In association with The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Background
In January 2026, over 50 key stakeholders from different sectors including the UN system, governments, civil society, academia, youth movements and the private sector met for the 20th annual human rights dialogue, held in partnership with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland.
This event provided an opportunity for human rights practitioners to take stock of the impact that recent geopolitical developments have had on the international human rights system and consider possible scenarios of how the situation might evolve.
Over two days of highly interactive discussions, participants exchanged inter-regional and inter-generational knowledge and best practice on building popular support for human rights and building human rights considerations into security and other policies. The event coincided with the World Economic Forum at Davos, where key speeches triggered and influenced inspiring reflections and recommendations for action.
Summary
Profound disruptions to the universality of human rights are occurring across the world, negatively affecting the entire human rights ecosystem. This is set against a global backdrop of increasing numbers of armed conflicts, rising disparities within and across regions, and growing inequality that fuels social fragmentation and the polarisation of public discourse.
Multilateralism is strained, autocracies are increasing, and anti-rights movements are rising with unprecedented coordination. Backlash thrives where narratives go unchallenged, and peace and security collapses when human rights are sidelined.
Fundamental concerns include the erosion of international human rights law, the pushback against the rights of women and girls and gender equality, and the re-emergence of cultural relativism suggesting that human rights are optional, conditional, or negotiable. At the same time, the human rights ecosystem is facing a severe funding crisis.
What can be done to future-proof human rights and embed intergenerational responsibility into decision making? Some key recommendations included to fight hard and make the case for human rights, protect civil society, harness young energy in the world, and work with allies across multiple and intersectional social movements.
How can societal and public support for human rights be strengthened? Some key suggestions for action included to raise public consciousness of human rights as a means to ensure safe and secure societies, support social mobilisation, stop working in silos and embrace intersectionality, support and protect independent journalism and media, build new alliances across borders, movements, and sectors, always be led by victims and survivors, and build inclusive narratives and language to communicate about human rights focused on dignity, fairness, and agency.
Recommendations to improve accountability mechanisms and the treaty body system included to increase resources to the system, analyse and contribute to the UN80 reform process and make quality contributions to the resolution on treaty bodies in 2026, and to learn lessons from previous reforms and other experiences.
Operationalising new coalitions is a vital response for strengthening human rights and key strategic action included mapping existing coalitions and partnerships, leveraging new partners such as the private sector and foundations, framing new coalitions through the lens of intersectionality, bringing strong representation from those with lived experiences of human rights abuses, thinking beyond conventional spaces for engaging with young people and communities, and collectively devising a powerful communication strategy drawing in different actors.
The international human rights architecture is facing unprecedented financial challenges and legitimacy pressures and key recommendations included that states should allow the application of universal jurisdiction, civil society should advocate preserving and prioritising special procedure country visits, and national courts should increase the use of regional and international jurisprudence.
Full sets of recommendations can be found throughout the rest of this report.