Human Rights and Transitional Justice

A/HRC/RES/33/19View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2016.

What other versions does this mandate have?

6 versions · 2008–2022

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/51/23

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2022	A/HRC/RES/51/23	Human rights and transitional justice	2,945	67%Compare
2019	A/HRC/RES/42/17	Human rights and transitional justice	2,123	33%Compare
2016	A/HRC/RES/33/19	Human rights and transitional justice	2,185	17%Compare
2012	A/HRC/RES/21/15	Human rights and transitional justice	3,040	46%Compare
2009	A/HRC/RES/12/11	Human rights and transitional justice	1,937	67%Compare

What subjects does this mandate have?

13 subjects

Administration of Justice Capacity Building Crime Prevention Crimes Against Humanity Ethnic Cleansing Genocide Human Rights Human Rights Violations International Humanitarian Law International Obligations Report Preparation Transitional Justice War Crimes

What’s in this document?

10 operative paragraphs

Reiterates the responsibility of each individual State to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, which entails the prevention of such crimes, including their incitement, through appropriate and necessary means;

Condemns impunity for gross violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, emphasizes the responsibility of States to comply with their obligations under international law to end impunity, and urges States to seek sustainable peace, justice, truth and reconciliation through comprehensive transitional justice strategies, in particular to investigate thoroughly and prosecute those responsible for such violations and crimes, in order to avoid their recurrence and promote reconciliation at the national level;

Acknowledges the significant progress made by the international community, including within the United Nations system, in developing relevant mechanisms and practices to prevent incitement to and the commission of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, the development of comprehensive transitional justice strategies, including the punishment of gross violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law, and emphasizes in this context the important role of national, subregional, regional and international efforts to prevent and address the legacy of these crimes, violations and abuses and therefore the necessity to strengthen the capacity of domestic efforts, jurisdictions and inter-State cooperation;

Calls upon States, where relevant, to develop comprehensive transitional justice strategies and to establish judicial and non-judicial mechanisms in order to address past atrocities, the needs of victims and their right to an effective remedy, and to prevent their recurrence;

Encourages States and international organizations to acknowledge and support the important role of civil society in the prevention of gross violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and, where relevant, in the promotion and monitoring of comprehensive transitional justice approaches and efforts;

Reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, and stresses the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in the design, establishment and implementation of comprehensive transitional justice strategies;

Calls upon States to work to prevent potential situations that could result in gross violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law, in particular genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and, in relevant contexts, to timely and efficiently address the legacy of past atrocities in order to prevent their recurrence, including through cooperation with the Office of the Special Advisers of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence;

Requests the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence and the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide to prepare a joint study on the contribution of transitional justice to the prevention of gross violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and their recurrence, to be presented to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-seventh session;

Also requests the Special Rapporteur and the Special Adviser, in preparing the above-mentioned study, to seek the views of States, relevant United Nations mandate holders, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and in particular the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, intergovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders, including practitioners;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

The delegation of the Congo subsequently stated that there had been an error in its vote and that it had intended to vote in favour of the draft text.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents