International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

Twelve years of failed justice must trigger an honest debate on the ability of these mechanisms to prevent violations and deal with historical atrocities.

The future of European Human Rights Court's jurisdiction and the future of States' duty to investigate civilian casualties in wartime.

The record shows that, if this is the only feasible route to accountability for now, countries will require additional support at the UN level to achieve accountability.

For more than a decade, in one atrocity case after another, justice is delayed, denied, or even reversed, as the government pursues impunity.

The credibility of the Human Rights Council and the UN system, given its “grave failure” in the past, depends on accountability for Sri Lanka’s atrocities.

The Biden administration should press the UN Human Rights Council for action and impose its own measures, including further sanctions.

She notes the Sri Lankan government has made clear that it has no intention of pursuing accountability for atrocities committed during the civil war.

Mapping a quarter century of war shows the patterns of violations that demand meaningful and credible truth and accountability processes.

The record is abundantly clear that the country’s domestic mechanisms lack effectiveness and credibility. This is a gap that the UN uniquely can fill.

What are the rules on avoiding harm to civilians in armed conflict and how are they applied in an operational context? A detailed explainer on the processes, technologies, and…

The Rajapaksa government has gone so far as to install someone allegedly associated with a death squad on the Human Rights Council.

Three reasons for the lack of progress on reducing civilian casualties: We don’t learn, we don’t lead, and we don’t help our partners—or hold them to a high enough standard.