Founded as Helsinki Watch in 1978, Human Rights Watch expanded in the 1980s into regional “Watch” committees and in the 1990s broadened its mandate to include laws of war and economic and social rights.

Over subsequent decades it professionalised fact-finding, systematically combining witness interviews with satellite imagery, statistical analysis, forensic techniques, and legal advocacy to press for prosecutions and policy change.

HRW’s documented timelines and methodological notes have shaped litigation, sanctions debates and UN inquiries, even as the organisation faces recurring scrutiny over sources and verification methods.