Human Rights Watch records : Record Group 11: Middle East and North Africa, 1978-1997, bulk 1989-1994

Collection context

Creator:
Human Rights Watch (Organization). Middle East and North Africa Division
Extent:
36.25 linear feet 29 record cartons
Language:
English , Arabic .
Scope and content:

Materials include correspondence and e-mail communications, mission reports, testimonies and interviews, addresses and contact lists, confidential interoffice memos, legal and advocacy material, internal planning and policy material, declassified government and United Nations documents, published and unpublished human rights reports from individuals and fellow NGOs, press clippings and news releases, and maps. Another category of documents consists of HRW reports and briefing papers, as well as press releases and open letters to heads of state, governments and various government agencies.

Materials related to missions contain unpublished information on sources, cases, and the state of affairs in various countries. They include professional and personal mission notes taken by country researchers and monitors during investigative field trips, testimonies by and interviews with victims of various human rights abuses, pre-mission and post-mission memos, material on research methodology, correspondence and e-mail communications, addresses and contact lists.

Thematically, these documents cover the various major military and political upheavals occurring in the Middle East and North Africa during the early to middle 1990s. The papers also comprise such human rights initiatives as attempting to bring a case against Iraq at the International Court of Justice, the campaigns to promote freedom of expression, and the rights of women in the region.

Biographical / historical:

This record group contains the records of the United States based Middle East and North Africa Watch, a division of the human rights organization, Human Rights Watch.

Materials include analytical papers, correspondence, memorandums, monitoring reports, news clippings, newsletters, and publications.

These materials document the issues effecting the Arab world during this period. To illustrate, the Gulf War and its after effects in Iraq, Kuwait and the United States are covered in detail. This record group contains the results of fact-finding missions documenting UN humanitarian operations in the Western Sahara and monitoring human rights abuses in the Arab world.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The records of Human Rights Watch are restricted unless they have been vetted and cleared for use by HRW. If a specific folder has been vetted, the restriction status is noted in the finding aid (open, vetted; restricted until ___). If a folder does not have a specific restriction status, it is unvetted. If you wish to request folders from this collection that are unvetted, please send an email to rbml@columbia.edu detailing the collection, series, box, and folder numbers in which you are interested, as well as a brief description of your research needs. Once Human Rights Watch has reviewed the request, the researcher will be contacted with specific instructions. Please submit requests at least two months in advance of your research visit. [unprocessed -- for flag only]

This collection is located off-site. Please consult the Rare Book and Manuscript Library for further information.

The records of Human Rights Watch are restricted and require the permission of the organization to view, copy, and/or publish. If you wish to request boxes from this collection, please send an email to rbml@columbia.edu detailing the collection, series, and box numbers in which you are interested. Once Human Rights Watch has reviewed the request, the scholar and the Rare Book & Manuscript Library will be contacted with specific instructions.

Terms of access:

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Name of Collection; Box and Folder; Center for Human Rights Documentation and Research, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:
Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
Contact:
rbml@library.columbia.edu