Fri Nov 22 09:28:13 UTC 2024: ## Failing Grades for Human Rights: Over Half the World Receives ‘F’ in Annual Report

**Kingston, RI –** A new report from the University of Rhode Island reveals a grim picture of global human rights, with over half the world’s countries receiving failing grades. The 2024 Global Rights Project (GRIP) report, based on the CIRIGHTS data project, assessed 195 nations on a 100-point scale, using data from sources including the U.S. State Department and Amnesty International. A staggering 62% of countries received an ‘F’ (0-59), compared to just 18% earning an ‘A’ or ‘B’ (80-100). The global median score was a dismal 52.

Iceland topped the rankings with an ‘A’, followed by Estonia, Denmark, Finland, and Monaco. At the bottom were Iran (0), Afghanistan, North Korea, Yemen, and South Sudan. The United States received a ‘D’, ranking 66th overall, highlighting issues such as police violence and restrictions on worker rights.

The report highlights a strong correlation between democracy and human rights respect, although exceptions exist. While democratic countries generally perform better, non-democratic Monaco ranked highly, while democratic India received a failing grade. Geographic clustering of high and low scores was also observed, with wealthier nations tending to have better human rights records.

Regional disparities were stark, with Europe boasting the highest average score (74.4), while the Asia and Middle East region had the lowest (32.9). Africa also scored poorly (35.9). The report notes that the overall distribution of scores has remained largely unchanged over the past 17 years, with a consistent majority of countries failing to meet human rights standards.

Researchers express deep concern, suggesting current methods for improving human rights are insufficient and a new approach is needed. They cite challenges such as sophisticated methods used by governments to hide human rights abuses and the need for more data and research funding. The report also details specific rights violations, including widespread torture despite international efforts to combat it.

The URI Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies will host a presentation of the report on December 3rd. The full report, including methodological details, is available online.

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