January 2013

Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation in Africa

Opportunities and Challenges in the Fight Against Impunity

This report investigates the issue of impunity and its relationship with peace, justice, reconciliation, and healing on the African continent. It argues that the global impetus to reinvigorate the instruments that undergird the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has furnished new momentum in the fight against impunity and promotion of justice and reconciliation. New global institutions such as the International Criminal Court have emerged to lend voice and teeth to efforts to end the culture of impunity and force national actors to be more responsive to international norms and structures. The report concludes that the new international norms are a double-edged sword: creating vistas for underwriting international human rights while also potentially redefining the principles and practices of national sovereignty.

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