Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on countries to form a strategic alliance to safeguard the rules-based international order, threatened by the US government and autocratic regimes in Moscow and Beijing, in its annual report on Wednesday.
HRW describes the rising wave of authoritarianism as a generational challenge and highlights significant damage inflicted on human rights by actions from figures such as former US President Donald Trump.
Combined with years-long efforts by Russia and China to weaken global institutions, these developments have had widespread consequences worldwide, stated HRW.
While Belgium is not part of the 2025 report, encompassing around 100 countries, HRW suggests that it is one of the nations capable of standing firm against assaults on human rights, democracy, and international law.
The HRW report notes that potential human rights leaders, such as Germany and France, have themselves been weakened by domestic challenges from illiberal political movements.
Governments hesitate to act, fearing backlash from powerful states like the United States or China, while in some countries, human rights and the rule of law are increasingly seen as obstacles rather than assets for security and economic growth, the report states.
HRW emphasised the need for alignment among like-minded nations to create a unified political force and strong economic bloc. Such collaboration should not be limited to Western nations, as the multilateral order was built collectively by countries from all regions, and human rights leadership often comes from nations beyond the realm of established democracies.
The proposed alliance could serve as a counterbalance to policies from figures like Trump, offering alternative incentives such as trade agreements that include robust labour protections and security commitments tied to democratic governance. It could also form a powerful bloc within the United Nations.
