After six years of negotiations, Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum will return 39 pieces of human remains to the Naga people of northeast India, allowing their ancestors to finally rest in their homeland.

Indigenous peoples and local communities near four major national parks in the Congo Basin are sharing diverse, community-led solutions to reconcile forest conservation with land rights and poverty reduction.

Ecological anthropologist Michael Painter spent nearly three decades helping Indigenous communities in Bolivia and beyond secure legal rights to their lands, proving that conservation works best when Indigenous peoples are recognized as equal partners with their own authority and knowledge.

Brazil has physically marked the borders of the 411,000-hectare Rio Pardo Kawahiva Indigenous Territory in the Amazon, bringing one of the country’s last isolated Indigenous groups a major step closer to full legal protection of their land.

The Wounaan Indigenous people of Panama and Colombia have documented their multigenerational resistance to illegal rosewood logging in a new collaborative book that centers Indigenous wisdom, language, and joy alongside the science of conservation.

A Brazilian federal court has ordered the government to officially recognize the traditional territory of the Kajkwakratxi-Tapayuna Indigenous people, issue a public apology, and pay $2 million in damages for decades of violence and forced displacement.

Indonesia has ratified the ILO Work in Fishing Convention, committing to stronger labor protections for fishing crews and potentially boosting the credibility of Indonesian seafood in global markets.

Seven Indigenous experts on the UN’s Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples finalized a 12-point plan calling for stronger protections of Indigenous land, rights, languages, and voices at a time when those communities face growing threats from climate change, conflict, and AI.

Mongabay’s special issue spotlights nine women on the frontlines of Amazon conservation in Colombia, showing how Indigenous and local women are protecting forests, rivers, and ancestral territories against illegal mining, coca trafficking, and deforestation.

FIFA confirmed that rainbow flags are permitted at the 2026 World Cup match between Egypt and Iran in Seattle, marking a meaningful step toward inclusive sports events.

Vietnamese environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach walked free on June 24 after five years in prison, reuniting with his family and returning to a country that still needs his expertise to meet its climate goals.

Ukraine and the EU are set to open formal accession negotiations on rule of law and fundamental rights in mid-June 2026, a key step toward Ukraine’s future EU membership that could strengthen democratic institutions and human rights protections during wartime.

All 11 ASEAN member states have adopted a Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, marking a significant step toward environmental justice for 680 million people across Southeast Asia.

Around 400 environmental defenders and policymakers gathered in Strasbourg to push for a legally binding European treaty that explicitly recognizes the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, which could give defenders powerful new tools to hold states and companies accountable.

A Brazilian federal prosecutor is calling for faster demarcation of Indigenous territories and stronger enforcement measures, warning that temporary land-use restriction orders alone are failing to protect isolated peoples from invasion and deforestation.

Lebanon has officially joined the Mine Ban Treaty, becoming the 162nd country to do so, marking a significant step toward protecting civilians from the deadly threat of antipersonnel landmines.

Two landmark UN reports now propose a concrete set of 31 alternative indicators to replace the world’s overreliance on GDP, opening the door to economic decision-making that centers human rights, equality, and environmental sustainability.

Ten Maldivian and international human rights organizations are urging the Maldives government to withdraw a proposed bill that would end the country’s 70-year moratorium on the death penalty, helping protect human rights and keep the country aligned with a growing global trend toward abolition.

A small human rights center in Bayanga, Central African Republic, has handled 880 cases since 2022 and is giving the Ba’aka Indigenous community real access to justice for the first time.

Croatia completed a 30-year, $1.38 billion landmine clearance campaign in March 2026, becoming fully mine-free and showing what the Mine Ban Treaty can achieve for civilian safety and economic recovery.

California officially renamed its March 31 holiday from Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day, shifting the focus from one individual to the broader community of agricultural workers who continue to shape the state’s food system.

California lawmakers voted with bipartisan support to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day, shifting the focus of the annual March 31 holiday away from a discredited individual and toward honoring the millions of agricultural workers who feed the nation.

The Council of Europe and its member states adopted the Chișinău Declaration, reinforcing their commitment to social rights like housing, health, and employment as a direct response to rising inequality and threats to democracy across Europe.

A disability rights advocate in Malawi is using forum theater to fight violence and stigma against people with albinism, turning passive awareness sessions into active community-led commitments for lasting change.

Five Iranian women footballers have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after fearing punishment for defying their regime during the Women’s Asian Cup, with the door remaining open for their teammates to do the same.

Australia is being called on to embed gender equality across its foreign policy and national security strategy, a move that could strengthen global peace and better protect women and girls in conflict zones.

A new Human Rights Watch submission to Australia’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade makes the case that embedding gender equality into foreign policy and national security decisions can strengthen global peace, resilience, and justice.

Australia is being urged to embed gender equality across all aspects of its foreign policy and national security decisions, a move that could strengthen global peace and protect women’s rights worldwide.

Human Rights Watch is calling on Australia to embed gender equality across all foreign policy and national security decisions, arguing that protecting women’s rights is key to building global stability and resilience.

Human Rights Watch is calling on Australia to embed gender equality across all foreign policy and national security decisions, arguing that including women in conflict resolution and crisis response leads to more stable and just outcomes globally.

Australia is being urged to embed gender equality across all areas of its foreign policy and national security strategy, a move that could strengthen global peace, protect women’s rights, and help build more resilient societies.

Human Rights Watch is calling on Australia to embed gender equality across all foreign policy and national security decisions, arguing that including women in peace and crisis responses leads to more stable and resilient societies.

Human Rights Watch is calling on Australia to embed gender equality across all foreign policy and crisis response efforts, arguing that including women in decision-making strengthens global peace and national security.

Human Rights Watch has called on Australia to embed gender equality across all foreign policy and national security decisions, arguing that including women in peace and crisis responses makes countries more resilient and the world safer.

Human Rights Watch is calling on Australia to embed gender equality across all aspects of its foreign policy and national security decisions, a move that could strengthen global peace and better protect women and girls worldwide.

Australia is being urged to embed gender equality across all aspects of its foreign policy and national security strategy, a move that could strengthen global peace and better protect women and girls worldwide.

A new three-year research project backed by 1.7 million euros in funding will investigate working conditions in Asian supply chains to push for safer, fairer labor practices for millions of workers producing goods sold in Europe.

About 1,000 Indigenous campaigners in Brazil’s Amazon successfully pressured the government into revoking plans to privatize the Tapajós River, protecting a vital waterway and the communities that depend on it.

More than 40 countries are now equipped with practical tools to improve water and sanitation in healthcare facilities, protecting 118 million Europeans from preventable waterborne diseases.

Indigenous leaders from Polynesia released a groundbreaking treaty recognizing whales as legal persons with inherent rights, offering a new framework for ocean conservation based on traditional knowledge and responsibilities.

A Greek court has acquitted 24 aid workers who faced up to 20 years in prison on people smuggling charges, ending a seven-year legal ordeal and affirming that humanitarian assistance during a refugee crisis is not a crime.

Sixty countries now publicly support a new UN treaty to guarantee free education for every child from pre-primary through secondary education, filling gaps in existing international law.

A statue of teenage civil rights pioneer Barbara Rose Johns now stands in the US Capitol, replacing a Confederate general’s statue and honoring her courageous leadership in the fight against school segregation.

African Parks now manages 24 protected areas across 13 African countries with a 2,119-strong ranger force, creating conservation impact while addressing human rights concerns through new accountability measures.

A landmark agreement transfers sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago from the UK to Mauritius, allowing Chagossians to return to their homeland after being forcibly exiled in the 1960s and 1970s.

Victoria has formally apologized to Australia’s First Peoples for colonial injustices and harms, marking a significant step toward healing historical wounds and creating a pathway for reconciliation through the treaty process.

Mexico City’s landmark Civil Code reform on legal capacity recognizes everyone’s right to make decisions about their own lives, regardless of disability, age, or health status, empowering thousands to exercise their autonomy with support when needed.