Victim participation

We engage with victims and affected communities in their efforts to advocate for their rights and participate meaningfully in justice processes.

New: Overview report
Impunity Watch

Victims and survivors’ participation and influence in decisions-making processes is crucial for overcoming impunity and achieving justice. Yet, many things stand in the way–from a lack of political will to ensure meaningful participation leads to long-term change, to practical barriers including lack of psychosocial support, socioeconomic obstacles or stigmatisation felt by victims.

Impunity Watch works with victims, survivors and communities affected by serious human rights violations in their efforts to strengthen their influence and participation in justice measures and policies.

Through our programmes and together with our partners, we focus on different challenges and barriers, including gender and other forms of discrimination and other forms of discrimination that combine to inhibit participation, and its intergenerational impact.

How do we work with our partners to enhance victim participation?

Gathering and sharing knowledge

Sharpening our understanding around formal and informal victim participation in transitional justice processes, and what it means for wider systemic change.

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Growing partnerships and coalitions

Facilitating victims’ efforts to organise, strategise, advocate for their rights, and expand coalitions and solidarity networks.

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Mobilising political action

Partnering with victim groups in advocating for victim participation in policy fora on preventing abuses and guaranteeing non-recurrence.
This includes the UN Human Rights Council, the review of the UN peacebuilding architecture, and implementation of the European Union and African Union policy frameworks.

Our research on victim participation

Together with our partners, we gather knowledge on victim participation in both formal and informal transitional justice initiatives across different contexts. We share this knowledge with relevant actors through our policy work, training and capacity building, and communications.

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In 2007, Impunity Watch developed an internationally recognised research instrument to monitor impunity and track progress on transitional justice. It highlights the root causes and societal factors of impunity to understand progress and setbacks in transitional justice implementation.

The process exposes gaps in victim participation–we noticed that victim organisations often sought to provide their input on transitional justice processes, but were sidelined.

In 2016, we stepped up our voice and advocacy for a transformative approach to transitional justice by publishing a major critical review of the state of the field. We further developed a manual which is a practical guide to politically informed transitional justice.

We continue to lead on advocating for a transformative approach to transitional justice, including tackling root causes of impunity, and the importance of victim participation, and dealing with the obstacles–including at the UN level and in other international fora.