Human Rights

Just Security’s expert authors offer in-depth analysis on critical human rights challenges, including those related to armed conflict, emerging technologies, abuses by authoritarian governments, repression of human rights advocates and independent media, human rights litigation, racial justice, gender equality, and more.

× Clear Filters
3,201 Articles
Guterres speaks at a podium in the massive General Assembly hall, on a large dais at the base of a gold backdrop stretching to the high ceiling, his image also projected on screens behind him, as member state representatives are seated at long rows of desks arrayed in front of the dais.

As U.N. Secretary-General Candidates Make Pitch to be Mediator-in-Chief, Will Peacebuilding End Up On the Cutting Room Floor?

A U.N. pivot back to conflict mediation, suggested in the secretary-general search, will only reap dividends if peacebuilding is high on the next leader's agenda.
Journalists line up with cameras on tripods in the foreground, facing an armored vehicle in the distance at the other end of what looks like a cement-paved alley.

As Governments Silence Critics During War, Writers Are Among the First to Pay the Price

Crackdowns on writers, culture, and free expression during war emerged as a key trend in PEN America's 2025 data for the latest annual Freedom to Write Index.
Members of the U.S. Colored Troops and Buffalo Soldiers — living historians and reenactors — stand in silhouette against a blue sky, rifles at their sides, as one figure carries a period American flag bearing the text "54th Regiment," before marching in the Juneteenth People's Parade in Washington, DC.

Jubilee Deferred: What Juneteenth Demands of America at 250

Juneteenth commemorates emancipation. Jubilee demands something more: a society in which access, opportunity and economic and political power are secure rather than contingent.
People attend a Trans Day of Visibility rally in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2025.

The Collateral Damage of Anti-Trans Policymaking

From healthcare bans to funding cuts, the consequences of hate-driven policymaking opposing transgender rights ripple broadly across communities.
Youths gather in front of a burning barricade on Duncairn Gardens on June 9, 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland’s Racist Violence Has a Familiar Playbook

In Northern Ireland, a horrific crime is being manipulated to justify racist violence and the targeting of migrants.
A bronze sign marks the visitors' entrance to the U.S. Trade Representative's office on August 18, 2024, in Washington, DC.

The Cynicism Behind the Administration’s Proposed Forced Labor Tariffs

The labor issues the U.S. Trade Representative claims to investigate are real problems. They should not become pretexts for tariffs the administration already wants.

Key Questions on U.S. Killing Tren de Aragua Leader Inside Venezuela

Does the killing of Tren de Aragua's leader by the U.S. military in Venezuela constitute murder? An extrajudicial killing? What was its purported legal basis?

Making Syria’s Transitional Justice Process Meaningful for Survivors and Communities

One of the central questions facing Syria is whether its emerging justice system can earn the trust of those in whose name it is being built.
Senegalese peacekeepers of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) patrol near Carnot on May 28, 2026.

US-Central African Republic Deportation Agreement Escalates Attack on Immigrants and Puts Lives at Risk

Congress should demand transparency and require the U.S. government to publicly release third-country deportation agreements, including with the Central African Republic. 
A close-up of arms raised and linked, hands clasped, a few donning bracelets or small tattoos, on activists wearing colorful clothing.

Protecting Environmental Rights Defenders Is Key to Giving Communities a Voice

Environmental human rights defenders must be empowered to design and implement their own forms of collective protection to shift the power imbalance.
A city with a blue network.

Beyond Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Gender, and the Governance of Digital Economies in ASEAN

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women is quietly becoming a normative force in the governance of digital economies.
Members of the National Guard patrol around the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on March 26, 2026 in Washington, DC.

A Year Later: The Stakes of Ordering Military Personnel to Police American Streets

One year since Trump sent the National Guard to LA, a new report warns military deployments for domestic policing produce escalation, disillusionment, and politicization.
1-12 of 3,201 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: