Each year, Human Rights Watch’s children’s rights advocacy director Jo Becker reflects on progress in children’s rights worldwide. Fortunately, there’s plenty of progress to celebrate. 

From better access to education to stronger protections in wartime, here are just a few highlights from 2025:

• New data has found 20 million fewer children involved in child labor than in 2020
• Brazil passed a landmark law to protect children’s rights online
• The United States and Kosovo endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to protect education during war

There were also advancements in expanding access to education, increasing wartime protections for children, and ending child marriage. Children around the world still face serious threats, but improvements are achievable. 

>> Read the full list here

This also marks our final newsletter of the year. Thank you for reading and subscribing to the Week in Rights, and for all you do to support efforts to defend rights around the world. Before we go, take a look back with us at some other highlights from the year:

>> Top Human Rights News from 2025

>> Top Human Rights Videos of 2025

>> Ten Human Rights ‘Good News’ Stories from 2025