Editorial
Dear Readers
“Human rights are the most effective tool we have to give a voice to those who have no power, to tell the powerful the truth, and to ensure that they understand: Yes, power has its limits.”
This quote comes from Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Anyone who reads these words and looks at the world today can hardly escape the impression that the limits of power are currently being put to a severe test. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, millions of refugees waiting at Europe’s borders, the erosion of rule-of-law guarantees even in established democracies. Human rights are not a given, but a battleground contested anew every day.
In Europe, pressure is mounting on independent courts, media freedom, and the protection of minorities. The willingness to receive those seeking protection with dignity is unevenly distributed. This depends on the country of origin of the refugees, as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has repeatedly criticized. And even where bombs are not falling, international bodies such as the Council of Europe repeatedly demonstrate that democratic states, too, must ask themselves the uncomfortable question of whether their institutions, laws, and practices truly protect people. Liechtenstein, too, is part of this broader debate. Various international and European human rights bodies called for concrete improvements last year: in protection against corruption, in the fight against human trafficking, in detention conditions, and in gender equality. This is not a flaw, but rather the functioning of a system that demands accountability. Liechtenstein should take these reviews seriously and strive to implement the resulting recommendations.
This annual report documents the human rights situation in Liechtenstein. It is not a final report, but a recurring document for discussion, improvement, and commitment to human rights in Liechtenstein. For human rights require more than just laws. They require people who demand them, defend them, and stand up for them—even in Liechtenstein.
I hope you find this an interesting read!
Schaan, May 2026
Wilfried Marxer, President
