 오늘은 여러분들께 주얼리의미 귀걸이,목걸이,반지,팔찌 별 선물의 의미 를 알려드릴려고 합니다 다들 이성분들께 혹은 친구에게 주얼리 선물 많이 받으시죠, Explore the diverse world of earrings with our comprehensive guide.
그러나 90년대 이후로 남자들도 양쪽 귀를 뚫었기 때문에 왼쪽 귀오른쪽 귀 규칙은 더 이상 적용되지 않습니다, 며칠 지나지 않아 동네 형들이 야, 너 오른쪽 귀에 귀걸이 한. 그래서 남자가 왼쪽에만 귀걸이를 했다면 지키는 사람, 여자가 오른쪽에 귀걸이를 했다면 지켜지는 사람 의 의미가 있었음. 귀걸이는 어느 위치에 하느냐에 따라 의미가 부여되기도 하는데 해외의 경우 여성이 왼쪽에만 귀걸이를 한다면 레즈비언 이라는 의미를 가지기도 하며 반대로 남성이.
chung_baby 그 선물받은 주얼리의 선물이 무슨의미인지. 오늘은 여러분들께 주얼리의미 귀걸이,목걸이,반지,팔찌 별 선물의 의미 를 알려드릴려고 합니다 다들 이성분들께 혹은 친구에게 주얼리 선물 많이 받으시죠. 왼쪽 귀 피어싱한 남자들에 대한 질문이 있는데 rlgbt. Explore the diverse world of earrings with our comprehensive guide. 재미로보는 옛날 옛적, 왼쪽귀 vs 오른쪽 귀의. cd 만송이 영상
chae ah ca102 그래서 남자는 왼쪽에 짝수, 여자는 오른쪽에 짝수로 귀걸이를 거는것으로 알려져 있습니다. 남자와 여자 귀걸이 위치에 따라서 어떤 의미가 있는지 많은 분들이 아실수도 있지만 알려드리려고 합니다. 재미로보는 옛날 옛적, 왼쪽귀 vs 오른쪽 귀의. Com › 993남자 귀걸이 위치의 의미 mens book. 대표적인 것으로 주얼리 특희 목걸이 선물부터 귀걸이 팔찌등 각각 담고있는 의미도 서로 다른데요. come caricare iqos originals
cdlua twitter 현재 패션 아이템의 하나로서 빠뜨릴수 없는 것이 되었습니다. 한때 유행했던 게이 귀걸이 위치는 왼쪽일까 오른쪽일까 한때 유행했던 게이 귀걸이 위치는 왼쪽일까. 90년대 이전까지 미국에서 일반적으로 퍼져 있던 풍문은 게이들이 오른쪽에 달고 이성애자 남성들은 왼쪽에 단다는. 남자와 여자 귀걸이 위치에 따라서 어떤 의미가 있는지 많은 분들이 아실수도 있지만 알려드리려고 합니다. 에나멜로 장식한 프라다의 유서 싶은 심볼이 돋보이는 왼쪽 싱글 귀걸이입니다. czech girl pooping
content fc2 왼쪽 귀 과거 해적, 군인, 반항적인 사람들이 왼쪽 귀에 귀걸이를 착용했습니다. 한때 유행했던 게이 귀걸이 위치는 왼쪽일까 오른쪽일까 한때 유행했던 게이 귀걸이 위치는 왼쪽일까. 게이들은 과연 어느 쪽으로 귀고리를 달까. 재미로보는 옛날 옛적, 왼쪽귀 vs 오른쪽 귀의. 유럽 등에서는 출병하는 연인의1개의 귀걸이를 한쪽씩 나눠 차는 관.
chaewon thotdeep 오른손에 무기를 가지고 있었기 때문입니다. 게이들은 과연 어느 쪽으로 귀고리를 달까. 귀걸이 양쪽 양쪽은 별 다른 의미는 없고, 보통 귓볼에 뚫는것이 기본이겠습니다. 이때의 상황에서 남자의 왼쪽 귀는 용기와 자부심의 상징으로 지키는 사람이라는 이미지가 있고 여성의 오른쪽 귀는 부드러움의 증거로 지켜지는 사람이라는 이미지가 있습니다. 오른손에 무기를 가지고 있었기 때문입니다.
Security personnel stand guard during a curfew imposed after protesters clashed with security forces in Imphal, Manipur, India, on June 5, 2026.
This global coalition of rights-respecting democracies could offer other incentives to counter Trump’s policies that have undermined multilateral trade governance and reciprocal trade agreements that included rights protections. Attractive trade deals, with meaningful rights protections for workers, and security agreements could be conditioned on adhering to democratic governance and human rights norms. Democracy already comes with benefits. While autocracies have generally fostered conflict, economic stagnation, or kleptocracy, as evidenced in multiple academic studies, including the work of the Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu, democratic institutions reliably yield economic growth.
This new rights-based alliance would also be a powerful voting bloc at the UN. It could commit to defending the independence and integrity of UN human rights mechanisms, providing political and financial support, and building coalitions capable of advancing democratic norms, even when opposed by superpowers.
Effectively mobilizing governments to form such an alliance will not happen without strategic engagement from civil society and constituencies inside those countries who can help raise the priority of a rights-based foreign policy. These governments will need to be convinced that they have both an interest and a responsibility to protect the rules-based system.
Projects of this nature are bubbling up. Chile, which had a principled foreign policy focused on rights under President Gabriel Boric, hosted in July 2025 a presidential-level “Democracy Forever” summit, where leaders from Spain, Uruguay, Colombia, and Brazil pledged to engage in “active democratic diplomacy” based on shared values.
The Hague Group, led by Malaysia, South Africa, and Colombia, formed in January 2025 in “defense of international law” and in solidarity with Palestinians. Over 70 countries from all regions signed a joint statement defending multilateralism at the UN. Earlier, in 2017, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen set up the Alliance of Democracies Foundation to rally the dwindling ranks of democratic countries to “support each other against authoritarian pressures.”
Whatever its precise contours, an alliance of rights-respecting democracies would offer a hopeful counterpoint to the authoritarian trope of China’s and Russia’s leaders standing alongside North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, observing military hardware in a parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in September. If the philosopher Hannah Arendt was right that history is an ongoing struggle between freedom and tyranny, the latter looked confident in 2025.
Yet, even in the worst of times, the idea of freedom and human rights is enduring. People power remains an engine for change. In the US, “No Kings” marches have drawn millions, protesters in Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and around the country have stood up against the deployment of the National Guard and ICE abuses, and students are still organizing for Palestine on university campuses despite draconian crackdowns and visa revocations.
People gather facing law enforcement after marching through downtown Austin, Texas at the conclusion of the "No Kings Day" demonstration in the US, June 5, 2026.
Buoyed by popular resistance, South Korean parliamentarians impeached their president to prevent him from grabbing power through martial law. Grassroots aid efforts by Sudan’s emergency response rooms, Hong Kong’s fire relief, Sri Lanka’s cyclone relief community kitchens, and Ukrainian mutual aid and solidarity collectives represent the best of this trend.
In 2025, Gen Z protests against corruption, inadequate public services, and poor governance in Nepal, Indonesia, and Morocco brought to the forefront the need for governments to listen to their youth and tackle corruption and inequality. But as the difficulties of restoring rights in Bangladesh after years under an authoritarian government illustrates, gains won through public mobilization can easily be lost unless democratic participation and free expression remain unassailable.
People take part in a youth-led protest against corruption and calling for education and healthcare reforms, in Rabat, Morocco, June 5, 2026.
Demonstrators outside Nepal's Parliament during a protest in Kathmandu condemning social media prohibitions and corruption by the government, June 5, 2026.
In this more hostile world, civil society is more critical than ever. It’s also increasingly endangered, particularly in an environment where funding is scarce. In 2025, Human Rights Watch was labeled “undesirable” and banned from operating in Russia. For partners in Egypt, Hong Kong, and India, these tactics are all too familiar. Restrictions on civil society and protest have become more commonplace in Europe, including the UK and France. And now, for the first time, many worry about risks associated with their operational presence in the US, where the Open Society Foundations, a major donor, have already been threatened, and the administration is preparing a list of “domestic terrorists” under overbroad guidance that could be interpreted to include the work of many progressive groups.
Breaking the authoritarian wave and standing up for human rights is a generational challenge. In 2026, it will play out most acutely in the US, with far-reaching consequences for the rest of the world. Fighting back will require a determined, strategic, and coordinated reaction from voters, civil society, multilateral institutions, and rights-respecting governments around the globe.
그런데 요즘은 남자 귀걸이 자체가 촌스러워 보여요., Human Rights Watch’s 36th annual review of human rights practices and trends around the globe, reviews developments in more than 100 countries.