Human Rights Day: A reminder of why we do this work

In a year where global human rights protections have been eroded, conflicts have escalated, and legal institutions have come under unprecedented pressure threatening their very existence, survivors have continued to lead the fight for justice. LAW has been proud to stand with them, on the frontlines, where survivors need legal support the most.

In 2025, we supported Rohingya survivors as the genocide case will move into a historic phase at the ICJ early next year; we advanced groundbreaking work on children affected by Genocide in Myanmar; we continued to pursue accountability for sexual and gender-based violence in Sudan and South Sudan; we called for urgent reforms to address SGBV in Sri Lanka  we stood with families of humanitarian workers being arbitrarily detained until their release in Tunisia last month; we supported survivors of torture in detention in Ukraine; we defended migrant workers deprived of their rights and freedom in Lebanon; We supported transitional justice efforts in Syria; we helped victims of the Tigray conflict file the first-ever criminal complaint in Germany against senior Ethiopian and Eritrean government and military officials

Overall, LAW has secured 100 favorable decisions in court in 2025, ensuring that the rights of the most vulnerable are upheld, especially those of LGBTQI+ people, women, children, detainees and aid workers. 41 cases are still ongoing. These milestones were achieved despite shrinking civic space, rising authoritarianism, and sustained efforts to undermine the rule of law.

“What carried us forward was the resilience of survivors, and our belief that accountability is not optional, but essential”, said Antonia Mulvey, LAW’s Executive Director.

As we mark Human Rights Day, we celebrate progress, acknowledge the challenges ahead, and recommit to ensuring that survivors’ voices shape the global pursuit of justice.

Despite global cuts in aid, we are grateful to our donors and their trust in our work. Financing concrete, measurable accountability through unique and survivor-centered legal work is not only just, but also an important commitment to humanity.

Human rights are universal. Justice must be too.