Non-Governmental Organizations - Human Rights Watch
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a private organization in the international community, independent from any particular government or group of government's policies. Human Rights Watch is one such NGO.
Formation
In 1978, a group called Helsinki Watch was formed in order to monitor the Soviet Union's compliance with the Helsinki Accords, which was an agreement among several nations signed at the conclusion of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Countries that were parties to the Helsinki Accords reaffirmed their obligations to observe human rights as set forth in several other notable treaties. A decade later, Helsinki Watch merged with other international human rights watch groups and Human Rights Watch was formed.
Purpose and Methods
Human Rights Watch has traditionally concentrated on exposing violations of civil and political rights, although it will document economic, social, and cultural rights violations on occasion as well.
Human Rights Watch is distinctive from other NGOs in its manner of seeking to effect change. Many NGOs protest, demonstrate, advocate, or lobby. On the other hand, Human Rights Watch's primarily specialty is more of an informational role. It concentrates on producing and publishing reports to expose human rights abuses. It seeks press attention and in some cases may enlist the assistance of governments and institutions to pressure human rights abusers to change. The reports are also used by other groups to support their claims and positions. Human Rights Watch gathers the information for its reports during on-site fact-finding missions during which representatives of the organization interview witnesses.
The organization will report on human rights abuses in any country, including the United States.
Structure
Human Rights Watch is based in the United States. It is staffed by lawyers, journalists, academics, and country experts. Human Rights Watch does not have a large membership base, but does receive all of its funding from private donations and grants.
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