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.
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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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August 11, 2020“I want to help change the mental health system because it is abusive against us, people with psychosocial disabilities,” Felipe Orozco told me last week.
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August 4, 2020
Ending Child Detention in Greece is Possible
Hundreds of unaccompanied children who have ended up in Greece’s “protective custody” regime. But far from protecting them, the system puts children at risk of severe abuse.
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July 31, 2020
Kenya Stops Abusive Forced Quarantine Related to Covid-19
In early June, Kenya’s Ministry of Health released guidelines on how people with mild or asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 could self-isolate at home. Previously, Kenya’s authorities forcibly quarantined tens of thousands of people in facilities that lacked proper sanitation.
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July 20, 2020
UN Condemns Systemic Racism, Police Violence
The United Nations Human Rights Council is moving against systemic racism and police violence – including in the United States.
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July 10, 2020
Court Awards Damages to 20 LGBT Youth in Uganda
The High Court of Uganda awarded damages of UGX 5,000,000 (about US$1,340) to 20 homeless gay, bisexual, and transgender people who had been arbitrarily detained and held without access to their lawyers.
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June 22, 2020
Libya: UN Establishes Fact Finding Body
The United Nations Human Rights Council on June 22, 2020 took a positive step toward accountability by establishing a fact-finding body to investigate violations by all sides in Libya, Human Rights Watch said today.
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June 18, 2020
Young Climate Activists’ UN Complaint Against Germany
A 16-year-old boy named David is one of a group of 15 children who lodged a UN complaint last year against Germany and four other countries for its lagging efforts to fight the global climate crisis. David is from the Marshall Islands, on the front line of climate change. -
June 16, 2020
Panama Took Positive Step on Transgender People’s Rights
Panama’s Ministry of Public Security announced last month that it had ordered security forces to avoid discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people under its Covid-19 policies – an important acknowledgment of the rights of transgender people in the country and the abuse they have faced during the pandemic.
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June 10, 2020
Bahrain: Prominent Activist Nabeel Rajab Freed from Prison
The release from prison of the prominent Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab on June 9, 2020 is a long-overdue but positive development.
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June 9, 2020
Children Vote to Stop Killer Robots
Thousands of children across Belgium studied five shortlisted Peace Prize nominees over the past school year and voted for the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots to win the award, given out every three years by the city of Ypres.