Human Development Research Initiative

🚨Is Europe turning digital tools into democratic threats? HDRI's latest Thematic Index on Surveillance presents how digital surveillance is rapidly expanding across Europe, framed as essential for security but increasingly threatening civic space, privacy, and participation. 📊This research analyzes France and Germany's normalization of intrusive tools like drone monitoring and metadata retention against Estonia's transparency model, using a 10-level "Levels of Digital Sur

This research written by Amjad Nablsi  and edited by Guglielmo Barbetta, explores how large-scale refugee return is reshaping security and stability in post-war Syria, showing that while return brings hope, it can also trigger violence, reprisals, and new governance challenges. The paper argues that safe and sustainable return depends on fair, civilian-led security forces , inclusive reforms, and coordination between state actors and aid organizations. It reframes refugee r

Breaking the silence on stigma is a policy choice. 🏳️‍🌈 Today, HDRI publishes “The Burden of Stigma: LGBTQ+ Mental Health Policy Recommendation Paper” - our final 2025 output on global health and human rights, grounded in youth-led research and a structural understanding of minority stress. Co-developed by Gabriele Cotronei and the participants to our latest webinar, the paper translates lived experience and scientific evidence into concrete insights for institutions. 🏫 O

Across Europe, cities are being reshaped by neoliberal planning, financialization, and smart‑city agendas. HDRI’s final 2025 paper, from the Economic, Social and Cultural rights thematic area, unpacks how these forces intersect with spatial polarization, gentrification, and youth precarity , and how they redefine what participation, inclusion, and the right to the city  mean today. From Milan  and Barcelona , our research shows how revitalization strategies, often framed as s

Human Development Research Initiative (HDRI) is pleased to share a new paper by Serhat Calimli  (Researcher) and Laura Coburn  (Editor), exploring an often overlooked dimension of contemporary politics: the emotional and psychosocial impacts of right‑wing populist narratives. Across Europe and beyond, right‑wing populist movements have moved from the margins to the mainstream. Their messaging frequently centers on crisis, cultural threat, and societal decline, which resonate

Held in the lead-up of COP30, Youth at COP30 — From Demands to Deliverables brought together young climate advocates and policy stakeholders to examine how can youth participation be translated into measurable impact. At a time when youth across Europe and beyond are calling not only for inclusion in climate negotiations but for tangible outcomes, the session examined practical strategies for influence, accountability, and engagement within and beyond the COP process. Our pa

The rising global obesity epidemic underscores the need for clear, accessible nutritional labeling to support healthier food choices. Nutri-Score, introduced in France in 2017, is a front-of-pack labeling system designed to simplify nutritional information through a color-coded, letter-based scale . By evaluating both positive and negative aspects of food products, Nutri-Score helps consumers make informed decisions at the point of purchase. Studies indicate that the system h

Ambient air pollution is an emerging environmental issue affecting regions worldwide. According to the State of Global Air (SOGA) Report 2024, air pollution is a major health threats to all population with 8.1 million deaths globally (12% of total global death) , more than 700,000 deaths were children under five (15% of all global deaths due to air pollution), and 16,600 deaths for children on the age of 5-14 years – linked to air pollution. Children are more vulnerable to ai

Candida auris , a multidrug-resistant yeast fungus that lives commensally on people's skin, has been a growing threat throughout the United States (US) and the rest of the world. Since its discovery in 2009, C. auris has been identified on every continent except Antarctica and has divided into as many as six identifiable subgroups (Cade I – VI). A recent analysis showed that in the US, cases increased by 318% in 2018 compared to reported cases from 2015-2017. They also showed

Our latest essay aims to explore how income levels affect allocations of leisure time between Men and Women. By splitting leisure time into true leisure vs household duties and care roles, it seeks   to highlight clear distinctions in allocations of time by gender and income quartiles. Using data from the American Time Use Survey,   we analyse statistical trends before exploring the policy implications of these findings and situating them in the current literature. After runn

This work explores the context of the energy transition in the coal mining industry. It specifically studies the case of La Guajira and...

There is an increasing academic consensus around the magnitude of the threats posed by climate change. The extent to which such threats...

The objective of this paper is to explore techniques to cope with the limited water access for the Za'atari refugee camp.

After Kazakhstan gained its long awaited independence in 1991, these ethnic minorities started leaving the country, supported by...

This policy paper seeks to shed light on the challenges in the implementation of UNHCR’s community-based protection framework at Za’atari...

This toolkit sheds light on the disparate treatment of refugees entering Europe according to their origin by looking at the recent...

Despite a steady decrease in the cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) following the disintegration of...

Through its effects on population health and productivity, UHC plays an integral part not only in reducing health inequalities but also...

Quarantine measures and mobility restrictions disproportionately affected women and girls, in terms of financial insecurity and...