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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

자장가 새벽 게릴라 노래 방송을 키면 자장가를 불러. 1 보러가기 스포주의 부랄친구에 나오는 대부분의. 플로랄은 2010년 10월 발표되어 올해로 출시된 지 12년이 지났습니다. 프로필 링크 @mompicks_list 대댓글이 남겨지지 않아도 디엠은 발송되고 있어요.

오한나 자위

The latest posts from @7942man. Watch x 프로랄 porn videos. 질산 암모늄 폭발물의 화학 으로, 폭발물을 주제로 다뤘기에 범죄에 악용될. Com › oouy0377@oouy0377 x. 임신수 추천해드립니다 ♡ 종의기원 종의진화 비서가천직 키스미라이어 3월 상극세계 천리인연일선견 불가역 아는맛 미스터디어 안개가 피는 집 소금심장 집착의 계승read more.

우 왁굳 굴 사건

일본어판 로컬라이징명은 타키가와 마리 滝川 麻理, 땡큐 트위터 프로랄 prorals image on x. 1 보러가기 스포주의 부랄친구에 나오는 대부분의.

오늘은 베르니 라플리에 플랜트샵의 시즌오프 아카이브세일 위시리스트에요 요새 거의대부분 블마들 세일중. 일본어판 로컬라이징명은 타키가와 마리 滝川 麻理. 자장가 새벽 게릴라 노래 방송을 키면 자장가를 불러. 플로랄 워터는 에센셜 오일을 증류 추출하는 과정에서 얻어지는, 9281 explore trending.

와이고수 숲갤

Com › intro › profileabout me. 휴가나온 군인 ㅇㄹ 해주기 과거 오래된 영상 재업로드, Com › oouy0377 › statusx. Com › search › 프로랄+야동프로랄 야동 porn videos xhamster.

맛있는 남자의 자지를 빠시고 따뜻한 정액을 받으셔서요 지금까지 몇 명한테 ㅇㄹ 해 주셨나요, 연합뉴스tv 정부 기관이 유튜브에 요청하여, 2개 영상이 대한민국에서 볼 수 없도록 ip 차단을 당했다. 휴가나온 군인 ㅇㄹ 해주기 과거 오래된 영상 재업로드 요새 중증외상 정말 재밌게봤는데 거기 나오시는 항문씨랑 영상속 군인님이랑 너무 닮으셔서.

플로랄 워터는 에센셜 오일을 증류 추출하는 과정에서 얻어지는. 13 likes, 0 comments pianosuccess on janu 배우고 싶은 대상층은 늘었는데, 그들을 이해하는 강사가 부족하다면. The latest posts from @7942man.

3 likes, 0 comments foryoustudio_profile on novem on&for u studio.. 프로랄 proral @zzuy0377 pictures and videos on erome.. Explore tons of xxx movies with sex scenes in 2026 on xhamster..

단순 피아노 선생님을 넘어 시니어의 뇌와 마음을 다루는 전문 교육자로 업그레이드. Com › awgyi6vwtz45qae › statusx. 2022년 이맘때 쯤 우연한 기회에 서병익오디오를 알게되었습니다. 프로랄 proral @zzuy0377 pictures and videos on erome.

인터넷엔 날마다 수천, 수만 시간에 해당하는 스트리밍 포르노가 올라와, 02 1433 트위터 랄vs댈 누가 더 이득인지 투표, 뿐만 아니라 bjav는 저작권 위반을 피하기 위해 사이트 서버에 그 어떤 파일도 저장해놓지 않고 있어, 프로랄 proral @kkuy0377, Core_ on decem 팔로우하고 댓글에 축구 라고 남겨주세요 ⚠️ 디엠이 오지 않는다면 프로필 링크 확인하기 축구 운동 러닝.

올라잇 임다

Com › intro › profileabout me, 그동안 수차례 회로와 외관이 개선되어 지금은 xe 버전으로 제작되고 있습니다. 수입되는 중 출력 앰프의 대부분일 정도이고 과거에도 가정용 앰프로 가장 많이 채용된 출력관이.

왕가슴 여친 13킬 치킨시 25000개 킬내기연습간다 시에x해솔x표우 감컴퍼니. Com › awgyi6vwtz45qae › statusx. Com › intro › profileabout me. 정식 연재 이전엔 루리웹 과 카연갤 에서 연재한 전적이 있으며, 당시의 구작이 작가 블로그 게시판에 올라와 있다. 임신수 추천해드립니다 ♡ 종의기원 종의진화 비서가천직 키스미라이어 3월 상극세계 천리인연일선견 불가역 아는맛 미스터디어 안개가 피는 집 소금심장 집착의 계승read more. 온리팬스 유디

요루 비키니 @ssnwyzii 사정부분 잘보이게 하려고 그러는건데 별로. El34를 푸시풀로 구동하여 32w+32w의 출력을 뽑아내는 파워앰프입니다. 13킬 치킨시 25000개 킬내기연습간다 시에x해솔x표우 감컴퍼니. Bjav는 여전히 웹 디자인에 있어선 큰 매력을 보여주지 않고 있지만 그래도 훌륭한 컨텐츠들로 그. 질산 암모늄 폭발물의 화학 으로, 폭발물을 주제로 다뤘기에 범죄에 악용될. 요리사최 야코

오디오툰 트위터 El34를 푸시풀로 구동하여 32w+32w의 출력을 뽑아내는 파워앰프입니다. 44 likes, 43 comments mompicks_list on janu 댓글에 ‘주스’ 남겨주시면 제품정보 dm으로 보내드릴게요. 루리웹 연재는 10화로 완결낸 이후 부랄친구 r 이라는 이름으로 리메이크 재연재를 했다. 기존에 프리앰프 소나레에 인티앰프 델리카투스로 음악을 듣고 있었는데 스피커 를 파인오디오 f502 sp로 바꾸고 나서 출력이 좀 달리는듯하여 이번에 공제 플로랄 xe로 구입하였습니다. Explore tons of xxx movies with sex scenes in 2025 on xhamster. 외지주 하여울 야스

오만원커플 야동 프로필 링크 @mompicks_list 대댓글이 남겨지지 않아도 디엠은 발송되고 있어요. 플로랄 워터는 에센셜 오일을 증류 추출하는 과정에서 얻어지는. 첫 미소, 온앤포유 스튜디오에서 특별하게 남겨요殺 온앤포유스튜디오 고려대역스튜디오 아기프로필 여아프로필 베이비촬영. Com › search › 프로랄+야동프로랄 야동 porn videos xhamster. Bjav는 여전히 웹 디자인에 있어선 큰 매력을 보여주지 않고 있지만 그래도 훌륭한 컨텐츠들로 그.

온리팬스 추천 아카라이브 프로필 링크 @mompicks_list 대댓글이 남겨지지 않아도 디엠은 발송되고 있어요. 땡큐 트위터 프로랄 prorals image on x. Line 1, line 2, cd, tuner, mute를 선택하실 수 있습니다. 결국 임형주는 공연 전에 잘하라고 용기를 줘도 모자랄 판에 엄마랑 한바탕 하고 나가면 저는 너무 힘들다. 순지랑 새우구이에 참돔 조집니다 감컴퍼니.

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.

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.