The Issues That Demand Action
Five interconnected cause areas. One common thread: the systematic denial of fundamental human rights.
127 Journalists Detained: A War on Information
2024 marks the worst year for press freedom in three decades.
Journalists detained
Killed in 2024
Restricted countries
Press freedom is under systematic attack from authoritarian governments who recognise that a free press is their greatest threat. PeaceNet Alliance's Press Freedom Index — now in its 20th year — ranks media freedom in 180 countries using a methodology developed with UNESCO.
Beyond the statistics, each detained journalist represents a specific human story. Our Journalist Protection Programme provides legal support, emergency evacuation coordination, and advocacy for the release of imprisoned reporters.
We maintain a real-time database of journalist detentions, updated daily by field correspondents in 52 countries. This data is used by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression.
110 Million Displaced: The Scale of Crisis
The highest number of forcibly displaced people ever recorded.
Displaced globally
Refugees
Refoulement incidents
Forced displacement has reached record levels, driven by armed conflict, climate change, and systemic persecution. PeaceNet Alliance monitors conditions in 47 countries with significant displaced populations, documenting violations of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Our field teams have documented systematic refoulement — the illegal return of refugees to danger — at 23 borders globally. We have submitted 14 formal complaints to UNHCR and contributed evidence to three ICC investigations.
The right to asylum is not optional. Our advocacy ensures legal protections are enforced, reception conditions meet humanitarian standards, and durable solutions are accessible to all.
Gender-Based Violence as a Weapon of War
Systematic violence against women in seven active conflict zones.
Conflict zones monitored
Cases documented
ICC submissions
Gender-based violence — including sexual violence, forced marriage, trafficking, and femicide — is systematically used as a weapon in armed conflict. Our Gender Equity Division documents these crimes with a view to ICC prosecution.
We work with survivor networks in seven active conflict zones. Every testimony is documented using trauma-informed methodologies and stored in a secure evidence database accessible to international prosecutors.
Beyond conflict, our mandate extends to structural gender inequality. We monitor equal rights legislation, pay equity, and women's political representation across 74 countries — producing an annual Gender Equity Scorecard.
Political Prisoners: Detained Without Trial
Thousands held indefinitely for peaceful dissent.
Cases documented
Countries monitored
Released through advocacy
Arbitrary detention — imprisonment without due process, without charge, without trial — is one of the most common tools of political repression. Our Detention Watch programme monitors 31 countries where arbitrary detention is systematically used against opponents, journalists, and human rights defenders.
We publish individual case files for each detainee, submitted to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Since 2005, our advocacy has contributed to the release of 890 political prisoners.
Each release represents an enormous personal victory — and a reminder that international pressure works.
Surveillance States and Digital Authoritarianism
Internet shutdowns, mass surveillance, and the dismantling of online freedom.
Internet shutdowns
Surveillance law countries
Spyware vendors named
Digital rights are human rights. The right to privacy, the right to access information, and the right to free expression online are fundamental. Our Digital Rights programme monitors internet shutdowns, surveillance laws, and the deployment of commercial spyware against activists and journalists.
We have identified and publicly named 19 commercial spyware vendors whose technology has been used against civil society. Our forensic analysis of infected devices has been used in legal proceedings in six countries.
Internet shutdowns — the deliberate disruption of internet access — increased 28% in 2024. Each shutdown violates multiple articles of the ICCPR. We document every shutdown and advocate for international legal frameworks to prohibit this practice.
These Issues Need Your Voice
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