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This year, Colombia commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Justice and Peace Law, which established the country’s first formal transitional justice mechanism. On this milestone anniversary, ICTJ reflects on the evolution that led to the groundbreaking law, the lessons that have been learned so far, and the challenges that lie ahead.

The issuance of the first sentences by Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace marks a turning point for transitional justice in the country. These historic convictions against those most responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the armed conflict constitute the realization of justice and express both judicial and moral condemnation.

ICTJ, in collaboration with the Center for Media Integrity of the Americas, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, and the New York City Bar Association, recently hosted a screening of the Colombian documentary Después del Frío ("After the Cold"). Coproduced by ICTJ and Colombian journalist María Jimena Duzán, with the support of the Embassies of Sweden and Norway in Colombia, the film paints an intimate portrait of a nation seeking healing and transformation, where the scars of the past give way to hope.

This year, Colombia commemorates the 20th anniversary of Law 975, which established the country’s first transitional justice process, called Justicia y Paz (or Justice and Peace). With this anniversary top on mind, and as the current government engages with eight of the remaining armed groups in pursuit of its “Total Peace” strategy, ICTJ recently teamed up with podcast producers Sillón Estudios to create a four-part series that delves into the peace process with the AUC and considers key lessons learned.

In the wake of the recent contentious presidential elections, Venezuelans from all walks of life took to the streets to express their collective distrust of the official results, outrage over their country's dire economic and political crisis, and demand for transformative change. For a brief moment, their sheer numbers and the of unity of their voices gave hope that a window of opportunity had opened for real change. In countries grappling with massive human rights violations, from time to time, a window of opportunity does in fact open for society to come together and a forge path toward peace and justice. Unfortunately, such windows do not remain open indefinitely.

In 2022, the Total Peace law was passed in Colombia, through which the government seeks to negotiate and reach agreements with armed organizations that still exist in the country. On June 19, 2024, the current director of ICTJ Colombia, Maria Camila Moreno, was appointed to be a member of the negotiating team that will help develop the peace dialogue table with the armed group Segunda Marquetalia.

Throughout 2023, ICTJ’s experts have offered their unique perspective on breaking news around the globe as part of the World Report. Their insightful commentaries have brought into focus the impact these events have on victims of human right violations as well as larger struggles for peace and justice. In this edition, we look back on the past year through the Expert’s Choice column.

Colombia’s new president Gustavo Petro was elected to office on a progressive campaign to strengthen democracy, implement social reforms, and bring “total peace” to the country. His approach to peace encompasses political negotiations with all remaining insurgent groups and simultaneous dialogues with criminal organizations geared toward their voluntary submission to justice in exchange for punitive leniency. But eight months into his administration, Petro’s efforts to deliver on his campaign promise are facing numerous challenges.

In a fast-changing world, ICTJ regularly reexamines and adapts its methodology to develop innovative solutions to emerging problems, advance its mission, and achieve justice for victims of human rights violations. In that spirit, ICTJ recently launched an exciting new website and newsletter design. After over a year of research, planning, surveying stakeholders, designing, and testing, we unveiled a site that better aligns with what ICTJ and transitional justice are today.