The organization has explained that in 2020 227 murders have been counted, the highest number so far, but that they are very likely to be more, as people around the world do not frequently report the assaults they have suffered.

Almost all murders (226) have occurred in countries in the south of the country. Indigenous communities have been particularly hit, with more than a third of the attacks on them, when they account for 5 per cent of the world ' s population. Of the ten deaths, nine are men, although the Global Witness organization has stressed that there are some forms of gender-related violence, such as sexual assault, that women suffer.

With regard to data from Colombia, the report notes that the pandemic has only made the situation worse: "The official lockdown caused the defenders of the land to be attacked in their homes and the government's protective measures to be mitigated." In Mexico, about a third of the attacks were related to forestry exploitation. On the other hand, in 95% of the cases no procedure has been initiated for clarification and sanction. In the case of the Philippines, reference is made, inter alia, to "brutal police and military repression".

The organization notes that companies themselves are responsible for the attacks, insofar as their economic model prioritizes profits, rather than human rights or the environment. It has also denounced the actions of governments, which have denied any irregularity. It says that these companies do not protect environmental advocates. Moreover, when they are not "accomplices" of the aggressions, they are "authors" of them.