Why it is Concerning that the U.S. was Recently Added to the Global Human Rights Watchlist
The United States has been recently added to the Global Human Rights Watchlist, a dark and ominous indicator of the drops in civil liberties seen over the past few years. This alarming report is a symptom of growing concern about the erosion of fundamental rights that are essential to a democratic society, such as the essential freedoms of speech, assembly, and the press. With increasing accounts of state surveillance, outrageous claims of police brutality, and a series of voting access-restricting legislative actions, most civil rights defenders argue that such dark trends threaten the very foundations of our democracy. The consequences of this naming extend far beyond the confines of national boundaries, calling for global critical scrutiny and posing serious questions about the United States' commitment to the protection of human rights domestically and internationally. As a nation grapples with these hard realities, the need for renewed and earnest debate about the protection of civil liberties becomes ever more imperative and necessary.
The global human rights watchlist is an assessment instrument utilized by various organizations and states to choose and monitor nations of extreme human rights abuses. It is a fundamental instrument for advocates, policymakers, and international entities because it identifies nations where habitual system rights violations are the order of the day, including issues related to freedom of expression, gender, and treatment of minorities. The watchlist attempts to bring attention to such atrocities, evoking international attention and mobilization toward upholding global human rights standards. By compiling data on human rights violations, the watchlist not only informs public debate but serves as an instrument of accountability for governments and institutions that are supposed to defend such fundamental rights.
The United States, despite its original ideals of justice and liberty for all, has had its fair share of human rights violations throughout its history. From the disregard of the rights of Indigenous peoples and enslavement of African Americans to internment of Japanese Americans in World War II and contemporary systemic issues around racial injustice and police brutality, these abuses are a betrayal of a disturbing disconnect between principle and reality. Moreover, measures such as mass incarceration and treatment of border migrants on the southern border point towards chronic issues around human rights and dignity in current politics. Even while efforts are being made to redress them, the past of human rights violations serves as a stark reminder of how much needs to be accomplished to actualize the promise of democracy for every individual.
The current deterioration of human rights in America is more and more noticeable, indicative of a very disturbing loss of values that were once thought to be inherent to the nature of democracy itself. From the revocation of voting rights that ensure equal access to the electoral process, and the emergence of restrictive legislation in certain states that disproportionately targets certain groups, to increasing intolerance and hostility towards marginalized groups, the whole terrain of American civil liberties appears to be under grave threat. Systemic issues such as racial injustice, economic disparity, and criminalization of dissent not only contribute to the issue but also reflect a government struggling to uphold and honor the very principles it loudly professes to hold dear. This disappointing fall not only taints the integrity of citizens across the country but also constitutes a serious threat to the collective conscience of a nation that was meticulously built on the time-honored values of freedom, equality, and justice for all its citizens.
The United States has been placed on the global human rights watchlist due to a set of circumstances that have perturbed global observers. Disputes over systemic racial inequalities, political radicalism, and limits on freedom of expression have shed light on a worrying trend toward diluting civil liberties. The rates of imprisonment in the U.S. and reported instances of brutality by police and treatment of disadvantaged groups have been condemned by numerous various human rights organizations. In addition, the handling of immigration policy and separation of families at the border have garnered widespread condemnation, bringing into question apparent violations of fundamental human rights. This increasing evidence has long at last encouraged consideration of the nation's commitment to ensuring precepts ingrained in local law as well as international human rights agreements.
Countries on the international human rights watchlist generally experience most severe challenges in sustaining rudimentary freedoms and justice for their nationals. Such countries, sometimes encompassing regions marked by autocratic leadership, extensive violence, or extensive discrimination, exhibit an alarming spectrum of human rights abuses. Numerous reports document instances of unlawful detentions, restrictions of free speech, assaults on minority groups, and denial of access to fair legal processes. The international community is watching closely as such abuses do not only destroy citizens' confidence in their respective governments but also have regional stability and global security implications outside the country. It is imperative to correct these human rights abuses to build a fairer and more equitable world. As of 2025, there are many nations worldwide that are still under intense scrutiny and criticism on the international human rights watchlist, with North Korea being particularly egregious due to the extreme abuses that have occurred there. Its repressive and stringent restrictions on basic human rights, political freedom, and freedom of expression, as well as gross state-sponsored atrocities such as forced labor camps and extrajudicial killings, have all collectively drawn universal international condemnation. In addition to these serious issues, reports of systematic discrimination against vulnerable communities and a breathtaking lack of legal recourse for ordinary citizens further emphasize the grave and dire human rights situation in the nation. This pervasive climate of fear and repression vividly illustrates the gargantuan hurdles of brave activists advocating for fundamental rights, individual liberties, and social justice in North Korea. Democratic Republic of Congo, Italy, Pakistan, and Serbia are on the global human rights watchlist due to having a roll call of issues of concern that devalue the freedom and dignity of individuals. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, abuse of women and children is prevalent in a political environment of conflict and instability, often exacerbated by the lack of action by the government. Italy has been at the center for its response to refugees and migrants, and discrimination and substandard conditions of accommodation are evidence of structural inability to deliver basic human rights. Religious intolerance, enforced disappearance, and freedom of expression, which is restricted, happens in Pakistan and activists and minorities are often victimized. Meanwhile, Serbia's problems are rising nationalism, restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights, and police violence, which collectively pose a threat to the rule of law and equal treatment for all citizens. All of these nations are troubling trends that require immediate demands for greater human rights protections.
The placing of the United States on the watch list of nations which abuse human rights around the world serves as a profoundly significant reminder that no nation, regardless of its stature or self-perception, is above critical examination. This is especially pertinent for a country that presents itself as a standard for democratic advancement and as an advocate for human rights on a global stage. Such a concession compels Americans to confront and grapple with systemic shortcomings that may otherwise remain unaddressed in the lofty narrative of national values and ideals.