Attacks against human right defenders have reached record levels over the past year, according to a new report issued on Wednesday by the UN human rights office, OHCHR .
Preliminary data indicates that some 950 human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists were killed or forcibly disappeared worldwide in 2025, more than double the number a decade ago.
These and other alarming trends are highlighted in Human Rights Count 2026 , OHCHR 's latest global dataset documenting attacks on defenders, civilian deaths in conflicts, patterns of discrimination worldwide and the state of institutions tasked with protecting universal human rights.
Key takeaways:
- Every 10 hours, a human rights defender, journalist or trade unionist is killed or disappeared
- Every hour, a child dies in armed conflict
- One in five people have experienced discrimination in the past year
- Violence against human rights defenders has reached record levels, with at least 5,995 killed since 2015
Read the full report here .
Humanitarian affairs under the spotlight
Working towards bolstering the UN's work around the world, the Economic and Social Council began on Wednesday its annual three-day-long humanitarian affairs segment , where Member States, the UN system, partners and the private sector gathered to discuss challenges and opportunities ahead.
