Time to Abandon the Autocrats and Embrace Rights
The International Response to the Arab Spring
World Report 2012
Our annual review of human rights around the globe
Browse Countries
Europe’s Own Human Rights Crisis
by Benjamin Ward
World Report 2012: After the Fall
Hopes and Lessons 20 Years after the Collapse of the Soviet Union
Before the Arab Spring, the Unseen Thaw
World Report 2012: A Landmark Victory for Domestic Workers
New Convention Establishes First Global Labor Standards for Millions of Women and Girls
From Paternalism to Dignity
Respecting the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
This 22nd annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide in 2011. It reflects extensive investigative work that Human Rights Watch staff has undertaken during the year, often in close partnership with domestic human rights activists.
The introductory essay examines the Arab Spring, which has created an extraordinary opportunity for change. The global community has a responsibility to help the longsuppressed people of the region seize control of their destiny from often-brutal authoritarian rulers. Standing firmly with people as they demand their legitimate rights is the best way to stop the bloodshed, while principled insistence on respect for rights is the best way to help these popular movements avoid intolerance, lawlessness, and summary revenge once in power.
