STOCKHOLM, 9 February 2026 – Carina Ödebrink, Rapporteur of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, has issued the following statement on the publication of Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2026:
"Human Rights Watch’s latest annual report presents a serious assessment of the global erosion of human rights protections. Democratic norms are being pushed back, rule-of-law principles are increasingly challenged, and the space for civil society and independent media continues to shrink. These alarming developments are clearly visible within and around the OSCE region as well.
The report’s message is clear: in a global landscape marked by rising instability, the rule of the strong risks prevailing as violators encounter fewer clear limits.
We are witnessing how authoritarian leaders exploit distrust and public frustration to win elections, only to systematically dismantle the very institutions that brought them to power. Independent courts are questioned, media outlets are silenced, civil society is restricted, and political opponents are forced into silence or exile.
At the same time, the report showcases how this trend affects already vulnerable groups most severely. Ethnic and religious minorities face discrimination and exclusion. Women and girls are deprived of fundamental freedoms. LGBTQI persons are criminalized and harassed. Migrants and asylum seekers face legal insecurity. Children are deeply affected by conflicts through violence, insecurity, and loss of access to education. Whenever the rule of law weakens, marginalized groups are always the first to pay the price. At the same time, we see a worrying trend in established democracies where public opinion increasingly tolerates the curtailing of rights for “others” – migrants, minorities, women, and LGBTQI persons. History teaches us that such restrictions rarely stop there.
The report also highlights how shifting political U.S. political priorities over the past year have shaken the foundations of the rules-based order which – despite its imperfections – has been central to promoting democracy and human rights globally. When a leading democracy retreats from its international responsibilities, the negative norm-setting effects resonate far beyond its own borders.
For us in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, this is a clear reminder of our responsibility. The OSCE co-operation is built on the understanding that security, democracy, and human rights are inextricably linked. When the rule of law, media freedom, and the space for civil society are weakened, the shared security of our region is affected as well.
There is an urgent need for democracies and parliamentary assemblies to strengthen co-operation in defence of the rules-based order and universal human rights. Individually, states may be vulnerable to pressure from powerful global actors. Together, they form a political and economic force that clearly upholds the principles on which international peace and security depend.
Democratic development is not guaranteed. It must be defended – actively, persistently, and collectively."
