Human Rights Council

Eighteenth session

Agenda items 2 and 3

Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Summary

The present report on human rights and transitional justice is submitted pursuant to resolution 12/11 of the Human Rights Council. The report contains an update of the activities undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the context of transitional justice, including by the human rights components of peace missions. OHCHR has actively supported transitional justice programmes in more than 20 countries worldwide. OHCHR provides conceptual and analytical support, advice and assistance in the design and implementation of transitional justice processes from a human rights perspective, as well as capacity building and partnership with multiple national and international actors. This support is provided through dedicated programmes at headquarters as well as country level.

The report also includes an analysis of the relationship between disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and transitional justice, prepared in consultation with the United Nations Development Programme, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and other stakeholders. In 2009, the Inter-Agency Working Group on DDR published the module, “Transitional Justice and DDR” as part of the Integrated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standards. The report also draws on discussions held during the Expert Workshop on Maximizing Opportunities for Coordination between DDR Initiatives and Transitional Justice Processes, organized by OHCHR in Geneva in December 2010. DDR and transitional justice processes are interrelated and coordination between the two efforts is essential to facilitate their coherence and mutual reinforcement. Establishing reparations for victims in conjunction with DDR programmes for ex-combatants may mitigate the perception of inequity in their respective treatment and foster reintegration. The enhanced understanding of the connections between DDR and transitional justice should contribute to increased coordination between DDR and transitional justice practitioners.