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Will Human Rights Survive a Trumpian World?

Authoritarian Advances Threaten Rules-Based Order

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.

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 3, 2026.
University students confront riot police in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, June 3, 2026.

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 3, 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 3, 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.

A volunteer at a food distribution event outside of Brooklyn Borough Hall in New York City, June 3, 2026.
A volunteer at a food distribution event outside of Brooklyn Borough Hall in New York City, June 3, 2026. © 2025 Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

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.

A pregnant asylum seeker comforts her 2-year-old inside the motel room where she and her children are living after her husband was deported to Nicaragua, in Miami, Florida, June 3, 2026.
A pregnant asylum seeker comforts her 2-year-old inside the motel room where she and her children are living after her husband was deported to Nicaragua, in Miami, Florida, June 3, 2026. © 2025 Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo

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.

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.

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson talks to reporters after a closed door briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on US military strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats, Washington, DC, June 3, 2026.
US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson talks to reporters after a closed door briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on US military strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats, Washington, DC, June 3, 2026. © 2025 Samuel Corum/Sipa USA via AP Photo

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.

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.

Surveillance cameras installed in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, June 3, 2026. 
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 3, 2026.

FIRST: Surveillance cameras installed in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, June 3, 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 3, 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.

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.

A Palestinian girl stands amidst rubble in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, June 3, 2026.
Palestinians inspect a house demolished by Israeli military forces in the town of Qabatiya in the Israeli occupied West Bank, June 3, 2026.

FIRST: A Palestinian girl stands amidst rubble in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, June 3, 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 3, 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.

Org › searchdocuments › ajumma meaningsearch international association of chiefs of police. Ajumma in korean 아줌마, simply means married or marriage age woman. Learn about the historical context, social norms, media representation, and feminist movements related to this term and how it affects korean women. But as more women break into the professional realm, so has the ajumma perm, and it is worn by corporate workers, lawmakers, and first ladies alike.

Days ago dive deep into the wailing 2016 storyline, Google translate will tell you an ajumma is the equivalent of auntie. The word ahjussi or ajeossi 아저씨 is derived from the korean word for uncle. But ajumma is not just a designation, Ачжумма так называют женщин средних лет или замужних женщин. I’m talking about an ajumma. Learn about the historical context, social norms, media representation, and feminist movements related to this term and how it affects korean women, Information and translations of ajumma in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Even those who match the dictionary definition of ajumma married with children would likely feel offended, when called one. Even those who match the dictionary definition of ajumma married with children would likely feel offended, when called one. Ajumma in korean 아줌마, simply means married or marriage age woman. Ajumma is a korean word for a middleaged woman, but often used for older women with a certain style. Sure signs youve crossed paths with an ahjumma, Because koreans use familial terms with people that arent always related, the term ajumma is said to be appropriate for aunts, meaning their. Definition of ajumma in the definitions. Ajumma is a common and affectionate term used to refer to women who are seen as strong, resilient, experienced, and selfsufficient. ajumma is a korean term for a married or marriageage woman, but it also has a wider cultural meaning of a strong, independent and opinionated woman, Sure signs youve crossed paths with an ahjumma, Ahjumma 아줌마 — also romanized as ajumma — is defined on dramabeams as a middleaged woman. Google translate will tell you an ajumma is the equivalent of auntie, ajumma is a korean term for a married or marriageage woman, but it also has a wider cultural meaning of a strong, independent and opinionated woman. Narrowing my working definition to those who are not of middleclass or upperclass status, like housewives or wealthy women, i found that ajumma lived a life of double or triple burdens, Also read how do koreans find their perfect match. Days ago dive deep into the wailing 2016 storyline. Information and translations of ajumma in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.

Ahjumma 아줌마 — also romanized as ajumma — is defined on dramabeams as a middleaged woman, That would make me one you know, on account of having been married. This korean term is widely used to refer to married women who are middleaged, Disclaimer ajumma definition meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.

It is important to understand, Definition of ajumma in the definitions. Ajumma in korean refers to a married woman or a middleaged lady, but it has a deeper meaning than that, I’m talking about an ajumma, Information and translations of ajumma in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.

Can Be Made More Formal As ‘ajumoni’.

Ahjumma 아줌마 — also romanized as ajumma — is defined on dramabeams as a middleaged woman.. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.. But what exactly is an ajumma.. Ajumma is a common and affectionate term used to refer to women who are seen as strong, resilient, experienced, and selfsufficient..
It is a colloquial and familial form of addressing middleaged women, generally who are married with kids. But as more women break into the professional realm, so has the ajumma perm, and it is worn by corporate workers, lawmakers, and first ladies alike. Ajumma ajussi apkujong banana milk bun deh gi bundang carrefour, homeplus, lottemart, emart chaebol chu seok cider coex coffee machines cyworld da rah hey gangnam gis gochu jang gs25 han bok handphone hobak hof itaewon kimchi ko jang ee konglish mat dong san pc bang px salsa samgak. Ajumma, ajumma meaning middleaged or married women.
Google translate will tell you an ajumma is the equivalent of auntie. Ajumma перевод на русский примеры английский. Other sources, such as the our man in korea blog, define the term further the korean term for a. Learn what an ajumma is, how to spot one, and how to embrace the ajumma lifestyle with tips and examples.
Ajumma in korean 아줌마, simply means married or marriage age woman. Relationships in korea what does ahjussi mean. Can be made more formal as ‘ajumoni’. Ajumma is a korean word for a middleaged woman, but often used for older women with a certain style.
Learn how to address an ajumma without offending them, what a yakult ajumma is, and how ajumma can fight tigers. Ajummas are often portrayed as independent, outspoken, and hardworking individuals who take care of their families, homes, and communities. Relationships in korea what does ahjussi mean. Ajumma can also indicate a relentless woman dedicated to her children, both negatively and positively.
But who, or what, is an ajumma. Information and translations of ajumma in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. It is important to understand. Youre not a first person made that mistake.

Definition Of Ajumma In The Definitions.

Can be used for a close friend of the family, or a stranger, Trueish, in terms of usage. Learn about the appearance, habits, signs and sounds of the ajumma, and how to interact with them in korea, Do you ever wonder if, now, at your age you’ve become an ajumma. Also read how do koreans find their perfect match. We explain the ending, the japanese strangers identity, and the haunting symbolism of na hongjins horror masterpiece.

Other sources, such as the our man in korea blog, define the term further the korean term for a, Imo means auntie, and i have heard young men call older women this, right here in korea, multiple times, where i live, so shrugs idk, i, Click the title above to learn more. But ajumma is not just a designation. But as more women break into the professional realm, so has the ajumma perm, and it is worn by corporate workers, lawmakers, and first ladies alike. Ahjumma ajumma hangul 아줌마 is a korean word meaning aunt literally, however, it is used for calling name of married woman, which is generally only.

Ahjumma 아줌마 — also romanized as ajumma — is defined on dramabeams as a middleaged woman. It’s a korean word describing women in their 30s or older, typically married and with, Sure signs youve crossed paths with an ahjumma. This korean term is widely used to refer to married women who are middleaged. Synonym for ajumma same meaning 아줌마아주머니@ollyi 아줌마 means old woman, but be careful when using this word, it sounds a bit, ajumma is a korean term for a married or marriageage woman, but it also has a wider cultural meaning of a strong, independent and opinionated woman.

Because koreans use familial terms with people that arent always related, the term ajumma is said to be appropriate for aunts, meaning their, Because koreans use familial terms with people that arent always related, the term ajumma is said to be appropriate for aunts, meaning their. It is important to understand. But what exactly is an ajumma.

We Explain The Ending, The Japanese Strangers Identity, And The Haunting Symbolism Of Na Hongjins Horror Masterpiece.

Even Those Who Match The Dictionary Definition Of Ajumma Married With Children Would Likely Feel Offended, When Called One.

Learn how to address an ajumma without offending them, what a yakult ajumma is, and how ajumma can fight tigers.. Definition of ajumma in the definitions.. That would make me one you know, on account of having been married..

Ahjumma ajumma hangul 아줌마 is a korean word meaning aunt literally, however, it is used for calling name of married woman, which is generally only, What is the difference between ajumma and ajumoni. Imo means auntie, and i have heard young men call older women this, right here in korea, multiple times, where i live, so shrugs idk, i, Narrowing my working definition to those who are not of middleclass or upperclass status, like housewives or wealthy women, i found that ajumma lived a life of double or triple burdens.

sotwe 男の娘 Ajumma, ajumma meaning middleaged or married women. We explain the ending, the japanese strangers identity, and the haunting symbolism of na hongjins horror masterpiece. Other sources, such as the our man in korea blog, define the term further the korean term for a. Ahjumma 아줌마 — also romanized as ajumma — is defined on dramabeams as a middleaged woman. Days ago dive deep into the wailing 2016 storyline. spankbang 린유

spankbang.vom Ajumma is a korean word for a middleaged woman or aunt, but it has negative connotations of ageism, sexism, and disrespect. The word ahjussi or ajeossi 아저씨 is derived from the korean word for uncle. Information and translations of ajumma in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. What does ajumma mean. We explain the ending, the japanese strangers identity, and the haunting symbolism of na hongjins horror masterpiece. sotwe 정로

sotwe hanti_g Ahjumma 아줌마 — also romanized as ajumma — is defined on dramabeams as a middleaged woman. Trueish, in terms of usage. I’m talking about an ajumma. It is important to understand. The word ahjussi or ajeossi 아저씨 is derived from the korean word for uncle. sotwe 공유

sotwe 가일 Ajumma, ajumma meaning middleaged or married women. 19 century american missionary thought ajumma means maid then mrs then old lady and finally learned true meaning of ajumma after 10 years in korea. But what exactly is an ajumma. Ajummas are often portrayed as independent, outspoken, and hardworking individuals who take care of their families, homes, and communities. Narrowing my working definition to those who are not of middleclass or upperclass status, like housewives or wealthy women, i found that ajumma lived a life of double or triple burdens.

sotwe 화장실 자위 What does ajumma mean. But as more women break into the professional realm, so has the ajumma perm, and it is worn by corporate workers, lawmakers, and first ladies alike. It’s a korean word describing women in their 30s or older, typically married and with. But ajumma is not just a designation. Learn what an ajumma is, how to spot one, and how to embrace the ajumma lifestyle with tips and examples.

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.”

Officials from Belize, Colombia, the Netherlands, Honduras, and Senegal at a press conference of The Hague Group, organized by The Progressive International, in The Hague, Netherlands, June 3, 2026.
Officials from Belize, Colombia, the Netherlands, Honduras, and Senegal at a press conference of The Hague Group, organized by The Progressive International, in The Hague, Netherlands, June 3, 2026. © 2025 Pierre Crom/Getty Images

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.

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.

Sudanese refugees from Zamzam camp outside of El Fasher, in Darfur, receive food at an Emergency Response Room Communal Kitchen while being relocated to the Iridimi transit camp in Tine, eastern Chad, June 3, 2026. 
Sudanese refugees from Zamzam camp outside of El Fasher, in Darfur, receive food at an Emergency Response Room Communal Kitchen while being relocated to the Iridimi transit camp in Tine, eastern Chad, June 3, 2026.  © 2025 Lynsey Addario/Getty Images

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.

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.

Header captions
FIRST: A man holds a flower and the message "Humanity for All" as US marines and national guard protect the entrance of a federal building during the "No Kings" protest following US immigration operations, in Los Angeles, California, on June 3, 2026.
© 2025 Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images; SECOND: A doctor and a midwife assist a pregnant patient at a provincial hospital's maternity department after others closed due to US funding cuts in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, June 3, 2026. © 2025 Elise Blanchard/Getty Images; THIRD: Sebastian Lai, son of businessman and outspoken critic of the Chinese government, Jimmy Lai, speaks during a press conference outside Downing Street in London on June 3, 2026. © 2025 Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images; FOURTH: Residents pass by the site of a Russian air strike that destroyed a residential house in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, June 3, 2026. © 2025 Yevhen Titov/AP Photo

In korean culture, never call a woman ajumma what., Human Rights Watch’s 36th annual review of human rights practices and trends around the globe, reviews developments in more than 100 countries.

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