Since the end of World War II, claims for reparations for historical injustices (including the Holocaust, the oppression of indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, as well as the enduring legacy of slavery and institutional racism among African Americans) have become a central element of national politics and international diplomacy.
This project seeks to investigate the relevance of international law in relation to such demands for reparation. While the topic of reparation has increasingly become the focus of scholarly interest, a holistic approach to this issue, combining theoretical notions of international law with considerations of practicality and morality, is still largely missing in the literature. The present research project is intended to fill this gap. Its major purpose is to provide a comprehensive assessment of victims’ reparations claims in the light of recent developments in international law, while at the same time paying special attention to the legal and moral dilemmas that may arise in the process of shaping and implementing reparations programmes – especially in situations of transition from civil war and dictatorship towards peace and democracy.
The results of this research will published in a number of extensive, book-length studies (two PhD dissertations and a multi-authored volume, gathering the critical reflexions of scholars and practitioners working in the field of reparations). To promote a wide-ranging debate about the topics at issue, workshops and colloquia will be held throughout the research process.
Duration of the project: June 2011–May 2015
Research team:
Prof. Frank Haldemann, SNSF Professor
Rachelle Kouassi, Researcher
Fidel Kalenga, Researcher
This research is carried out within the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNFS professorship fund).
