Impact
By investigating and exposing human rights abuses, we work to create a world where everyone is treated fairly and equitably, no matter their race, religion, or beliefs. We call for action so that people who disagree with their government can speak their opinions freely, so that children are protected, and refugees cared for. All of us, regardless of who we are, who we love, or the color of our skin, should be able to enjoy fully our human rights.
BROWSE ALL IMPACT ›
Change is sometimes immediate, sometimes incremental. We work on issues for years and know from experience how to transform deep-rooted problems. Here are examples of some of the recent impact we have made, together with our partners, in advancing human rights around the world.
How do we bring about change?
Investigate
Our researchers investigate human rights abuses, first by speaking with victims or witnesses. We corroborate their stories using a variety of sources, including government records, weapons’ fragments, satellite imagery, and the statements of accused perpetrators – be they members of governments, armed groups, or companies. We often do this work together with partner activists.
Expose
We share this information widely, in multiple languages, to help shape public debate. Our reports, videos, and social media posts show up hundreds of times daily in news media around the world, bringing both global and local attention to our rigorously fact-checked findings.
Change
Often in coalition with local groups, we bring our findings to officials who have the power to change things. For every issue we work on, we make specific, concrete policy recommendations that will bring people justice, prevent future abuses, and protect human rights.
Our work has been instrumental in some foundational victories for human rights, including our work on banning landmines worldwide, for which we and our partners received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. Below are some examples of our historic impact.
All impact
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April 7, 2018
Asylum Seekers in Greece Reach Safety After Campaign
Almost 9,000 asylum seekers trapped on Greece’s islands in deplorable surroundings have been transferred to mainland Greece after a campaign by 13 nongovernmental groups, including Human Rights Watch, pushed the government to move them to safer conditions on the mainland.
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February 8, 2018
US Senate Committee Takes Aim at Burma for Atrocities Against Rohingya
In a unanimous vote yesterday, Republicans and Democrats in a key US Senate committee joined to support important new legislation to address the appalling deterioration in Burma’s human rights record over the past year, in particular rampant abuses against the Rohingya Muslim population.
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February 8, 2018
California court orders judges to follow the law on bail
For years, California judges have defied the spirit of the law and set high bail as a way to keep in custody people who should be released.
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January 18, 2018
Qatar: Year of Crisis Spurred Rights Reforms
Qatar announced a range of significant human rights reforms during 2017 that if carried out would usher in some of the most progressive human rights standards in the gulf region, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2018.
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December 19, 2017
Beyond Justice: How the Yugoslav Tribunal Made History
Bullet holes, bloodstains and brain matter marked the walls of an empty barn, a crime scene processed to document the worst crime in Europe since the Second World War: the deliberate killings of more than 7,000 men and boys from the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.
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November 22, 2017
ICTY/Bosnia: Life Sentence for Ratko Mladic
The conviction of Ratko Mladic, once known as the “Butcher of Bosnia,” for genocide and other crimes on November 22, 2017, shows that justice catches up with those responsible for horrific atrocities.
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November 20, 2017
New Regulations in Armenia Could Ease Suffering of Terminally Ill
As of today, thousands of cancer patients in Armenia may soon be able to get the pain treatment they need – and to which they have the right – thanks to new regulations the government adopted earlier in November.
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November 15, 2017
Tobacco Companies Commit to Protect Child Workers Worldwide
Working on child labor, it often feels like there isn’t much good news. So when I learned recently about a new policy that could potentially protect millions of children from dangerous work on tobacco farms around the world, I couldn’t quite believe it.
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