Key points
• UN reports that about 950 human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists were killed or disappeared worldwide in 2025.
• Data shows one defender is killed or disappeared every 10 hours amid rising global violence and discrimination.
• Civilian deaths in armed conflict remain alarmingly high, with tens of thousands recorded in 2025.
Main story
The United Nations has raised alarm over a sharp rise in attacks on human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists, revealing that approximately 950 people were killed or forcibly disappeared worldwide in 2025.
The figures were contained in a new global dataset titled Human Rights Count, published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which tracks violence and threats against individuals advocating for civil liberties and labour rights.
According to the report, the scale of violence means that, on average, one human rights defender, journalist or trade unionist is killed or disappeared every 10 hours globally.
The UN said the findings reflect a worsening global environment for civic space, with increasing levels of violence, discrimination and conflict-related civilian deaths.
Preliminary estimates suggest that of the 950 cases recorded in 2025, about 743 were killings while 202 involved forced disappearances. The report noted that the trend shows no sign of reversal.
The issues
The OHCHR warned that violence against human rights defenders has reached record levels, with at least 5,995 killed since 2015, highlighting a decade-long pattern of increasing risk for activists and media professionals.
The report also documented continued high levels of civilian casualties in armed conflicts worldwide, with at least 37,163 civilians killed in 2025 alone, following a record 48,011 deaths recorded in the previous year.
It further noted that discrimination remains widespread, with nearly one in five people globally reporting experiences of discrimination within the past 12 months.
The UN stressed that such trends point to systemic weaknesses in global protections for vulnerable populations and those working to defend human rights.
What’s being said
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the figures represent real human lives behind the statistics.
“Behind every data point is a real life lived — or lost,” he said.
Türk warned that discrimination, violence and exclusion continue to disproportionately affect people already living on the margins of society.
The OHCHR added that the surge in attacks reflects growing hostility toward civil society actors and weakening protections for fundamental freedoms in several parts of the world.
What’s next
The United Nations is expected to intensify advocacy for stronger global protections for human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists.
It also called on governments to strengthen accountability mechanisms, protect civic space and ensure that perpetrators of violence against rights advocates are brought to justice.
Bottom line
The latest UN report paints a troubling picture of escalating global risks for human rights defenders and civilians alike, underscoring a deepening crisis in protection, accountability and respect for fundamental human rights worldwide.
