Reparations For Victims Of Armed Conflict

Three experts address reparation for victims of armed conflict, drawing on international law practice, human rights courts, and domestic law.

Winner of the 2018 Ciardi Prize This book offers an analysis of the existing normative framework regulating the right to reparation for child victims of armed conflict. The study questions whether the current framework is sufficiently developed to provide child victims with adequate, effective and prompt reparations; furthermore it presents and critically assesses the judicial and non-judicial mechanisms in place as well as the reparations awarded and implemented so far at the international and regional level. The research stems from the need to fill a gap in the current literature on transitional justice, in particular on the right to reparation. Even though reparations are well-established legal measures in several domestic judicial systems all over the world, in transitional periods reparations are not just a means to redress the harm suffered by the victims of wrongful acts, but they also seek to contribute to the reconstitution or the constitution of a new political community in the aftermath of an armed conflict. The overview of the relevant cases and materials provided in this book helps paving the way for reparations that are effective, adequate, prompt, and in line with the international standards set forth by the CRC and other instruments. This book ultimately strives to highlight the shortcomings of the existing mechanisms and it points out the main issues that need to be improved and/or overcome in pursuance of child victims' redress. From the foreword by Professor Theo van Boven (Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of Human Rights and Professor Emeritus of International Law at the University of Maastricht): "A leading motive of this study carried out with precision and persuasion is the design of transitional justice processes in law and practice. In many situations the plight of victims and for that matter the plight of child victims in armed conflicts happens to be ignored as inopportune and inconvenient. While relevant international legal framework and applicable mechanisms are developing as part of the process of an assumed humanization of international law major complexities and shortcomings still abound." '[The book's] principal merit is precisely to fill a gap in existing literature by addressing the legal challenges posed by violations of children's rights in armed conflicts and by the dearth of adequate reparations mechanisms against a very broad background and to dwell in depth on these challenges both on the theoretical and normative level and on the practical side. [It] represents a precious source of reference for lawyers and practitioners active in the field of children's rights and working for their social reintegration after the war. Francesca Capone not only provides a comprehensive analysis of the topic and proposes solutions to improve existing reparations mechanisms but she also succeeds in showing that one of the keys to moving forward is building on children's capability to be actively involved in transitional justice processes.' Micaela Frulli in ICLQ 2017. '[The] practice-oriented approach clearly adds to the book's appeal both for scholars and for those who are directly involved in the formulation and implementation of the standards concerned.' Christine Bakker in Italian Yearbook of International Law 2017, 683.

Christine Evans assesses the right to reparation for victims of armed conflict in international law and in national practice.

In this evaluation of the international legal standing of the right to reparation and its practical implementation at the national level, Christine Evans outlines State responsibility and examines the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice, the Articles on State Responsibility of the International Law Commission and the convergence of norms in different branches of international law, notably human rights law, humanitarian law and international criminal law. Case studies of countries in which the United Nations has played a significant role in peace negotiations and post-conflict processes allow her to analyse to what extent transitional justice measures have promoted State responsibility for reparations, interacted with human rights mechanisms and prompted subsequent elaboration of domestic legislation and reparations policies. In conclusion, she argues for an emerging customary right for individuals to receive reparations for serious violations of human rights and a corresponding responsibility of States.

"This book offers an analysis of the existing normative framework regulating the right to reparation for child victims of armed conflict. The study questions whether the current framework is sufficiently developed to provide child victims with adequate, effective and prompt reparations; furthermore it presents and critically assesses the judicial and non-judicial mechanisms in place as well as the reparations awarded and implemented so far at the international and regional level. The research stems from the need to fill a gap in the current literature on transitional justice, in particular on the right to reparation. Even though reparations are well-established legal measures in several domestic judicial systems all over the world, in transitional periods reparations are not just a means to redress the harm suffered by the victims of wrongful acts, but they also seek to contribute to the reconstitution or the constitution of a new political community in the aftermath of an armed conflict. The overview of the relevant cases and materials provided in this book helps pave the way for reparations that are effective, adequate, prompt, and in line with the international standards set forth by the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other instruments. This book ultimately strives to highlight the shortcomings of the existing mechanisms and it points out the main issues that need to be improved and/or overcome in pursuance of redress for child victims of armed conflict." -- Back cover.

The international law on reparation for victims of armed conflict is complex. Numerous subfields of international law are involved, among them international human rights law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, and the law on State responsibility. In addition to this complexity, reparation-related questions are often highly politically charged. They are focal points of contestation about moral values, different conceptions of justice, and approaches to international law, including the status of the individual human being in this order. Against this backdrop, the collection of short essays explores whether and under which circumstances individuals have a right to reparation under international law. The introduction unpacks the legal dimensions and identifies the currently most controversial issues. One set of essays then analyses, from different angles, whether a right to reparation for individuals exists as a matter of law. Another set recounts experiences with the implementation of reparation mechanisms and discusses the challenges. A third group of essays addresses the role of domestic courts. The essays ('impulses') are one outcome of the Max Planck Trialogue workshop on reparation for victims of armed conflict, held in November 2017 in Berlin.

Reparations for Victims of Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity: Systems in Place and Systems in the Making provides a rich tapestry of practice in the complex and evolving field of reparations, which cuts across law, politics, psychology and victimology, among other disciplines. Ferstman and Goetz bring their long experiences with international organizations and civil society groups to bear. This second edition, which comes a decade after the first, contains updated information and many new chapters and reflections from key experts. It considers the challenges for victims to pursue reparations, looking from multiple angles at the Holocaust restitution movement and more recent cases in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It also highlights the evolving practice of international courts and tribunals. First published in a hardbound edition, this second, fully revised and updated edition, is now available in paperback.

This collection of essays—written by friends and colleagues of Joakim Dungel—focuses on the protection of the innocent during and after war. It is a tribute to Joakim’s life and work. Joakim made a significant contribution to international justice and the rule of law, through his service to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Temporary International Presence in Hebron, and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. He was also a prolific author and published scholarly works on a wide range of issues, including command responsibility, national security interests, the right to humanitarian assistance during internal armed conflicts, and crimes against humanity. This book continues Joakim’s work with in-depth analyses of a variety of issues arising under modern conflict, such as the application of international humanitarian law and international human rights law to aerial drone attacks, targeted sanctions, and reparations to victims. Joakim understood these complex and interlinked issues and dedicated his professional life to engaging with them. Through his work and his scholarship, he demonstrated the crucial importance of adopting victim-centred approaches to dealing with the consequences of armed conflict and to its prevention. This was also why he chose to work for the United Nations as a human rights officer in Afghanistan. This book attempts to honour and affirm Joakim’s choice.