A Message from ICTJ President David Tolbert

As 2014 comes to a close, I’m pleased to share with you a gallery highlighting some of ICTJ’s work and impact over the past year, including reflections from many of our experts on the pressing issues we face.

Last year, we at ICTJ reflected on the yawning gap between rhetoric and reality on safeguarding human rights and protecting civilian lives: there is unspeakable suffering in Syria, atrocities in the Central African Republic, chaos in Libya, and civil war in South Sudan and other parts of the globe. Impunity has again raised its ugly head, accompanied by blowback against national and international accountability efforts, particularly against the International Criminal Court.

These challenges to basic human rights and dignity are serious and must not be ignored; however, a closer look shows that over the course of the year, a number of groundbreaking achievements were made that may well serve as harbingers for a better future. These steps toward justice, led by the steadfast work of civil society and supported by the assistance of ICTJ, can be seen in all corners of the globe.

• In Colombia, ICTJ provided assistance to the historic peace talks between the Colombian government and FARC guerillas. These talks have resulted in considerable progress on a range of accountability measures, spurred by the active participation of victims in the talks. While much remains to be done, great strides have been made toward ending this 50-year conflict, and transitional justice is at the very center of the process.

• In Tunisia, despite a difficult political landscape, the launching of the Truth and Dignity Commission has given new hope to victims after decades of repression. I am particularly proud of the role that ICTJ has played in assisting the commission; our work to support its truth-seeking efforts has been widely acknowledged in the country and beyond.

• In Lebanon, ICTJ assisted a civil society consortium that issued a remarkable set of recommendations on addressing impunity and confronting persistent human rights violations, like enforced disappearance, a subject of considerable importance to victims and the stability of the country. The consortium’s recommendations are a key step forward in beginning to deal with past cycles of violence that have so deeply scarred the country.

There were many other important issues that ICTJ addressed over the last year. In one of our most innovative projects, ICTJ and the Kofi Annan Foundation joined forces to examine the promise and pitfalls of truth commissions in peace processes. Following a high-level consultation with leading peace negotiators and transitional justice experts, we launched a report based on the discussions as well as five case studies. Due to the immediate relevance of these issues to many countries in which we work, I’m pleased that ICTJ will continue to cooperate with the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2015, when our study will be the subject of a high-level discussion in Colombia.

Despite the challenging landscape, there have been many advances we can build on for the future. We have a new year ahead of us, and we are ready to take on the challenge, working for truth, justice, and dignity for all.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

David Tolbert, President
International Center for Transitional Justice