Canada

Human Rights Watch Canada

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About Us

Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. In 2002 Human Rights Watch Canada was established to advance education on human rights issues both in Canada and around the world, and to increase support for the work of Human Rights Watch worldwide.

The Canadian office organizes several larger public and smaller private events throughout the year. This includes our Annual Toronto Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which demonstrates the power of film in raising awareness of human rights issues across the globe, and our Voices for Justice Dinner that celebrates human rights champions for their courageous activism.

We also engage with Canadian decision-makers in government and in other sectors as part of the organization’s advocacy work. If you are interested in learning more about our local activities, please contact the Toronto office at canada@hrw.org

Également, vous pouvez envoyer un courriel à notre bureau en français. Nos rapports canadiens sont publiés dans les deux langues. Notez les options de langue sur chaque page de rapport.

Our Work

Human Rights Watch is a nonprofit, nongovernmental human rights movement with a network of affiliates and offices around the globe. It includes roughly 400 staff members who are human rights professionals, including country experts, lawyers, journalists, and academics of diverse backgrounds and nationalities.

Established in 1978, Human Rights Watch is known for its accurate fact-finding, impartial reporting, effective use of media, and targeted advocacy, often in partnership with local human rights groups. Each year, Human Rights Watch publishes more than 100 reports and briefings on human rights conditions in some 90 countries, generating extensive coverage in local and international media. With the leverage this brings, Human Rights Watch meets with governments, the United Nations, regional groups like the African Union and the European Union, financial institutions, and corporations to press for changes in policy and practice that promote human rights and justice around the world. Would you be interested in finding out more about Human Rights Watch research on Canada, please go to the Canada country research page.

How we work

Investigate. Human Rights Watch is committed to systematically researching and analysing human rights conditions worldwide in order to uncover abuses. Researchers interview leaders, victims and witnesses so that they can form an accurate picture of what happened. They also review media and academic reports, domestic and international law and policy papers to gain a further understanding of the situation.

Expose. Human Rights Watch researchers publish their findings in the form of reports and articles. These are then made accessible to the public as well as local authorities in order to raise awareness of the abuses. The publications are available in multiple languages and formats and are often referenced in news articles worldwide.

Change. Following the identification and publication of human rights abuses, Human Rights Watch’s advocacy division work closely with local authorities and organisations in order to demand accountability and put an end to the abuses that they have discovered. The ultimate goal of Human Rights Watch is to ensure that human rights are upheld worldwide and to promote justice and change. 

Human Rights Watch is an independent, nongovernmental organization, supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide. To ensure our independence, we do not accept government funds, directly or indirectly. Donations made in Canada benefit our work worldwide.

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Canadian Registered Charity 
Every registered charity is issued a nine-digit business number, with a program identifier of RR, and a four-digit reference number.

Human Rights Watch Canada's Charitable Registration number is 836252544 RR0001.

The charity's registration number must be written in full on all official donation receipts and must include the business number, the proper program identifier (RR), and the reference number.

Human Rights Watch Canada Board of Directors

Ahmad Attia 

Norman Deane Collinson (Chair)

Marusya Lazo

Maryse Roy (Treasurer)

Bruce Simpson

Visit the Canada Board and Committee page for further information. 

News

  • December 12, 2012

    Voices for Justice - Thank You!

     In 2012, Human Rights Watch is hosting 14 dinners in 9 countries across North America, Europe and Asia honouring 6 incredible human rights defenders with the Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism.  We were privileged in Toronto to recognize Sister Consuelo Morales (Mexico) for her courageous efforts to end impunity and aid victims of abuses in Mexico’s “war on drugs.” Your participation helped make Toronto’s 9th Annual Voices for Justice Dinner on Monday, November 5th a huge success. THANK YOU!

  • September 27, 2012

    Saudi Arabia: Let Women and Girls Play Sports

    As the London Olympics began, spectators around the world cheered for two Saudi women who madehistory by competing for their country--Wujdan Shahrkhani in judo and Sarah Attar in track and field. Saudi Arabia had previously sent only all-male teams to the Olympics. Human Rights Watch welcomed this as an important first step, while calling for an end to the effective ban preventing millions of Saudi women and girls from practicing sports.

  • February 5, 2012

    Canada: Vote NO on Migrant Detention Bill C31

    Human Rights Watch is writing to raise concerns about certain provisions of proposed Bill C-31, Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, that we believe are harmful to refugees and asylum seekers and incompatible with international refugee and human rights law. Although the detention provisions of Bill C-31 are ostensibly proposed to deter human smugglers, Human Rights Watch believes that these provisions, in fact, target refugee claimants fleeing persecution, who will suffer their consequences.

HRW Canada newsletter

Contacts

Carine Chehab
Canada Senior Director

Get in touch

T: +1 416 322 8448 Email: canada@hrw.org
Image in shades of red with a fence in front of seated people.

#WelcomeToCanada

After success in BC, we have now moved to Quebec and Nova Scotia, which like most provinces, have a contract with the federal government that allows for immigration detainees to be held in provincial jails. Call on Quebec and Nova Scotia to cancel this contract!

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