IACHR and UN call for stronger State action on memory, truth, and justice

March 24, 2025

Washington, DC—On the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence are calling on States across the Americas to intensify their efforts to ensure accountability and take more decisive action on memory, truth, and justice.

The IACHR and the UN Special Rapporteur have observed positive steps in different countries in the Americas toward implementing transitional justice policies and programs in order to secure the rights of victims of gross human rights violations and international crimes.

However, they warn that these advances are often not sustained and that regressive actions weaken, dismantle, or delay them.

Experts have expressed concern over the failure of many States to adopt a holistic approach that coordinates efforts between different state authorities to comprehensively address gross human rights violations and ensure that they will not be repeated. They note that victims and their families are often left to struggle alone in their pursuit of justice, truth, and reparation, often enduring the long-term effects of violence and arbitrary actions on their lives and communities for decades while receiving inadequate responses from public authorities. Although victims have the right to participate in transitional justice proceedings, the obligation to uphold these lies squarely with the State.

Both the IACHR and the UN Special Rapporteur have repeatedly highlighted the obstacles countries must overcome in the fight against impunity and to achieve full recognition of and reparation for victims while preserving historical memory. To move forward, it is imperative that States design, implement, and sustain public policies to support memory, truth, justice, and reparation, taking a holistic approach that is grounded in the universal, indivisible, and interdependent nature of human rights.

In previous statements, the IACHR and the UN Special Rapporteur have pointed to the systemic challenges facing the transitional justice agenda in the Americas, including the persistent lack of investigations, prosecutions, and sanctions in connection with atrocious crimes committed during periods of dictatorship and armed conflict. These challenges are compounded by a rising tide of denialism and the relativization of these human rights violations.

The IACHR and the UN Special Rapporteur are calling on States to step up efforts to uphold their international obligations regarding transitional justice. Failure to address the enduring injustices of the past denies victims their dignity and undermines the construction of a more just and rights-respecting society, both today and for future generations.

The Special Rapporteurs form part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. The Special Procedures is the largest body of independent experts within the UN human rights system and is the general name for the Human Rights Council's independent investigative and monitoring mechanisms that address the situation in specific countries or thematic issues worldwide. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis, are not UN staff, and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) whose mandate is based on the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. Its mission is to promote and defend human rights throughout the Americas and to serve as an advisory body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly who serve in a personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 058/25

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