Justice, Accountability and Sustained Momentum for Democracy – Shoring Up Democratic Norms in Countries Facing Conflict and Authoritarianism

Justice institutions — both formal and transitional — are critical for maintaining a state’s commitment to democratic principles when threatened by authoritarianism and conflict. These institutions provide spaces for the public, victims and survivors to have their grievances heard, and to seek remedies and hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes. In Colombia, The Gambia and Ukraine, justice institutions have shed light on abuses of civilian populations and have helped set their countries on a path toward accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims and survivors.

Join USIP and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Criminal Justice and Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations for a discussion on how formal and transitional justice mechanisms have created or sustained momentum for democracy in states where democratic values are threatened by authoritarianism and conflict. The conversation will include renowned civil society activists and Nobel laureates from Colombia, The Gambia and Ukraine who have worked to make justice processes more inclusive of — and available to — vulnerable populations as they seek to address the full breadth of harms suffered by civilian populations.