Human Rights by TOPIC

Hot Topics

Black keyboard with a chained white hand on top of it with a blue background | World Press Freedom Day is written on the left side in large pink and white letters
Flickr | Marco Verch

World Press Freedom Day - May 3

World Press Freedom Day highlights the crucial role of a free press and the challenges journalists face. The 2026 theme is "Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development & Security." Despite censorship, economic pressures, and safety threats, journalists are vital in revealing how conflicts impact people globally and using truth to expose injustice and demand accountability.

World Press Freedom Day - May 3
A diverse group of protesters holding signs demanding justice and peace, with expressions of determination and solidarity.
Flickr | Matthew Roth

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - March 21

This United Nations observation day is an important global reminder of the persistent struggle against racism and a rallying call for collective action. March 21 commemorates the horrific Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, South Africa, where peaceful anti-apartheid demonstrators were met with open fire by police. Despite almost universal ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, many regions still suffer from deeply ingrained racial injustices and stigmas which cause systematic disadvantages, have serious physical, social, and emotional consequences, and put countless lives at risk. This day calls upon individuals, communities, and nations to reflect on the progress made and the challenges that remain. We must fight for a world where diversity is celebrated, and discrimination is relegated to the past.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - March 21
Silhouettes of six individuals walking, with a barbed wire fence in the background, text stating "International Migrants Day, 18 December."
International Migrants Day

International Migrants Day - December 18

Established in 2000, the UN General Assembly began celebrating International Migrants Day to honour the contributions of millions of migrants worldwide and to promote their protection and the respect for their rights. As of 2024, the global number of international migrants was 304 million, the highest number ever. Increasingly complex drivers of their relocation, including conflict, climate change, and economic crisis, mean a greater need to support migrant journeys, promote integration, ensure their rights are upheld, and also to understand and tackle the root causes.

International Migrants Day - December 18
UN poster for International Day of the Girl. A group of young African girls are clapping outside. There is a quote underneath from Ban Ki-Moon which says 'Girls everywhere should be able to lead lives free from fear and violence.'
Flickr | UNAMID

International Day of the Girl - October 11 | Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis

International Day of the Girl is an annual global initiative celebrated by the United Nations since 2012. The day is dedicated to championing the rights and potential of girls everywhere. This year marks thirty years since the signing of the Beijing Declaration, the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women's and girls' rights. Since then, progress has been made in education, health, and rights, but many inequalities remain. This year's theme highlights the extreme challenges that girls growing up amid war, climate change, poverty, and other crises face. Crises exacerbate stubborn inequalities and create extra barriers which prevent girls from achieving their full potential. Advocating for girls' rights is not just an investment in their future, but in the future of humanity.

International Day of the Girl - October 11 | Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis
Poster for World Refugee Day on June 20. Six adult refugees and one child walk in front of a globe with two arms wrapped around hugging them protectively
Mei Lau | Better World Info

World Refugee Day, June 20 - Solidarity

With more than 123 million displaced people worldwide, 47 million of which are children, it is more important than ever that we uphold the rights, safety, and dignity of all refugees. This day we honour those forcibly displaced by conflict and persecution for their strength and bravery, and highlight their need for protection, assistance and inclusion. The 2025 theme is Solidarity. This means honouring refugees by hearing their stories, defending their rights, supporting their host countries, providing opportunities for refugees to thrive, finding solutions to their plight, and ending conflicts so they can return to their home safely.

World Refugee Day, June 20 - Solidarity
Tiktok application logo 3d rendering on blue background
Freepick | gcarolau

TikTok Ban

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was passed on 13 March 2024, requiring TikTok's parent company, the China-based ByteDance, to sell the app or face a nationwide ban. The legislation followed allegations that the app could enable the Chinese government to access user data and influence Americans through the platform’s addictive algorithms. Content creators argue that a ban would harm countless individuals and businesses that depend on TikTok for a substantial portion of their income. Meanwhile, civil liberties and digital rights groups contend that such a ban would infringe upon freedom of speech.

TikTok Ban
Feet shackled with heavy chains, partially buried in sandy ground, illustrated in black and white.
Pixabay | PublicDomainPictures

Forced labour and modern slavery - 21st century problems

Shockingly, the estimated number of those who fall under this category is somewhere between 21-46 million people. Contemporary slavery includes those who are exploited in the private sector and those who are forced into work by government authorities. It also includes those who are exploited sexually or forced into marriage. We explore the causes, the organisations fighting against this human right violation, and the industries who refuse to change thier ways.

Forced labour and modern slavery - 21st century problems
Many broken tents sit with lots of rubbish on the floor infront at a migrant camp in Calais
Flickr | Christian Payne

Calais Migrant Crisis & Calais Jungle

An estimated 10,000 homeless asylum seekers waiting to enter the UK are living in sprawling make-shift migrant camps under deplorable conditions. The sites have poor sanitation, limited access to education and healthcare, and almost no protection from harsh weather, with the additional threat of surprise evacuations, and often violent treatment from the local authorities. Human rights have been forgotten for these refugees in their long wait for safety and freedom. Find information on organisations, blockades, protests, demolitions, and the legal issues involved.

Calais Migrant Crisis & Calais Jungle
Three figures sit on a wall, viewed through a chain-link fence, against a bright, blank background.
Pixabay | Gerd Altmann

Greek island refugee crisis

Due to their geographical position, many of the Greek Islands have become a stepping stone to enter Europe - those from the Middle East and Africa are seeking an escape from violence and poor living conditions. They are faced with overcrowded and unsanitary camps as the islands struggle to cope with the mounting numbers. Tensions are high between the locals and the new arrivals as the humanitarian crisis grows, and new refugees arrive every day.

Greek island refugee crisis