In January 2026 we held the 20th annual human rights dialogue in partnership with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland. In this video playlist, participants of this dialogue explore the fundamental connection between human rights, peace, security, and development, arguing that these cannot be addressed in isolation. The Critical role of human rights defenders is discussed, and participants call of governments to publicly champion human rights protection at the highest levels, arguing that a clear commitment from leadership would signal to other state institutions that this is a genuine priority.
Participants also highlight the urgent intersection of climate change and human rights, emphasising that environmental instability threatens a wide range of fundamental rights and that solutions must be rights-based and rooted in climate justice. Participants share a common vision of a world where decision-makers resist siloed thinking in favour of greater collaboration, and where human rights serve not as abstract ideals, but as a reliable foundation of everyday life for current and future generations.
Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli (Head of Human Rights, Democracy and Humanitarian Diplomacy, FDFD), Tanja Leikas-Botta (Director, Unit for Human Rights Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland), Max Han (Co-Founder, Youth United for Earth), and Hassan Shire (Executive Director, DefendDefenders) discuss the key points.