Amnesty International has campaigned against impunity for more than half a century, calling on national authorities to fulfil their responsibilities under international law to ensure justice, truth, full reparation and guarantees of non-repetition for victims of serious human rights violations.
Recognizing that in the vast majority of situations, states have failed to meet their obligations, in the last two decades, our organization has worked with civil society partners around the world for a just, fair and effective International Criminal Court, as well as other ad hoc international criminal tribunals and hybrid tribunals, to step in and deliver justice to victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. We have also urged other states to exercise universal jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute those suspected of such crimes committed anywhere.
Although much has been achieved in this time to advance the fight against impunity, in most situations national authorities are still failing to investigate and prosecute crimes under international law, significant impunity gaps exist in the international justice framework and many international criminal courts are failing to achieve their full potential.
Amnesty International’s Human Rights in International Justice Project therefore seeks to promote:
- better access for victims to national justice and, if that fails, international justice
- stronger national and international laws aimed at ending impunity
- human rights compliance by all international justice mechanisms.
This website is an advocacy platform which seeks to advance these three goals. It will promote the latest efforts by Amnesty International, international and national civil society groups and others to strengthen international justice. It will also provide regular opinion pieces on the latest developments and emerging human rights concerns.
Amnesty International is particularly grateful to Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, for establishing a new International Criminal Justice Clinic to support this project. Clinic students play a vital role in monitoring the work of international criminal courts; identifying and analysing emerging human rights issues; and developing prompt advocacy, including litigation, proposing constructive and effective human rights compliant solutions.
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