The Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRC) published Navigating a Global Crossroads: Human Rights Defenders and Business in 2025 (May 2026).
Human Level’s Take:
- Seven hundred and ninety human rights defenders (HRDs) were attacked in 2025, the highest figure recorded by the BHRC since 2020. Thirty percent of these were carried out against Indigenous Peoples. Fifty-three people were killed in attacks related to company activities. These are stark figures showing the scale of the challenge in protecting HRDs.
- Attacks occurred across 80 countries, with the bulk of attacks in Latin America and the Caribbean (42%) and Asia and the Pacific (30%).
- The highest risk sectors for HRDs: mining, fossil fuels and agribusiness, driven by competition over land and natural resources. Other land-intensive sectors, including property development and real estate, and infrastructure and construction projects also had high rates of attacks, showing the challenge is likely to expand as climate change and environmental degradation reduce the availability of land and natural resources the world over.
- Yet it’s not just companies linked with attacks on defenders. Eighty-six percent of the perpetrators of attacks related to business were State actors, including the very systems set up to protect people: the police, the judicial system and other local authorities.
- The BHRC outlines several actions for companies to address attacks on HRDs: make and publicly communicate policies to protect HRDs as well as Indigenous Peoples and FPIC, and translate these commitments into clear implementation guidance, action plans and monitoring processes.
- In addition, conduct human rights and environmental due diligence that identifies and addresses risks to HRDs, especially those who are even more vulnerable, and establish safe, accessible, and effective grievance and accountability mechanisms.
- Importantly, keep civic space open and safe for HRDs. Avoid lobbying, political spending or other influence activities that restrict civil rights or weaken corporate accountability laws.
Some key takeaways:
- Overarching findings: The BHRC recorded 790 attacks against human rights defenders (HRDs) across 80 countries in 2025. This is the highest annual total since 2020, equivalent to more than two attacks per day. Fifty-three HRDs were killed for speaking out in relation to business activities. Notably, despite comprising only 6% of the global population, a significant 30% of attacks were carried out against Indigenous Peoples for advocating for their human rights. The majority of attacks (75%) targeted climate, land and environmental defenders, pointing to a growing tension as climate change and environmental degradation intensify. Fifty-two percent of the cases recorded were in the form of judicial harassment (for example, criminalisation of activities and groups, strategic lawsuits against public participation - SLAPPs). Relatedly, the State was increasingly implicated in attacks on human rights defenders concerning business interests: 86% of the perpetrators were government actors, including the police, the judicial system and local authorities. The BHRC points out that security-driven narratives, like protecting national interests or combatting terrorism, are increasingly being weaponised by governments to suppress civic freedoms. The growing use of technology for surveillance and other activities is only intensifying the risks for HRDs. This matters for companies — even if attacks are carried out by State actors, companies can still be connected, for example by requesting authorities to curtail peaceful protests or promoting misinformation leading to criminalisation.
- The most dangerous regions and sectors for HRDs: The two most dangerous regions for defenders in 2025 were Latin America and the Caribbean, with 329 attacks (42%), and Asia and the Pacific, with 234 attacks (30%). The most dangerous countries for HRDs were Brazil (68), the Philippines (53), Honduras (45), Mexico (41), Uganda (40), Indonesia (38), Argentina (34), India (32), Ecuador (31) and Panama (27). The sectors which saw the highest number of attacks were mining, fossil fuels and agribusiness, driven by competition over land and natural resources. There were 181 attacks related to mining companies, 118 related to fossil fuels projects, and 119 related to agribusiness. Other land-intensive sectors were also high-risk for HRDs, making up 30% of attacks, including related to property development and real estate (73), and infrastructure and construction projects (43). Last year there were also 46 attacks related to arms and weapons companies for their involvement in conflict and genocide, which marks a large increase from only two attacks per year in 2023 and 2024. The projects associated with the highest number of attacks span sectors: the East African Crude Oil Pipeline in Uganda and Tanzania, the Grasberg Mine in Indonesia, aerospace, defence and security company Leonardo in Italy, Cobre Panamá Mine in Panama, and agribusiness company Dinant in Honduras.
- Recommendations for companies: The report recommends a number of actions for companies to fulfill their responsibility to help protect HRDs. In addition to making a policy commitment protecting HRDs and publicly committing to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Free, Prior and Informed Consent, companies are also expected to implement these commitments with clear guidance and action plans outlining their approach; the BHRC highlights the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights’ guidance on defenders as a resource and encourages companies to seek advice from civil society on monitoring progress. In addition, companies are expected to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence to addresses risks to HRDs, especially to those who are most vulnerable due to gender, race, ethnicity, ability and other identifies. To remediate impacts on HRDs, companies can establish safe, accessible and effective grievance and accountability mechanisms, ensuring access to remedy for women and gender-diverse HRDs. Crucially, companies are called on to avoid lobbying, political spending and other forms of political influence to restrict civic space or weaken corporate accountability laws.
