The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)

In 2022, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) programmes in Tunisia, Colombia and East Africa continued, with the support of the Luxembourg Development Cooperation. The ICTJ works for the acknowledgement of human rights violations and the restoration of dignity, which lays the foundations for peace in the long term and helps prevent the recurrence of renewed cycles of conflict, abuse and marginalisation.

In Colombia, the hearing to acknowledge responsibility convened by the Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace marked the first time that the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — People’s Army have publicly acknowledged their role in systemic crimes, and it represents a decisive step in the process of transitional juice for the country and in the affirmation of the dignity of victims, two elements necessary to repair Colombia’s social fabric, torn apart by more than 50 years of war.

In Tunisia, the ICTJ continued to work with civil society and victims in the face of President Saied’s continued efforts to consolidate power and shift the country towards authoritarianism.

Almost two years after the outbreak of conflict in Tigray, the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) signed a cessation of hostilities agreement on 2 November 2022. The ICTJ’s engagement with national and regional institutions in Ethiopia has resulted in a number of requests for technical assistance and capacity building, including in the Ministry of Justice, the National Dialogue Commission and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The ICTJ also contributed to a draft resolution by the Human Rights Council at its 51st session in September. The resolution refers to the contributions of transitional justice to sustainable peace and development, and is also the result of research funded by Luxembourg on prevention in the field of transitional justice.