Background

Human Rights Council resolution 42/17 of 26 September 2019 entitled “Human rights and transitional justice” requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to examine in a report “how addressing a legacy of gross violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law through transitional justice measures can contribute to sustaining peace and the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 16.”

In preparing the report, the resolution requests OHCHR to conduct consultations with relevant stakeholders. The report will be presented to the Human Rights Council at its forty-ninth session in March 2022.

Objectives

The report aims to provide specific country examples of the contribution of transitional justice to sustaining peace and development, and bring to the attention of the international community the need to provide consistent support to transitional justice processes, including through the implementation of SDG16 on promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

The report provides an opportunity to highlight the prevention and development potential of transitional justice, enhance linkages between transitional justice and other policy areas, and further align UN work on transitional justice and accountability with the broader prevention, sustaining peace, sustainable development, and rule of law agendas of the Secretary-General and the UN system.