In its annual report, the human rights organization writes that election results and conflicts last year challenged the "integrity of democratic institutions and the principles of human rights and humanitarian law" – and that many governments "did not pass the test".
In countries such as Russia, India, and Venezuela, oppression is increasing – as is the devastation of war and humanitarian disasters in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine.
It's not just dictatorships and authoritarian regimes that get a slap on the wrist. Even liberal democratic countries have, according to HRW, proven to be "not always reliable champions of human rights at home or abroad".
For example, the US is pointed out for its support of Israel's war in Gaza.
Now there is also a risk that Trump will "repeat and even worsen the serious human rights violations during his first term". This could also lead to other leaders in different parts of the world following suit.
HRW's CEO Tirana Hassan says that an American withdrawal from multilateral systems would create "a real vacuum, which will be filled by opportunistic actors like China".
