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The United States has never collectively confronted its history of colonialism, slavery, and racism in an effort to reform the systems that perpetuate harms to Black communities and other marginalized groups, or to redress these wrongs. Events in recent years, however, have amplified calls for meaningful action to reckon with the past. This report examines the experiences of official truth commissions from around the world to identify relevant considerations for US stakeholders.

ICTJ is more than two decades old. At the time it was established, many of those who contributed to transitions in Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, South Africa, and the former Yugoslavia saw the value of a specialized organization that could draw from diverse national experiences to provide expert advice to victims’ groups, civil society, governments, and international actors. Since then, the organization has continuously evolved, accumulating a wealth of experience and knowledge, and consolidating a leadership position in the field.

This briefing paper examines the various actions that Ukrainian officials and members of the international community have launched to investigate and prosecute war crimes and other human rights violations committed in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. It explores the myriad challenges they face and how tools from transitional justice can be applied in tandem to deliver justice and reparation to victims and lay the foundation for a more inclusive and democratic Ukraine.

George Floyd’s death reignited existing anger over American society’s deep and festering racial wounds. His death triggered significant social uprisings that have challenged the methods of policing that have emerged over the course of several decades. With a growing awareness of police brutality triggered by demands of the Black Lives Matter movement, the time for an in-depth rethinking of the legitimacy of law enforcement bodies in the United States is ripe.

This report presents the findings from research on the needs and expectations of women survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Nepal. Based on in-depth interviews, it explores what happened to these survivors during the country’s decade-long war (1996-2006), what they need now in the form of reparations, and the many challenges they still face. It proposes steps for how Nepal’s government might implement reparations, in coordination with victims, civil society groups, and international stakeholders.

International policymakers recognize that transitional justice is an important component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in countries affected by systemic violence, repression, and marginalization. Yet responses to massive human right violations often remain disconnected from development practice. This report of the Working Group on Transitional Justice and SDG16+ proposes a more strategic approach to integrating transitional justice into sustainable peace and development and highlights opportunities to forge greater links across the sectors.

This study presents reflections on the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia between 2003 and 2006. It seeks to contribute to strategies for negotiating with or subduing illegal armed groups, as well as for the general pursuit of total peace underway today in Colombia. 

On February 12, 2019, the Assembly of the African Union adopted the African Union Transitional Justice Policy. The policy serves as a guide for member states on effective and credible transitional justice processes to achieve sustainable peace, justice, reconciliation, social cohesion, and healing. ICTJ welcomes the policy and encourages stakeholders to consider its guidance. This position paper presents the policy’s key contribution, raises some concerns about its practical implementation, and presents recommendations for next steps.

This comparative study examines strategies used by local actors to help operationalize reparations for victims of widespread human rights violations, while highlighting the synergies between these efforts and sustainable development. It is based on the fieldwork of ICTJ and its partners in four contexts: Colombia, The Gambia, Tunisia, and Uganda. The report presents findings from the comparative study and offers practical guidance and policy recommendations on how to advance both reparations and sustainable development.

What does the obligation to provide reparations mean when serious human rights violations are at issue? This report explores the evolving interpretation of the right to reparation in international law and jurisprudence and how domestic courts have provided judicial reparations at the national level. It provides guidance to human rights defenders and courts that are trying to respond to victims of such violations in ways that affirm their dignity.