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.

이름도 출신도 없이 태어난 손오공은 천지의 법도를 어기고, 부처와 신의 권위에 도전한다. 이후 장난감 제조를 의뢰받은 후 1986년 서울화학으로 사명을 변경했다. 원조 성우 유준호 스킬 쇼케이스 세븐나이츠 리버스 개발진의 지금 만나러 갑니다. 이후 장난감 제조를 의뢰받은 후 1986년 서울화학으로 사명을 변경했다.

광우상사 야동

고희서 ㅇㄷ

굴 사태

손오공에서는 고객님들 및 업체 여러분들의 빠르고 정확한 제휴제안을 위하여 해당 서비스를 운영하고 있습니다.. 손오공 어린이 완구 전문 기업, 터닝메카드와 헬로카봇 등의 완구 신제품, 닌텐도, 디아블로, 오버워치 게임유통 및 정보 제공..

굴포차 멤버

손오공 어렸을 때부터 세상과 떨어져 지내느라 세상 물정을 몰랐을 뿐, 저능아는 아니었음 손육공 싸움밖에 모르는 저능아가 됨, 뭔가 여기에서도 진중한 내용의 가사와 글자색이나 글씨체,애니메이션 부분에서 세븐틴이 전하고자 하는 내용이 잘 전달되는 것 같다잘 만들었네. Net › news › articleview손오공, 대구 롯데마트 닌텐도 매장 리뉴얼&mldr.

고희서 자위

Com손오공 토토 주소손오공 도메인손오공벳 사이트.. 맨몸 ver 택배비 4000원 편의점택배 2300원.. 이 매력적인 플랫폼 게임에서 플레이어는 전설적인 원숭이 왕 sun wukong의 역할을 맡아 위험한 틈새와 플랫폼으로 가득 찬 세계를 통해 모험적인 여행을 시작합니다..

바다이야기 게임,손오공 릴게임,황금성게임,오션파라다이스게임,야마토게임,알라딘 릴게임,백경 게임,다빈치,신천지,알라딘, 10원 100원 릴게임 부동의 1위 사이트,모바일 pc 모두가능,가입이벤트 제공합니다. 손오공 어린이 완구 전문 기업, 터닝메카드와 헬로카봇 등의 완구 신제품, 닌텐도, 디아블로, 오버워치 게임유통 및 정보 제공. 이후 장난감 제조를 의뢰받은 후 1986년 서울화학으로 사명을 변경했다. Net 에서 신뢰할 수 있는 메이저사이트 정보를 제공합니다.

국산 트위터 야동 두번째 손오공 포토 이벤트는 손오공 제품의 포토리뷰를 올리면 된다. 뭔가 여기에서도 진중한 내용의 가사와 글자색이나 글씨체,애니메이션 부분에서 세븐틴이 전하고자 하는 내용이 잘 전달되는 것 같다잘 만들었네. 손오공 is an online casino that continuously strives to provide you with the best possible range of online slots from different suppliers, all in one fun, easytouse place. Resultados de búsqueda para □모바일 온라인손오공게임㎯beijingking. 맨몸 ver 택배비 4000원 편의점택배 2300원. 귀두 비난

귀멸의칼날 움짤 초 net is not affiliated with or endorsed by bandai namco entertainment inc. 손오공은 미청년과 미중년, 근육질이 가미된 입체적인 캐릭터이기 때문에 이러한 오공의 특징을 모두 다 살려낸 김환진 성우의 후광이 너무나도 압도적. 천하의 블리자드가 뭐가 아쉬워서 손오공에게 쩔쩔매냐 할 수도 있지만 손오공ib pc방 영업망은 상당한 수준이다. 신규 가입 회원에게 다양한 쿠폰 혜택과 무료 체험 이벤트를 제공합니다. Dragon ball japanese ドラゴンボール, hepburn doragon bōru is a japanese media franchise created by akira toriyama. 국산 야동 트위터

구선우 kissjav Webp 이름 손오공 출시시기 얼리엑세스 초창기 해금방법 눈. 손오공 어렸을 때부터 세상과 떨어져 지내느라 세상 물정을 몰랐을 뿐, 저능아는 아니었음 손육공 싸움밖에 모르는 저능아가 됨. 바다이야기 게임,손오공 릴게임,황금성게임,오션파라다이스게임,야마토게임,알라딘 릴게임,백경 게임,다빈치,신천지,알라딘, 10원 100원 릴게임 부동의 1위 사이트,모바일 pc 모두가능,가입이벤트 제공합니다. Ll 초사이어인 갓 손오공 & 히트 어빌리티 소개｜news. Net┃모바일 바다이야기 프로그램†모바일황금성㎩모바일 바다이야기 고래㎖양귀비게임설명⌒모바일. 공유와잎 sex

괴물 소녀 에우헤니아 Resultados de búsqueda para ■모바일 온라인손오공게임. Net 가입코드 kk14 아벤카지노도메인. 사황 손오공의 쿠폰 분신술 현장 공개 세븐나이츠 리버스 돌아온 사황 손오공. 손오공은 미청년과 미중년, 근육질이 가미된 입체적인 캐릭터이기 때문에 이러한 오공의 특징을 모두 다 살려낸 김환진 성우의 후광이 너무나도 압도적. 국내 인프라가 전무하다시피한 라이엇 게임즈가 리그 오브 레전드를 pc방에서 빠르게 정착할 수 있었던 것도 손오공 덕분이다.

교복 소녀에게 밟히고 싶어! Net┃모바일 바다이야기 프로그램†모바일황금성㎩모바일 바다이야기 고래㎖양귀비게임설명⌒모바일. Net 등록번호 서울 아00119 등록일 20051111 발행일 200511. 손오공 어렸을 때부터 세상과 떨어져 지내느라 세상 물정을 몰랐을 뿐, 저능아는 아니었음 손육공 싸움밖에 모르는 저능아가 됨. 손오공, 사옥 매각으로 추가 340억 확보ip모빌리티 신사업. 투니버스에서 무슨 극장판 나올 때 처음으로 브로리 보고 개 무서웠었음 엄청 센놈인데 말도 없어서 그 임팩트가 너무 컸나봐.

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.