The original concept of the International Halley Watch was presented by Louis Friedman to NASA in 1979. The intent was to maximise the scientific value of ground-based and space studies of Comet Halley. This initial suggestion met with a very positive response and has developed into a smooth organization, principally concerned with rapid communication and promoting co-operation between scientists in a wide range of disciplines. The main aim here is to put the IHW in perspective; further details of its origin and evolution can be found in Newsletter No. 1, from which the following three diagrams are taken: To quote from Newsletter No. 1 ‘The most important elements in the IHW are the Professional Observers and the Discipline Specialist Teams. Without the Observers, there can be no Halley Watch, and without the Discipline Specialists, there would be no co-ordination of observations.’ If there are any professional observers who have not yet been contacted by a Discipline Specialist it is recommended that they make their interest known immediately.