Human Rights Watch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Human Rights Watch

Founded	1978; 47 years ago (1978) (as Helsinki Watch)
Type	Non-profit, NGO
Focus	Human rights, activism
Headquarters	New York City, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Product	Nonprofit human rights advocacy
Key people	Tirana Hassan (Executive Director)
Revenue	$85.6 million (2019)
Formerly called	Helsinki Watch

Former Executive Director Kenneth Roth speaking at the 44th Munich Security Conference in 2008.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is a big international group based in New York City. It's a non-governmental organization, which means it's not run by any government. HRW works to protect and promote human rights around the world.

The group does research and speaks out for people whose rights are not respected. They try to make governments, companies, and individuals stop treating people unfairly. HRW often helps refugees, children, people who have moved to new countries, and those held as political prisoners.

In 1997, Human Rights Watch was part of a group that won the Nobel Peace Prize. This was for their work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. HRW also played a big part in creating a treaty in 2008 that banned cluster munitions, which are dangerous weapons.

What is Human Rights Watch?

Human Rights Watch is an organization that works to make sure everyone's basic human rights are respected. These rights are ideas about how all people should be treated fairly and with dignity. HRW believes that things like the death penalty (ending someone's life as punishment) and treating people unfairly because of who they are or who they love are wrong.

HRW supports important freedoms like freedom of religion and freedom of the press. They try to make governments and leaders stop human rights abuses. They also encourage powerful countries to influence other governments that violate human rights.

How HRW Works

Human Rights Watch publishes detailed reports about human rights problems. These reports follow rules set by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other international agreements. The reports help bring attention to abuses and pressure governments to make changes.

HRW researchers travel to places where problems are happening. They gather facts, talk to victims, and collect information. They also work with the media to share their findings. HRW's reports cover many issues, such as:

• Treating people unfairly based on their gender or background.
• Torture, which is causing extreme pain to someone.
• Using children in wars.
• Political corruption, where leaders use their power for personal gain.
• Problems in the criminal justice system.

HRW also helps writers around the world who are in danger because of their work. They give financial help and raise awareness for activists who speak out for human rights.

Each year, Human Rights Watch gives out the Human Rights Defenders Award. This award honors brave activists who show great leadership in protecting human rights. These award winners often work closely with HRW to find and expose human rights abuses.

Working with Other Groups

Human Rights Watch has helped start several important groups. In 1998, it was one of six groups that created the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. HRW also helps lead the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. This group successfully pushed for the Ottawa Treaty, which stops the use of anti-personnel landmines.

HRW is also a founding member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange. This is a global network of groups that watch for censorship around the world. They also helped create the Cluster Munition Coalition, which led to an international agreement banning these weapons.

HRW has over 275 staff members, including experts, lawyers, journalists, and teachers. They work in more than 90 countries. Their main office is in New York City, and they have offices in many other cities worldwide.

History of Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch started in 1978 as Helsinki Watch. It was founded by Robert L. Bernstein, Jeri Laber, and Aryeh Neier. Its first goal was to check if the Soviet Union was following the Helsinki Accords, which were agreements about human rights.

Helsinki Watch used a method called "naming and shaming." This meant they publicly called out governments that were abusing human rights through media and by talking directly to leaders. They believe this helped bring democracy to the Soviet Union and its European partners in the late 1980s.

Expanding Their Reach

In 1981, another group called Americas Watch was formed. This happened when there were many civil wars in Central America. Americas Watch investigated problems caused by government forces and also looked into war crimes by rebel groups. They also examined how other governments, especially the United States, supported unfair leaders.

Later, more "Watch Committees" were added:

• Asia Watch (1985)
• Africa Watch (1988)
• Middle East Watch (1989)

In 1988, all these committees joined together to form Human Rights Watch.

Challenges and Impact

HRW sometimes faces challenges from governments because of its work. For example, in 2020, the Chinese government placed restrictions on HRW's director, Kenneth Roth. This was because HRW supported protests in Hong Kong. As a result, HRW decided to leave Hong Kong in 2021.

Also, in March 2023, Bahrain stopped two HRW staff members from entering the country. They were supposed to attend a meeting about parliaments from around the world.

Leadership

Kenneth Roth was the executive director of HRW from 1993 to 2022. He investigated human rights problems in places like Poland and Haiti. His interest in human rights came from his father, who escaped Nazi Germany in 1938.

In 2023, Tirana Hassan became the new executive director. She is a social worker who has worked with other important groups like Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and UNICEF. She also worked for Amnesty International.

How HRW is Funded

Human Rights Watch gets its money from private people and foundations. They do not accept money directly or indirectly from governments. This helps them stay independent.

In 2010, a person named George Soros promised to give HRW $100 million over ten years. This was the largest donation in HRW's history. He said he wanted HRW to be seen as more international, not just an American organization. This big donation helped HRW hire 120 more staff members.

Independent groups that rate charities have given HRW good scores. For example, Charity Navigator gave HRW a high rating for its financial management.

Notable Staff

Some important people who have worked or are working at Human Rights Watch include:

• Robert L. Bernstein, who helped start the organization.
• Neil Rimer, who helps lead the international board.
• Kenneth Roth, the former executive director.
• Tirana Hassan, the current executive director.
• Jan Egeland, a former deputy director.
• Minky Worden, the media director.
• Nabeel Rajab, a member of the Middle East Division's Advisory Committee.

Images for kids

• 

  Nabeel Rajab helping an old woman after a protest in Bahrain in 2010.

• 

  Kenneth Roth with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, in 2012.

See also