Since 2018, GNV has announced the “Top 10 Hidden News of the World” every December. This project ranks events that, despite having a major impact on many people and on regional and global systems and structures, were barely or not at all reported by Japan’s major media.

While it is of course important to pay attention to new developments as they emerge each day, we must not forget to keep following what became of issues highlighted earlier. As in the previous year, we take up each of the Top 10 news items that ranked in 2024 and examine what developments occurred between the end of 2024 and October 2025.

No. 1 One in eight girls under 18 worldwide faces sexual violence

News in 2024: A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) found that 1 in 8 girls and women worldwide had been raped or sexually assaulted before turning 18.

[Update]October 2025: Following reports by UNICEF and others, new research has been published. According to a study released in May 2025, the proportion of females who experienced sexual violence before age 18 in 2023 was estimated at 18.9% globally, and males at 14.8% estimated.The risk of sexual violence increases further under armed conflict. For example, according to a 2025 UNICEF report, in Sudan, where conflict continues, sexual assaults against girls and women are rampant, and the number of people at risk is about 25% of the population—i.e., about 12.1 million people—as has been documented.In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where conflict persists, about 10,000 cases of sexual assault were reported over the two months from January to February 2025, and nearly half of the victims were children. In Haiti, where armed groups control much of the capital, security has deteriorated severely, and reports of sexual assaults against children have increased tenfold. Meanwhile, regarding the 2011 mass rape and assault by the country’s soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in October 2025 the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights issued a decision calling on the DRC government to punish those responsible and compensate victims. This established a precedent that countries failing to punish sexual violence—especially when committed by state actors—are in breach of their legal obligations.

GNV related article: “Sex and reproduction: Can women decide for themselves?“

The UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict (right) at a meeting in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Photo: MONUSCO / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0] )

No. 2: 4.4 billion people lack access to safe water, double earlier estimates

News in 2024: A study published in Science in August 2024 found that more than half of the world’s population does not have access to safe household drinking water. It pointed out that previous surveys lacked adequate data and emphasized the importance of considering water quality.

[Update] October 2025: In August 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF released a joint report reviewing improvements in household drinking water and sanitation from 2020 to 2024. According to the report, since 2015, 961 million people have gained access to safely managed drinking water, while as of 2024 some 2.1 billion people still lack access. To achieve SDG Target 6.1 on universal access to safe water, the current rate of progress would need to increase eightfold. On sanitation services, an estimated 1.9 billion people still lack even basic services. However, data collection capacity on these issues remains inadequate. Data on access to safe water cover only 72% of the world’s population. As for the study published in Science in 2024, although it uses a different methodology from WHO and UNICEF, there have been no subsequent updates.

GNV related article: “Water conflicts around the world: The unreported facts“

Woman fetching water, Kenya (Photo: DFID / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY 2.0] )

No. 3: Displaced people doubled in a decade

News in 2024: The number of displaced people worldwide increased for the 12th consecutive year, reaching an estimated 122.6 million as of the end of June 2024, nearly double the figure ten years earlier. It was noted that two-thirds of all displaced people come from just 10 countries and territories.

[Update] October 2025: By the end of 2024, the number of displaced people had risen by a further 600,000 to an estimated 123.2 million. However, according to estimates at the end of April 2025, the total fell by 1% to 122.1 million, marking the first decline in more than a decade. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says whether this downward trend continues depends on achieving peace and ceasefires in conflict areas, improving conditions in unstable regions, and creating conditions for refugees to return. Meanwhile, funding shortfalls for the agencies supporting refugees have worsened, partly due to cuts in humanitarian spending by high-income countries; despite the number of displaced people nearly doubling since 2015, available funding remains around 2015 levels, leaving the situation severe.

GNV related article: “Refugees: The current situation and growing disparities“

Refugee camp housing people who fled from Sudan to Chad (Photo: Global Partnership for Education – GPE / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

No. 4 Freedom of expression and assembly in Europe threatened by the Israel-Palestine conflict

News in 2024: Triggered by the escalation of conflict in October 2023, several European countries tightened restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and assembly of people expressing support for Palestine. Although the European Union (EU) proclaims itself a promoter of human rights and the rule of law, its response to the conflict revealed a gap with that stance.

[Update] October 2025: According to a report issued in August 2025 by the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), pressure against expressions of solidarity with Palestine has intensified in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and France, which were used as case studies. It has also been reported that just under 1,500 people were arrested in protests against the banning of the pro-Palestinian group “Palestine Action” under anti-terrorism law, mainly in the UK. This came after an incident in June 2025, in which “Palestine Action” activists entered a UK air force base and sprayed red paint on two military aircraft, among other damage; in July, the UK government proscribed “Palestine Action” under anti-terrorism law and criminalized expressions of support for the group.

GNV related articles: “Freedom of expression and assembly in Europe threatened by the Israel-Palestine conflict” “Questioning ‘terror’“

Police confronting a man expressing support for “Palestine Action” (Photo: indigonolan / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY 4.0] )

No. 5 French troops to withdraw from Chad and Senegal

News in 2024: In November 2024, Chad announced it would end military cooperation with France. Following this, Senegal stated that all French military bases in the country should be closed. Chad is expected to maintain relations with France while strengthening ties with other countries.

[Update]October 2025: In January 2025, France handed over its military base in Chad, its last remaining outpost in the Sahel region. In February, it handed over its last remaining base in Côte d’Ivoire, and in July, the last remaining base in Senegal. In addition, it converted its base in Gabon into a joint camp with the Central African Republic, leaving Djibouti as the only French military base in Africa. Rather than completely severing ties, France and its former colonies—such as Senegal—have indicated that cooperation will continue in fields such as the economy. However, countries including Russia and China are seeking to strengthen their relations with the region, potentially shifting power dynamics. Meanwhile, with the withdrawal of French forces, private military companies have begun moving into Francophone African countries. Private military firms from Russia, China, Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, and others are entering this new market, deploying former French soldiers and others.

GNV related article: “Evolving international relations in West Africa“

A French military transport aircraft preparing for takeoff at a base in Djibouti (Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles / Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])

No. 6 A record 91 countries presented statements at the ICJ on climate action

News in 2024: In December 2024, a record 91 countries gave statements at public hearings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on climate action. Led by island states affected by sea-level rise and other impacts, the submissions pressed the responsibility of high-income countries for greenhouse gas emissions.

[Update] October 2025: On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion—unanimously—on states’ obligations regarding climate change. The ICJ stated that countries bear legally binding obligations under international law in response to climate change. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The opinion reads as connecting international agreements such as the 2015 Paris Agreement to international customary law, including human rights law and the duty to prevent significant harm. For the first time, the ICJ also made clear that failure to take appropriate legislative, administrative, and regulatory measures on climate change may result in legal consequences such as damages or compensation. While not legally binding, the opinion has the potential to strengthen the legal standing of vulnerable states in international climate negotiations and to spur climate litigation domestically and internationally. The opinion came as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations hit a new record and current emission-reduction plans are grossly insufficient to curb global warming.

GNV related article: “A big step in climate change: Bringing the case to the ICJ“

Announcement of the advisory opinion at the ICJ (Photo: UN Photo/ICJ-CIJ/Frank van Beek [Fair use])

No. 7 Half of the world’s population gains access to social protection

News in 2024: In September 2024, the International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that 52.4% of the global population can receive protection from at least one type of social protection system. This marks an improvement from 42.8% in 2015, but the ILO flagged the slow pace of progress, the situation of least developed countries being left behind, and disparities in protection levels across countries and regions.

[Update] October 2025: In September 2025, as a supplement to its 2024 global report, the ILO released a report focusing on Europe and Central Asia. It found that about 85.2% of people in these regions are covered by at least one social protection scheme—well above the global average. However, disparities within the region are large, with the Caucasus at just 50.9%. The report also notes that climate change and population ageing are placing additional burdens on current social protection systems, implying the need not only to fill coverage gaps but also to strengthen the systems themselves. Furthermore, 2025 features key events related to social protection. In April, the Global Disability Summit in Germany produced 800 new commitments by governments. In November, Qatar will host the second World Summit for Social Development, 30 years after the first.

GNV related article: “Uruguay: A society that supports care and improves women’s status“

Woman pushing a wheelchair, Japan (Photo: ajari / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY 2.0] )

No. 8 Cocaine production rising in South America

News in 2024: The 2024 report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed that the amount of cocaine produced in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia in 2022 increased by 20% year-on-year. The surge in cocaine has fueled violence in production areas, transit hubs, and consumption markets.

[Update] October 2025: According to a June 2025 UNODC report, cocaine manufacture, seizures, and use in 2023 each hit all-time highs. Production was estimated to have risen a further 34% from 2022 to about 3,708 tons. Production in Colombia is particularly large; in coca, the raw material for cocaine, the country accounts for about 67% of global output. In Ecuador, a key transit hub on smuggling routes, there were mass protests in 2025, with analysts pointing to deteriorating security linked to cocaine smuggling as a backdrop. Furthermore, from September 2025, citing the need to stop drug flows into the United States, President Donald Trump repeatedly ordered attacks on Venezuelan and other vessels on the high seas, signaling intensified political and military actions justified by anti-drug efforts. However, in cocaine smuggling to the U.S., shipments originate largely from Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, and Venezuela is not considered a major export hub, as some point out.

GNV related article: “Drugs around the world and international reporting“

The U.S. Coast Guard seizes cocaine smuggled by a semi-submersible (Photo: Coast Guard / Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])

No. 9 CJEU ruling recognizes Western Sahara’s autonomy

News in 2024: On October 4, 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that a 2019 trade agreement between the EU and Morocco was invalid because it had not obtained Western Sahara’s consent, issuing a judgment.

[Update] October 2025: Although the ruling suggested the possibility that participation by the Polisario Front as the party for Western Sahara could help advance dispute resolution between Morocco and Western Sahara, with no major change on the ground, the EU and Morocco on October 2, 2025 amended the definition of “originating products” in their trade agreement. The amendment guarantees that goods originating in Western Sahara—particularly agricultural and fishery products—receive the same preferential tariffs as Moroccan goods, and allows labeling that uses the regional designations Morocco applies administratively in that territory. While presented as the result of consultations following the CJEU judgment, it effectively sidesteps the judicial ruling and amounts to recognizing Morocco’s possession of Western Sahara in trade terms. As the party for Western Sahara, the Polisario Front declared that this amendment changes the CJEU’s judicial decision and that it will use all legal means to protect the rights and resources of the people of Western Sahara .

GNV related articles: “CJEU ruling recognizes Western Sahara’s autonomy” “Western Sahara: A region like a country but not a country—A major unresolved issue in northwest Africa“

No. 10 Final border delimitation in Central Asia agreed

News in 2024: In December 2024, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan reached agreement on the remaining border delimitation. The ambiguous border between the two countries had long been one of the causes of military clashes, corruption, and issues involving armed groups and drugs . However, some noted that it was unclear whether the agreement would be implemented.

[Update] October 2025: On March 13, 2025, the presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan formally signed the border delimitation arrangement in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, and land and air links between the two countries—which had been suspended since the armed clashes in September 2022—were restored. On March 31, the leaders of the two countries and Uzbekistan met in Khujand, Tajikistan, and agreed to strengthen economic and political ties in addition to the border delimitation. Implementation of the agreement is expected to proceed steadily given the substantial economic benefits from stabilizing the region and the relatively stable governments in both countries—an assessment shared by some observers. On the other hand, concerns have been raised about the presidents’ heavy-handed approach to negotiations, the lack of clarity on the details—especially the allocation of water rights and compensation for residents affected by the delimitation—and the exclusion of local residents from decision-making .

GNV related article: “The shifting Fergana Valley and its surroundings“

Border checkpoint between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Leilek District, already delimited (Photo: Nataev / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0])

As seen above, there were new developments on each of the issues we selected as the Top 10 News in 2024. Some situations improved while others worsened, but all retain points of concern that merit continued attention.

GNV plans to release the Top 10 News of 2025 in December 2025.

Writers: Seita Morimoto, Virgil Hawkins, Maiko Takeuchi, MIKI Yuna

Follow @GNV_tweets