From ‘media deserts’ to the invisibility of women, rights experts spotlight latest trends
“UN special rapporteurs, along with other parts of the human rights ecosystem, address, by their nature, sensitive and often divisive issues, that are of international
“UN special rapporteurs, along with other parts of the human rights ecosystem, address, by their nature, sensitive and often divisive issues, that are of international concern,” UN rights chief Volker Türk said when the United States imposed sanctions in 2025 on Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory. Council-appointed and mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic issues or country situations, special rapporteurs and independent experts are not UN staff and do not receive a salary, but their work is unique, insightful and a window to the world. They also provide a sharp focus on pressing issues of global or national concern, and as of November 2025, there are 46 thematic and 13 country Council-approved mandates. Here are highlights of rights in the spotlight on Thursday ‘Media deserts’ amid shrinking public spaces Digital technology has become the most disruptive factor affecting freedom of expression in centuries, leading to “media deserts” and dangerously shrinking public spaces, warned Irene Khan, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Delivering a sharp critique of both corporate tech giants and sovereign States, without naming names, she said many nations are leveraging digital tools to suppress dissent. At the same time, tech “oligarchs” manipulate online spaces for profit, creating environments “polluted by hate”, where women, children and journalists bear the brunt of online attacks. Read the full report here. Dangerous asymmetry of power Underscoring an asymmetry of power that challenges traditional human rights frameworks, the report revealed massive financial gains whereby a single digital company can generate more revenue than the gross domestic product (GDP) of 130 national governments.
Meanwhile, unprecedented reach has seen individual platforms boasting over three billion monthly users, exceeding the population of any single nation. Watch an interactive dialogue with Special Rapporteur Khan below Khan warned that the line between regulator and regulated has blurred, with States often colluding with companies at a time when some populist leaders and liberal democracies alike are increasingly weaponising criminal laws and weak AI frameworks, to censor speech and incite hostility against minorities, migrants and women leaders. “The game has to change,” the special rapporteur urged, calling on States to take their human rights responsibilities seriously to ensure technology does not continue to do profound harm to global free speech. “Most governments today in the Council supported me. My question to them is, what are you going to do about it now?” Taliban decree erodes women, girls’ rights Tweet URL A new decree issued by the Taliban in Afghanistan to govern the conditions for separation of spouses will both license child marriage and prevent women and girls from leaving abusive relationships, UN experts warned. “The decree on ‘separation of spouses’, issued by the de facto Ministry of Justice in April 2026, leaves women and girls vulnerable to abuse and exploitation and increases the potential for abuse of power by guardians, including in marriage arrangements, rendering it almost impossible for girls to report or act on domestic abuse, the experts found. Several provisions allow a child to seek separation upon reaching puberty, indicating a failure to protect them from being subjected to marriage in the first place, which leaves girls exposed to years of physical, psychological, sexual and economic harm before they can seek relief, they said.
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