Trump poses 'generational challenge' to global human rights: Human Rights Watch

HAMILTON, Canada

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday warned that global human rights protections are facing a "generational challenge," citing actions by the Trump administration alongside mounting pressure from China and Russia, as it released its World Report 2026.

The 529-page report reviewed human rights practices in over 100 countries and urged rights-respecting democracies to unite to preserve the rules-based international order.

Speaking at a news conference, HRW Executive Director Philippe Bolopion said that the year 2025 in many ways "felt like a tipping point. You know, a particularly dangerous moment, I would say, for human rights organizations, for the human rights movement."

Bolopion described a "perfect storm" driven by democratic backsliding, the global rise of illiberal powers, and the Trump administration's return to power.

"The US is less democratic. It's a global factor," he said.

"In just one year, it's actually incredible to see how the Trump administration has really undermined all the pillars of US democracy," Bolopion said, citing attacks on the judiciary, journalists, political opponents and universities, as well as efforts to undermine trust in elections.

Bolopion said US abuses have extended beyond its borders, pointing to "extrajudicial executions" and "the torture of Venezuelan migrants that were sent from the US to prisons in the Mega prison in El Salvador."

He also highlighted the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, where he said Israel has been "committing acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, (with) more than 70,000 people killed since the October 7 attack."

"Instead of pressuring the Israeli government to stop these crimes, the Trump administration is almost cheering on in some cases, even mentioning the possibility of turning Gaza into a Riviera of the Middle East," he added.

Bolopian further warned that "mass atrocities are back," noting that international institutions are being defunded and undermined, leaving the global human rights system increasingly vulnerable.