Features

April 14, 2009

Transitional Justice Reviews of Cambodia and the DRC

ICTJ has released new reviews of efforts in Cambodia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to address the legacy of past human rights abuses in those countries.

The transitional justice review of Cambodia (PDF) addresses both the achievements of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) and the persisting concerns of political influence, corruption and delays that have the potential to undermine the judicial process. The review concludes with recommendations on how to strengthen transitional justice through ensuring ECCC credibility, emphasizing truth-seeking and accountability, and providing reparations to all victims of the conflict.

The transitional justice review of the DRC (French, PDF) focuses on the ongoing security and human rights crisis in the DRC. The report recommends that the government execute existing arrest warrants, reform and strengthen the legal mechanisms for addressing grave human rights violations, establish a truth and reconciliation commission with a well-defined mandate and guarantee legal recourse and voice for victims of sexual violence. The report also stresses the role of the international community to assist the government in realizing these goals.

The reports have been submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, which will consider them as part of its Universal Periodic Review of member states' fulfillment of their human rights obligations.