Transitional Justice Unit

Transitional Justice Unit

Transitional Justice as a Peacebuilding Tool Lasting peace is closely linked to justice, development, and respect for human rights. Transitional justice processes have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to contribute to addressing grievances and societal divisions. To this end, these processes must be context-specific, nationally owned, and focused on the needs of victims. Consequently, they succeed in bridging communities, empowering them, and transforming them in the best possible way, thereby contributing to the achievement of sustainable peace.

Transitional justice aims to recognize the victims of past abuses as rights-holders, foster trust between individuals within a single society, enhance trust in state institutions, and reinforce respect for human rights and the rule of law. Ultimately, transitional justice seeks to contribute to reconciliation and the prevention of new violations.

In societies attempting to rebuild and transition from a violent history characterized by gross human rights violations—whether committed in the context of repression, armed conflict, or other circumstances—critical questions arise regarding how to acknowledge violations, prevent their recurrence, meet the demands of justice, restore the social fabric of local communities, and build sustainable peace. Transitional justice is the framework that seeks to do whatever is necessary to help societies successfully navigate such difficult legacies and develop various tools to achieve this goal.