Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a serious warning: the world’s human rights system is under threat. The organizations and rules that protect freedoms and support rights defenders are being eroded by the rise of autocracy and pressure from powerful countries.
According to HRW’s World Report 2026, about 72% of the world’s population now lives under some form of autocratic rule, governments where leaders have strong, unchecked power. This makes it harder to protect freedom, justice, and equality worldwide.
HRW highlights three major countries exerting pressure on the global human rights system. In the United States, democratic checks have weakened, and free speech, courts, and elections have faced attacks. In China, authorities control speech, religion, and civil society tightly, both at home and abroad. In Russia, opposition groups and civil society face repression, and international human rights institutions are under attack.These countries show little respect for rules and institutions that limit power, making it easier for authoritarian governments to grow.
The erosion of the human rights system directly affects people’s lives. Rights defenders and NGOs face funding cuts, restrictions, or even bans. Civic space, where people can speak freely and protest, is shrinking.
Even democratic countries are weakening protections through political polarization, protest restrictions, and discriminatory policies. This makes it harder for activists to protect ordinary people and uphold global human rights standards.
HRW urges democracies and rights-respecting countries to work together to support global human rights institutions, protect civil society and rights defenders, and stand against authoritarian governments. Civil society and grassroots movements are also key to protecting freedom, from protests in the U.S. to movements across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
If global human rights rules continue to weaken, people everywhere risk losing basic protections like freedom of speech, equality before the law, and human dignity. HRW warns that the future of human rights depends on renewed cooperation, democracy, and support for those defending freedom worldwide.
