Reparations - International Center for Transitional Justice

Reparations are meant to acknowledge and repair the causes and consequences of human rights violations and inequality in countries emerging from ... Skiptomaincontent Reparations Reparationsaremeanttoacknowledgeandrepairthecausesandconsequencesofhumanrightsviolationsandinequalityincountriesemergingfromdictatorship,armedconflict,andpoliticalviolence,aswellasinsocietiesdealingwithracialinjusticeandlegaciesofcolonization.ICTJ’sprovidescomparativeknowledgeandpracticallessonslearnedfromdesigningandimplementingreparationsprograms,particularlyintheglobalSouth. Image Allvictimsofhumanrightsviolationshavearighttoreparation.Differentvictimshavedifferentneeds,andthoseneedscanchangeovertime.Thetypeofreparationrequiredcanalsovaryaccordingtothevictim’seconomicclass,gender,age,andsocialidentity.Women,forexample,experienceviolationsinsignificantlydifferentwaysthanmen,andtheirexperiencesshouldnotbelimitedtosexualorgender-basedviolenceanditsconsequences.Landlesscommunitieswillhavereparativeneedsdifferentfromdisplacedurbanfamilies.  Statesthatcommitorfailtopreventviolations,aswellasnon-stateentities,includingindividuals,institutions,corporations,andarmedgroupsthatperpetrateorarecomplicitinthoseviolations,havea legalobligation toprovidereparations.  Itisimportanttorememberthatcompensation—orthepaymentofmoney—isonlyoneofmanydifferenttypesofmaterialreparations.Othertypesincludetherestitutionofcivilandpoliticalrights;physicalrehabilitation;and grantingaccesstoland,housing,healthcare,oreducation.Reparationscanalsotaketheformofrevealingthetruthabouttheviolationsthemselvesandprovidingguaranteesthattheywillnotberepeated.Symbolicreparations—suchas apologies,memorials,andcommemorations—areotherimportantreparativemeasuresthatcanbemoremeaningfulwhenconferredalongsidematerialreparations. Reparationscanbeimplementedthroughadministrativeprogramsorenforcedastheresultoflitigation.Inmanycountries,transitionaljusticeprocesseshaveprovidedreparationstogroups,communities,andevenregions.Thedesignanddeliveryofcollectivereparationsmayintersectwithdevelopmentprograms,whileurgentformsofindividualreparationsmightintersectwithhumanitarianreliefprograms.Theseoverlapsareinevitablebecausethosewhoarethemostvulnerabletohumanrightsviolationsalsosuffermostfromsocialandeconomicinequality.Reparationsshouldbedesignedandimplementedinwaysthatcantransformtheseunequalandunjustconditions.Mostvictimsseereparationsasthemostdirectandmeaningfulwaytoobtainjustice.Yet,reparationsare“rarelyprioritized”andareoftentheleast-fundedmeasureoftransitionaljustice. ICTJ’sApproach ICTJemphasizestheroleofvictimsinboththeprocessandoutcomeofdesigningandimplementingreparationsprograms.ICTJhelpsvictimsarticulatetheirneedsandidentifythemostmeaningfulformsofreparationsforthem.Weprovideadvicetopolicymakersonthepractical,legal,financial,andproceduralchallengesinvolvedindesigningandimplementingreparationsprograms.Alongsidevictims,weengagewithdifferentstakeholders,includingnationalandinternationalpolicymakers,donors,developmentactors,andotherhumanrightsorganizationstoconsiderreparationswiththesamelevelofpriorityastruthseekingandindividualcriminalaccountabilityinacountry’spursuitoftransitionaljustice.  Wealsoemphasizethatreparationsprogramscanbecreatedontheirownandcanevencatalyzetruth-seekingandcriminaljusticemeasures.Deliveringreparationstovictimsdoesnotneedtowaitfortherecommendationsofatruthcommissionorbetiedtocriminalprosecutionsorlitigation.Inworkingonjudicialreparations,ICTJhasencouragedinternationalcriminaltribunalstolearnfromnon-judicialexperiencesandhassupportedvictimsinglobalNorthcourtsinmakingtheirclaimsforreparations,includingclaimsagainstcorporationscomplicitinhumanrightsviolations.  Asidefromvictims’groups,ICTJworkswithdifferenttransitionaljusticeprocesses,stateinstitutions,andnon-stateorganizationstofindwaystomeetvictims’needsandimplementreparationsprograms.Weprovideadvicetotruthcommissions,supportinstitutionsimplementingreparations,andengagewithstateagencieshelpingprovidefundingandbuildcapacityforreparations.  Ourworkhasalsobroadenedthescopeofwhatshouldberepaired,byaddressingviolationsofeconomicandsocialrights,linkingaccountabilityforcorruptionwithreparations,andsupportingmeasuresthattackleeconomicandsocialmarginalization.Weencouragesocietiestouseapproachesthataregroundedinthelanguage,culture,andhistoryofthecountryandthecommunitiesofthosevictimizedbydictatorship,war,colonization,racialinjustice,andsocialorpoliticalviolence.   Image Weworksidebysidewithvictimstoobtainacknowledgmentandredressformassivehumanrightsviolations,holdthoseresponsibletoaccount,reformandbuilddemocraticinstitutions,andpreventtherecurrenceofviolenceorrepression. DonatetoICTJ SubscribetoICTJNews