A crisis of respect for human rights by OHCHR, United Nations News   23 Feb. 2026   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council:   "Human rights are under a full-scale attack around the world. The rule of law is being outmuscled by the rule of force. And this assault is not coming from the shadows. Or by surprise. It is happening in plain sight – and often led by those who hold the greatest power.   Around the world, human rights are being pushed back deliberately, strategically, and sometimes proudly. The consequences are devastating. Written in the lives of people who suffer twice: first from violence, oppression, or exclusion – and then again from the world’s indifference.   When human rights fall, everything else tumbles. Peace. Development. Social cohesion. Trust. Solidarity.   This is precisely why the tools of the Human Rights Council – such as the Special Rapporteurs, Special Procedures, investigative mechanisms, and the Universal Periodic Review –are essential.   And it is precisely why – as we mark the Council’s 20th anniversary – we also recognize it is more important than ever to translate geopolitical engagement into a path towards strengthening human rights everywhere.   Tomorrow, I shall address the UN Security Council on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where tens of thousands of civilians have been killed. It is more than past time to end the bloodshed.   I began this month speaking to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People about blatant violations of human rights, human dignity, and international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.   The current trajectory is stark, clear and purposeful: the two-State solution is being stripped away in broad daylight. The international community cannot allow this to happen.   And a few days ago, I was at the African Union Summit where Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sahel and other crises were front and centre.   We are living in a world where mass suffering is excused away … where humans are used as bargaining chips … where international law is treated as a mere inconvenience.   Conflicts are multiplying and impunity has become a contagion. That is not due to a lack of knowledge, tools or institutions. It is the result of political choices. This crisis of respect for human rights does not stand alone. It mirrors and magnifies every other global fracture.   Humanitarian needs are exploding while funding collapses. Inequalities are widening at staggering speed. Countries are drowning in debt and despair. Climate chaos is accelerating.   And technology – especially artificial intelligence – is increasingly being used in ways that suppress rights, deepen inequality, and expose marginalized people to new forms of discrimination both online and offline.   Across every front, those who are already vulnerable are being pushed further to the margins. And human rights defenders are among the first to be silenced when they try to warn us.   In this coordinated offensive, human rights are the first casualty. We see it in a tightening grip on civic space. Journalists and activists jailed. NGOs shut down. Women’s rights rolled back. Children’s rights ignored. Persons with disabilities excluded. Democracies eroding.   The right of peaceful assembly crushed – and I condemn once again the recent violent repression of protests in Iran.   Migrants harassed, arrested and expelled with total disregard for their human rights and their humanity. Refugees scapegoated. LGBTIQ+ communities vilified. Minorities and indigenous peoples targeted. Religious communities attacked. Online spaces poisoned by disinformation and hate – resulting in real-world harm.   Human rights are not a slogan for good times. They are a duty at all times. And so we must stand up for them – and even when it is difficult, inconvenient, or costly. That requires action on three urgent fronts.   First, we must defend our shared foundations – without compromise. The UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the instruments of international human rights law are not a menu. Leaders cannot pick the parts they like and ignore the rest.   And human rights themselves are also not divisible. Economic rights, social rights, cultural rights, civil rights and political rights – these are inherent, universal, inalienable, and interdependent.   Human rights are not only what we defend – they are what lifts the world to a better place. When rights are upheld, people live more freely. Economies grow more fairly. Communities trust more deeply. And peace and stability take hold because dignity takes root.   Human rights are not an obstacle to progress – they are essential to progress. We have seen it time and again, all over the world. Where rights advance, conflict loses ground. Where justice strengthens, violent extremism weakens. Where equality expands, possibility explodes. Where freedom prevails, societies flourish.   So we must change course and let human dignity set the direction. By renewing our commitment to – and respect for – the rule of law at every level. By supporting the pivotal work of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. By delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. By accelerating climate action.   Human rights are not West or East, North or South. They are not a luxury – they are not negotiable. They are the foundation of a more peaceful and secure world".   Feb. 2026   United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk statement to the Human Rights Council (Extract):   "The use of force to resolve disputes between and within countries is becoming normalized. Inflammatory threats against sovereign nations are thrown about, with no regard to the fire they could ignite.   The laws of war are being brutally violated. Mass civilian suffering – from Sudan, to Gaza, to Ukraine, to Myanmar – is unfolding before our eyes.   The situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. Palestinians are still dying from Israeli fire, cold, hunger, and treatable diseases. The aid allowed in is not enough to meet the massive needs.   There are concerns over ethnic cleansing in both Gaza and the West Bank, where Israel is accelerating efforts to consolidate unlawful annexation.   Tomorrow marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four interminable and agonizing years. Civilian casualties have soared, and Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy and water infrastructure could amount to international crimes.   In Myanmar, five years after the military coup, the awful conflict is claiming even more civilian lives, and the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The recent elections staged by the military have only deepened people’s despair.   Authorities in Iran have violently repressed mass protests with lethal force, killing thousands. Meanwhile, violence and tensions are resurging in South Sudan and Ethiopia.   In Sudan, there must be accountability for the war crimes and potential crimes against humanity committed by the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher. Such atrocities must not be repeated in Kordofan or elsewhere. All those with influence need to act urgently to put an end to this destructive war.   Across too many violent conflicts today, health and aid workers, journalists are being targeted, in blatant violation of international law. These actions cannot be allowed to become the new normal.   States need to be persistent objectors to violations of the law – by pursuing accountability, and by clearly denouncing egregious crimes with consistency, and without exception.   Developments around the world point to a deeply worrying trend: domination and supremacy are making a comeback.   If we listen to the rhetoric of some leaders, what lurks behind it is a belief that they are above the law, and above the UN Charter.   They claim exceptional status, exceptional danger or exceptional moral judgement to pursue their own agenda at any cost. And why wouldn’t they try, when they are unlikely to face consequences?   They build and sustain systems that perpetuate inequalities within and between countries. Some weaponise their economic leverage. They spread disinformation to distract, silence and marginalize.   A tight clique of tech tycoons controls an outsize proportion of global information flows, distorting public debate, markets, and even governance systems.   Corporate and state interests ravage our environment, robbing the riches of the earth for their own gain.   But people are not watching all this from the sidelines. They are demanding their right to basic living conditions, to fair pay, to bodily autonomy, to self-determination, to be heard, to vote freely, and many other rights.   From Nepal to Madagascar, from Serbia to Peru and beyond, people are demanding equality and denouncing corruption. People are protesting war and injustice in places far from home, expressing solidarity and pressuring their governments to act.   They see human rights as a practical force for good – and they are right. Human rights are anathema to supremacy: they are a direct challenge to those who seek and cling to power. That is what makes human rights radical, and that is what gives them force.   Human rights didn’t magically appear with the Universal Declaration on 10 December 1948. People have been seeking freedom and equality long before these principles were codified in national or international agreements.   In the late 1700s, enslaved people in modern-day Haiti rose up against colonial rule, in the name of racial equality. The American and French revolutions challenged unaccountable authority.   The Abolitionist movement was a rejection of the Transatlantic slave trade – the most brutal system of subjugation. In the early 1900s, women joined together to demand the right to vote. The fight for gender equality continues.   After the bloodshed of two World Wars and the Holocaust, the UN Charter reasserted faith in fundamental human rights, and in the dignity and worth of the human person.   The 20th century then ushered in a period of decolonization, which reaffirmed the right to self-determination. People mobilized to end racial segregation, for labour rights, and to protect the rights of LGBT people.   Mothers marched together to seek justice for their disappeared children, from Argentina to Sri Lanka to Syria. And young people raise their voices for climate justice.   Human rights are the thread that runs through all these movements. And we do not take their achievements for granted.   Tyranny will seize any chance and exploit any opening. We must keep standing up for human rights, in solidarity with each other.   When we come together, we wield more power than any autocrat or tech billionaire. The struggle for human rights can never be derailed by the whims of a handful of leaders with reactionary, supremacist agendas.   While some States are weakening the multilateral system, we need bolder and more joined-up responses. This means calling out violations of international law, regardless of the perpetrators. Too often, denouncing violations by one party is labelled as siding with the enemy. In reality, it is upholding universality, and the pursuit of justice for all.   We need to forge coalitions to champion what unites us, and uphold equality, dignity, and justice for all. Our future depends on our joint commitment to defend every person’s rights, every time, everywhere".   http://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statements/2026-02-23/secretary-generals-remarks-the-human-rights-council-delivered http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/02/high-commissioner-turk-opens-human-rights-council-peoples-pursuit http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/02/high-commissioner-turk-sudan-let-aid-and-keep-weapons-out http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/02/high-commissioner-turk-occupied-palestinian-territory-absence http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/02/high-commissioner-turk-afghanistan-must-end-persecution-women-and http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/letter-to-un-human-rights-council-members-on-atrocity-prevention-priorities-at-the-councils-61st-session/ Visit the related web page
	Holding power to account for the common good by Transparency International   Feb. 2026   Corruption is worsening globally, with even established democracies experiencing rising corruption amid a decline in leadership, according to Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published today. This annual index shows that the number of countries scoring above 80 has shrunk from 12 a decade ago to just five this year.   Our data show that democracies, typically stronger on anti-corruption than autocracies or flawed democracies, are experiencing a worrying decline in performance. This trend spans countries such as the United States (64), Canada (75) and New Zealand (81), to various parts of Europe, like the United Kingdom (70), France (66) and Sweden (80).   Another concerning pattern is increasing restrictions by many states on freedoms of expression, association and assembly. Since 2012, 36 of the 50 countries with significant declines in CPI scores have also experienced a reduction in civic space.   2025 saw a wave of anti-corruption protests led by Gen Z, mostly in countries in the bottom half of the CPI whose scores have largely stagnated or declined over the past decade. Young people in countries such as Nepal (34) and Madagascar (25) took to the streets to criticise leaders for abusing their power while failing to deliver decent public services and economic opportunity.   Transparency International is warning that the absence of bold leadership in the global fight against corruption is weakening international anti-corruption action, and risks reducing pressure for reform in countries throughout the world.   François Valerian, Chair of Transparency International said:   “Corruption is not inevitable. Our research and experience as a global movement fighting corruption show there is a clear blueprint for how to hold power to account for the common good, from democratic processes and independent oversight to a free and open civil society. At a time when we’re seeing a dangerous disregard for international norms from some states, we’re calling on governments and leaders to act with integrity and live up to their responsibilities to provide a better future for people around the world.”   Transparency International is calling for:   Renewed political leadership on anti-corruption, including the full enforcement of laws, implementation of international commitments, and reforms that strengthen transparency, oversight and accountability.   Protection of civic space, by ending attacks on journalists, NGOs and whistleblowers, and stopping efforts to restrict independent civil society work.   Close the secrecy loopholes that let corrupt money move across borders, including by reining in professional gatekeepers and ensuring transparency on who really owns companies, trusts and assets.   In many European countries, anti-corruption efforts have largely stalled over the past decade. Since 2012, 13 countries in western Europe and the EU have significantly declined, and only seven have significantly improved.   In December 2025, the EU agreed its first Anti-Corruption Directive to harmonise criminal laws on corruption. What could have been a zero-tolerance framework was watered down by some member states, including Italy (53), which blocked the criminalisation of public officials’ abuse of office. The result: a framework that lacks ambition, clarity and enforceability.   The United States (64) sustained its downward slide to its lowest-ever score. Although 2025 developments are not yet fully reflected, actions targeting independent voices and undermining judicial independence raise serious concerns. Beyond the CPI findings, the temporary freeze and weakening of enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act signal tolerance for corrupt business practices, while cuts to US aid for overseas civil society have weakened global anti-corruption efforts. Political leaders elsewhere have taken this as a cue to further restrict NGOs, journalists and other independent voices.   High CPI scores do not guarantee that countries are corruption-free, as several top-scoring nations enable corruption in other countries by facilitating the laundering and transfer of proceeds of corruption across borders, which the CPI does not cover. For example, Switzerland (80) and Singapore (84) are among the top scorers, but have faced scrutiny for facilitating the movement of dirty money.   In the last decade, politicised interference with the operations of NGOs has scaled up in countries such as Georgia (50), Indonesia (34) and Peru (30) where governments introduced new laws to limit access to funding, or even weaken organisations that scrutinise and criticise them. Such laws are often paired with smear campaigns and intimidation.   In countries like Tunisia (39), civic space is shrinking through administrative, judicial and financial pressures that constrain NGOs, even without new restrictive laws.   In these contexts, it is harder for independent journalists, civil society organisations and whistleblowers to speak out against corruption and more likely that corrupt officials can continue misusing their power. Transparency International chapters in Russia (22) and Venezuela (10) have been forced into exile due to repression of civil society.   Such restrictive environments not only silence critics and watchdogs but also create real dangers for those who dare to expose wrongdoing.   Since 2012, 150 journalists covering corruption-related stories in non-conflict zones have been murdered – nearly all of these in countries with high corruption levels.   The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The global average score stands at 42 out of 100, its lowest level in more than a decade, pointing to a concerning downward trend that will need to be monitored over time.   The vast majority of countries are failing to keep corruption under control: more than two-thirds – 122 out of 180 – score under 50.   For the eighth year in a row, Denmark obtains the highest score on the index (89) and is closely followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).   Countries with the lowest scores overwhelmingly have severely repressed civil societies and high levels instability like South Sudan (9), Somalia (9) and Venezuela (10).   Since 2012, 50 countries have seen their scores significantly decline in the index: those which dropped the most include Turkiye (31), Hungary (40) and Nicaragua (14). They reflect a decade-long, structural weakening of integrity mechanisms, fuelled by democratic backsliding, conflict, institutional fragility and entrenched patronage networks. These declines are sharp, enduring and difficult to reverse, as corruption becomes systemic and deeply embedded in both political and administrative structures.   Since 2012, 31 countries have significantly improved their scores on the index: among the biggest improvers were Estonia (76), South Korea (63) and Seychelles (68). The long-term improvements in democratic countries like these reflect sustained momentum with reforms, strengthened oversight institutions and broad political consensus in favour of clean governance.   http://www.transparency.org/en/press/corruption-perceptions-index-2025-decline-leadership-undermining-global-fight http://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2025 http://www.transparency.org/en/blog/corruption-united-states-global-leader-trump-first-year http://www.transparency.org/en/our-national-chapters Visit the related web page
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