Protecting human rights under immense pressure

In 2024 human rights faced unprecedented pressure. 

Thousands of children had to hide from bombardments as armed conflict and political violence surged to a level not seen since World War II. Climate-driven extreme weather events affected the basic rights of vulnerable communities across the globe as 2024 became the hottest year on record.

Populist movements targeted people based on their race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation in every corner of the world.

Six billion people now live in countries where the rule of law is weaker than it was in 2016. Global freedom declined for the 18th consecutive year. Civic space is shrinking; the environment for human rights defenders remains extremely dangerous. Fuelled by AI, misinformation and fake news posed serious threats to elections across continents in 2024.  

Understanding and responding to these threats need to be rooted in universal principles of human rights, international humanitarian law and the general rule of law. But the very system we rely on to protect people everywhere is also falling under attack.

From Gaza and Ukraine to Sudan and Myanmar, the rules of war are being “largely ignored”, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Hungary is exiting the International Criminal Court. Switzerland is declining to follow the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in an important climate case. 

Legal protections of vulnerable groups are being questioned. Regimes are rejecting UN interventions.  

And the self-proclaimed champion of the liberal world order and leader of the free world, the USA, has started attacking and undermining the UN system, human rights, and the very world order they claim to protect.

“We are”, as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk said, when he visited Danish Institute for Human Rights “at an existential moment when it comes to human rights.”

Rarely have human rights been under such intense pressure as today; rarely have we needed them as much as we do. As resistance to human rights grows around the world, there is all the more reason to support the institutions and systems that safeguard our democracy and the rule of law.

National Human Rights Institutions like Danish Institute for Human Rights were born out of a need to translate the international ideals to national contexts. A need for a new kind of organization with a mandate to monitor human rights in individual countries, educate populations, and guide policymakers.

National Human Rights Institutions spread significantly in the aftermath of the Cold War amid a wave of democratization and peace. Even though the times are changing, and the pressure is mounting, we keep promoting and protecting human rights.

In this annual report we want to illustrate how Danish Institute for Human Rights uses our unique mandate to work internationally with partners to:

• uphold principles of international law, democracy, and the rule of law.
• promote human rights obligations and responsibilities in the context of climate change.
• support authorities in managing prison systems in accordance with international human rights standards and provide legal aid to thousands of citizens.
• amplify the voices of human rights defenders and monitor their environment.

We want to show you that in times of trouble, our mission stays the same. As an independent state institution mandated to promote and protect human rights, we will act as a guardian of this system and the rights of people everywhere.