INOVAS: A global network of victims and survivors

Despite the growing understanding that victims must be at the centre of accountability and transitional justice efforts to ensure their long-term success, their participation remains limited.

In some cases, security issues, political pressure, and discrimination may prevent participation. In others, victims and survivors are consulted within transitional justice structures in piecemeal or top-down ways that serve to actually disempower them of their rights.

This can often leave victims and survivors feeling ignored, sidelined, or misrepresented, but also lead to less culturally and contextually sensitive results.

Gradually formed on the sidelines of rights conferences between Europe and the Middle East between 2019-2020, the members of INOVAS sought to create a space for victims and survivors to drive the agenda. Bringing together 11 members, all victims and survivors in their own right, from more than 10 countries, INOVAS’ reach is global, spanning several continents.

Although the idea of victim participation in transitional justice has gathered pace in recent years, too often these justice processes are technocratic and top-down, led by UN technocrats, NGOs, and national policymakers. This is less likely to provide just, desired solutions to communities who suffered abuses.

Only victims and survivors truly know how to best remedy the crimes committed against them.

INOVAS members strongly hold that transitional justice efforts should be rooted in local contexts: moving away from top-down processes and instead directly involving survivors seeking horizontal power structures.

Read more about the story behind INOVAS here.