Abuja, June 19, 2025—The African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), in collaboration with the Consortium implementing the Initiative for Transitional Justice in Africa (ITJA), led by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and co-implemented by the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) and the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), will host the fifth edition of the AU-EU Experts’ Seminar on Transitional Justice (TJ). Taking place from June 19 to June 20, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria, the seminar will center on the theme “Reparations and Transitional Justice: Perspectives and Approaches from Africa and Europe.”
This two-day gathering will bring together up to 50 transitional justice experts from Africa and Europe, including policymakers, practitioners, civil society representatives, and academics, to discuss innovative approaches, share experiences, and examine strategies for advancing reparative measures that address historical injustices and contemporary challenges. The seminar is convened as part of the AU and EU collaboration to advance transitional justice efforts, part of the broader AU-EU partnership. In 2025, the AU and the EU celebrate the 25th anniversary of their enduring and unique partnership since the first Africa-Europe summit on April 3-4, 2000, in Cairo.
Building on the outcome of the 2024 expert seminar in Brussels, this year’s event will emphasize reparations as a cornerstone of transitional justice, addressing the legacies of human rights violations, historical injustices, and contemporary conflicts. Discussions will delve into sustainable funding models for reparations while also exploring innovative strategies for gender-responsive reparations, environmental justice, and the integration of rehabilitation into reparation programs.
The seminar seeks to strengthen cross-continental collaboration, enhance knowledge, and co-create solutions, needed at this pivotal moment. It will focus on fostering joint initiatives for designing and implementing inclusive, victim-centered, and transformative reparation programs. Its outcomes are expected to catalyze partnerships, inspire innovative strategies, as well as provide practical guidance and actionable insights for designing impactful reparation programs. The seminar results are expected to feed into AU-EU’s broader dialogue on human rights and are poised to strengthen efforts toward justice, reconciliation, and sustainable peace across Africa.
