Reinforcing Trust to Advance Accountability for International Crimes

Reinforcing Trust to Advance Accountability for International Crimes: Study on CSOs’ Engagement with Investigating and Prosecuting Domestic Authorities in Universal Jurisdiction Cases examines what makes cooperation effective in practice, where difficulties arise, and how relationships between CSOs and domestic authorities can be strengthened.

Drawing on 74 interviews with more than 100 participants across 12 jurisdictions, this comparative study brings together the experiences and perspectives of CSOs, legal practitioners, investigators and prosecutors involved in these proceedings.

Across the research, trust emerged as a recurring foundation for effective cooperation, built over time through sustained engagement and mutual understanding of each actor’s role.

The study sets out six sets of practical recommendations, covering dialogue and experience-sharing, transparency, responsibilities towards victims and witnesses, specialised resources, long-term relationships and impact, and stronger legal and institutional frameworks.

Developed in the framework of the Global Initiative Against Impunity (GIAI) by TRIAL International with Civil Rights Defenders, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and REDRESS, it is intended as a resource for practitioners working to strengthen accountability efforts.

By identifying both existing practices and areas for improvement, Reinforcing Trust to Advance Accountability for International Crimes seeks to support more effective engagement between civil society and domestic authorities and, ultimately, to advance justice for victims and survivors.