Ad Hoc Inquiry Commission in Charge of the Question of Disappearances

The Ad Hoc Inquiry Commission in Charge of the Question of Disappearances (2003-2005) was formed as a subsidiary organ within the National Consultative Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Algeria’s permanent human rights institution. According to the presidential decree laying out its mandate, the commission was invested with a specific mission and granted temporary support in requests for the search for persons declared missing by a member of their family. The responsibilities of the commission included identifying cases of alleged disappearance; having competent authorities undertake searches to locate disappeared persons and carry out operations to identify the remains that had been found; informing families of persons declared missing on the results of the commission’s research; and designing, in conjunction with the public authorities, assistance and compensation measures for the beneficiaries of missing persons.

National Reconciliation and Reform Commission

The Reform and National Reconciliation Commission, created by the 2014 Transitional Charter, was established with the intent to investigate the causes of human rights violations in Burkina Faso and to recommend institutional as well as social measures to reconcile communities. The role of the commission was to propose reforms in democratic, economic, cultural and social governance, including a new constitution. The commission had subcommittees in charge of: political and constitutional reforms; electoral reforms; media reforms; truth, justice and reconciliation; public finances; and protection of public assets.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Commission pour la Vérité et la Réconciliation) (2014-present) is mandated to establish the truth about serious violence committed during cyclical conflicts in Burundi since July 1962, the date of independence. According to its founding legislation, the objectives of the commission include qualifying crimes other than crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes; establishing the identity of perpetrators and of victims; determining political crimes for which amnesty could be granted; and making recommendations for appropriate measures to promote national reconciliation. The 2004 legislation establishing the commission was repealed as the commission was never created, and new legislation in 2014 allowed the commission to begin its work.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in 2003 with the aim of identifying the causes of the Central African Republic’s crises between 1960 and 2003. The work of the TRC was divided into six subcommissions focusing mainly on political, security, economic and social issues.

Inclusive Political Dialogue

The Inclusive Political Dialogue was a two-week dialogue held in Bangui in 2008. The talks focused on themes including politics and governance, security and armed groups, and development in the Central African Republic. They were attended by about 150 participants from government, its allied political parties, opposition parties, rebel movements and civil society, and culminated in a number of recommendations being presented to government.

National Reconciliation Forum

The National Reconciliation Forum, known as the Bangui Forum, was held on 4-11 May 2015 and attended by more than 600 representatives, including women, participants from different communities, religious backgrounds and ethnicities, as well as the diaspora and refugee populations. The four themes discussed at the forum in plenary debates and working groups were: peace and security; governance; justice and reconciliation; and economic and social development. One of the key recommendations adopted at the Bangui Forum was for national and local mechanisms for justice and reconciliation in the Central African Republic, including the establishment of a national truth and reconciliation commission and local peace and reconciliation committees.

Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission has been mandated to investigate, establish the truth, and situate responsibilities concerning serious events in the Central African Republic from 1959 to 2019. As stipulated by its founding legislation, the commission will investigate events including the coups in the country; foreign military interventions; use of mercenaries; serious violations of human rights; and political governance. It is to organise thematic hearings on major violations committed and the role played by state or private institutions. The commission’s mandate covers reparations, provides mechanisms for conciliation between victims and perpetrators, and covers matters of forgiveness, envisaging the possible use of traditional and neo-traditional mechanisms for reparation and reconciliation.

Commission of Inquiry into the Crimes and Misappropriations Committed by the Ex-President, His Accomplices and/or Accessories

Chad’s Commission of Inquiry into the Crimes and Misappropriations Committed by the Ex-President, His Accomplices and/or Accessories (1991-1992) was given an extensive mandate to investigate illegal imprisonments, detentions, assassinations, disappearances, torture and acts of barbarity, mistreatment, attacks on the physical or mental integrity of persons, and all violations of human rights and illicit trafficking in narcotics committed by former President Hissène Habré and his associates. Included in the mandate of the commission was the preservation of torture chambers and equipment for memorialisation purposes; hearing testimony from victims and interested parties; auditing the financial operations of Habré and his accomplices; and determining the total cost of the war effort and how the money was spent beginning in 1986.

Mediation Committee for National Reconciliation

The Mediation Committee for National Reconciliation (Comité de Médiation pour la Réconciliation Nationale) was mandated to investigate post-election violence in Abidjan in October 2000, which resulted in the deaths of 171 citizens.

Commission for Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation

The Commission for Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation (2011-2014) was established after the 2010-2011 post-election violence in Côte d’Ivoire as a mechanism to promote reconciliation, uncover the truth about past human rights violations, and provide recommendations to prevent future abuses and provide reparations to victims. The commission was mandated to develop an appropriate typology of human rights violations; seek the truth and identify where responsibilities lie for past and more recent national socio-political events; hear testimony from victims and perpetrators; propose means to help victims heal from trauma; identify and make proposals aimed at strengthening social cohesion and national unity and at combating injustice, inequality, tribalism, nepotism, exclusion and hatred in all forms; educate for peace and dialogue; and promote respect for differences and democratic values. The socio-political events in question were not clearly defined and no timeframe was set for the commission’s work.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Commission Verité et Réconciliation) (2003-2007) was mandated to investigate human rights violations committed from 1960 until the end of the transition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to its founding legislation, the objectives and responsibilities of the commission included consolidating national unity, cohesion and social justice; restoring the truth about the political and socioeconomic events that occurred in the country; investigating the nature, causes and extent of political crimes and human rights violations committed by both Congolese and foreigners in or outside the national territory; identifying individuals and groups responsible for committing violations; identifying victims and determining the extent of damage suffered; training its members in the techniques of peaceful conflict resolution and transformation; and preparing a comprehensive report on its activities, findings and recommendations on reparations and rehabilitation for victims; the acceptance or rejection of individual or collective requests for amnesty; and reforms to prevent the repetition of human rights violations.

Fact-Finding Commission

Egypt’s first Fact-Finding Commission, established in 2012 by then President Mohamed Morsi, was charged with gathering information and evidence about the killing and injury of demonstrators between 25 January 2011 and 30 June 2012, which included reviewing measures taken by the executive and the extent to which it cooperated with judicial authorities.

Fact-Finding Commission

Egypt’s second Fact-Finding Commission, established by decree by interim President Adly Mansour, was tasked with compiling and documenting information and evidence regarding outbreaks of violence occurring from 30 June 2013, when large-scale protests broke out in opposition to then President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted in July 2013. The commission was responsible for investigating crimes against citizens; identifying the perpetrators; examining previous investigations and other incidents in which no investigations took place; and providing a framework for protecting witnesses.

Reconciliation Commission

The Reconciliation Commission’s mandate states the necessity of the commission being established as an independent institution to inquire into and disclose the truth of the sources, causes and extent of conflicts in Ethiopia, and of it taking appropriate measures and providing recommendations for the lasting peace and prevention of future occurrence of such conflict. With a term of three years, the commission’s powers and duties include making its work accessible and participatory by using technology; organising reconciliation workshops; identifying the basic reasons of disputes and violations of human rights, taking into consideration political, social and economic circumstances and the views of victims and offenders; and the protection of witnesses and whistle-blowers who provide testimonies and evidence to the commission.

National Reconciliation Commission

Ghana’s National Reconciliation Commission (2002-2004) was mandated to investigate violations and abuses of human rights during the periods of what was termed ‘unconstitutional government’ from 1966 to 1969, 1972 to 1979, and 1981 to 1993. According to its founding legislation, the objectives and functions of the commission included establishing an accurate, complete and historical record of human rights abuses inflicted on persons by public institutions and holders of public office during the specified periods; investigating the context, causes and circumstances of such violations; identifying the actors responsible or involved; identifying victims of violations and abuses; educating the public and giving sufficient publicity to its work to encourage positive public contributions in achieving the commission’s major objective to promote national reconciliation among the people of Ghana; and submitting a report to the president on the commission’s findings and recommendations for redress, reform and measures to prevent the repetition of violations and abuses.

Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission

The Kenyan Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (2008-2013) was mandated to investigate gross violations of human rights and economic rights and violations of international human rights law during the period of 1963 to 2008. According to the TJRC Bill, the commission’s objectives included establishing as complete a picture as possible of the causes, nature and extent of violations of human rights and economic rights inflicted by the state, public institutions, public officials and non-state actors; investigating economic crimes; inquiring into acts of state repression, causes of political violence and causes of ethnic tension; facilitating the granting of amnesty to persons who made full disclosure of relevant facts relating to violations; and compiling a report on the activities and findings of the commission with recommendations on measures to prevent further occurrence of such violations.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (2005-2009) was tasked with investigating whether the gross human rights violations and international human rights violations that occurred from January 1979 to October 2003 were isolated incidents or part of a larger, systemic issue. The commission’s mandate was to provide a forum for all parties to share their experiences and further investigate the disclosed incidents. It was also charged with critically reviewing the history of Liberia to rectify false information and misconceptions, particularly regarding socioeconomic and political developments. The mandate specifically included an objective to address vulnerable groups, including women and children, and how they had been impacted by the violence. The commission was tasked with producing a comprehensive report of its findings in order to promote healing and reconciliation, which it presented in 2009.

Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission was mandated to investigate all gross human rights violations committed in Mali between 1960 and 2013. It began holding public hearings in 2019.

Truth and Justice Commission

The Truth and Justice Commission of Mauritius (2009-2011) was created through the Truth and Justice Act in 2008. According to its founding legislation, the commission was tasked with gathering information about the effects of slavery and indentured servitude in the country from the colonial period until the creation of the commission. The commission sought to determine appropriate reparations for the decedents of those directly impacted by slavery or indentured servitude. It was also given the responsibility of investigating complaints made by citizens regarding any piece of land in which they claimed to have an interest. Finally, the commission was to present a final report on all its findings to the president of Mauritius, which it did in 2011.

Equity and Reconciliation Commission

The Equity and Reconciliation Commission of Morocco (Instance Equité et Réconciliation) (2004-2005) was mandated to investigate the extent and nature of gross human rights committed from 1956 until 1999. The commission was charged with investigating allegations of unresolved forced disappearances and to investigate state actors and other parties that may have been involved in those disappearances. Its founding legislation also states that the commission would compensate for both material and moral damages that victims sustained. Compensation included both monetary compensation and psychological and medical rehabilitation for victims. The commission produced a final report on its findings.

Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission

The final report of the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (1999-2002), also known as the Oputa Panel, was not published but unofficially released in 2015. The original report ordered an investigation into military rule that began in 1966 and lasted until 1999 when the country returned to democratic rule. The mandate also sought to acknowledge Nigeria’s past abuses and begin a process to compensate for injustices.

Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The mandate of the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2007-2009) was to produce an authoritative record of the causes and effects of cult-related atrocities and other violence in the Nigerian state between 2000 and 2004.

Osun Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The mandate of the Osun Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2011) was to identify the grievances and causes that led to gross human rights violations, identify the state and non-state actors responsible, and acknowledge the suffering of those most affected, among other aims.

National Unity and Reconciliation Commission

The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission of Rwanda was originally founded on 3 December 1999. The commission states that it was formed in response to the 1994 genocide and aimed to foster national unity and reconciliation following that period in Rwandan history. According to its founding legislation, the commission sought to establish systems that would strengthen national unity and reconciliation and educate citizens on the mechanisms to foster national unity and reconciliation. The commission was also tasked with researching, organising and disseminating ideas via national publications to promote peace and unity and to discourage division or intolerance among citizens. It was mandated to produce annual reports and ensure that public institutions, leaders and citizens were following policies created to foster national unity and reconciliation.

Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission

The Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (2018-2022) was mandated to investigate and create an accurate public record of human rights abuses related to the 1977 coup d’état in Seychelles and its aftermath. The commission’s investigations revealed deaths, unlawful killings and other human rights violations related to the coup and committed in the following years during the imposition of a one-party state, which was in place for 43 years until 1993.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone (2000-2004) was tasked with investigating violations and abuses of human rights from the 1991 armed conflict until the signing of the Lomé Peace Agreement in 1999. The commission aimed to investigate key events during that period and patterns of human rights violations while restoring dignity to victims of the abuses by conducting private interviews. Additionally, the commissioners were to have access to all necessary resources that they could need for the process. The mandate specifically notes that children and victims of sexual abuse would be given special attention in the process. The commission was tasked with producing a report to the president with legal, political and general recommendations to assist the country in addressing past abuses and preventing future human rights violations, which it submitted to the president of Sierra Leone in 2004.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1995-2002) was mandated to investigate gross human rights violations committed during apartheid from 1960 to 1994. According to its founding legislation, the commission’s objectives included establishing as complete a picture as possible of the causes, nature and extent of the violations; facilitating the granting of amnesty to persons who made full disclosure of all the relevant facts relating to acts associated with a political objective; establishing and making known the fate or whereabouts of victims and restoring the human and civil dignity of those victims by granting them an opportunity to relate their own accounts of the violations they experienced and by recommending reparation measures; and compiling a report with as comprehensive an account as possible of the activities and findings of the commission, including recommendations of measures to prevent future violations of human rights.

Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing

In January 2021, the South Sudanese government decided to proceed with its obligations under the 2018 Agreement for the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan to establish the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing. According to its founding legislation, the commission is tasked with investigating human rights abuses and causes of conflict, creating an accurate and impartial historical record, identifying perpetrators of human rights abuses, recording the experiences of victims and developing detailed reports for recommendations and findings.

Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission

The Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (2018-2021) was mandated to investigate and establish an impartial historical record of the nature, causes and extent of violations and abuses of human rights committed during the period of 1994 to 2017, and to consider the granting of reparations to victims and for connected matters. According to its founding legislation, the functions of the commission include initiating and coordinating investigations into human rights violations, using a child- and gender-sensitive approach; submitting an interim report to the president one year after its establishment; preparing a comprehensive report of all activities and findings; and making recommendations to the president with regard to the creation of institutions conducive to the development of a stable and democratic society and measures that should be taken to prevent the perpetration of human rights violations.

Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Togo (2009-2012) was tasked with investigating politically motivated violence and human rights violations from 1958 until the 2005 election. The commission involved representatives from all areas of civil society in contributing to an accurate account of events. It was tasked with creating a body for distributing reparations to victims and promoting reconciliation between victims and perpetrators. It was also tasked with producing several reports on its findings and recommendations. The commission did not have the power to access all information, but rather was subject to the willingness of government officials and other actors to provide information or testimony and adopt its recommendations.

Truth and Dignity Commission

The Tunisian Truth and Dignity Commission (Instance Vérité et Dignité) (2013-2019) was mandated to investigate human rights violations committed from 1955 to 2013. The mandate specifically tasked the commission with investigating human rights violations that targeted women, children, the elderly, those with special needs and other vulnerable groups. As per its founding legislation, the commission was to investigate enforced disappearances, gather data on human rights violations to publish in a comprehensive database, and develop programmes for the distribution of reparations to victims. The commission was also required to publish its recommendations, including ways to pursue reconciliation, which it did in 2020.

Commission of Inquiry into the Disappearances of Persons in Uganda

The Commission of Inquiry into the Disappearances of People was a targeted inquiry into alleged disappearances in Uganda following a military take-over in 1971. The commission was tasked with investigating the circumstances of disappearances, locating the persons or organisations responsible, and determining whether those who disappeared were alive or dead. It was also tasked with delivering recommendations for how the government should address and put an end to disappearances and how to assist the families of those who disappeared. The report was presented to Idi Amin, the president, but not publicly released.

Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights

The Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights (1986-1995) was established in 1986 to investigate human rights abuses committed from October 1962 to January 1986. The commission’s mandate included investigating mass murders, arbitrary deprivation of human rights, arbitrary arrests and detentions without trial, as well as mistreatment of citizens by law enforcement, the reasoning behind the large-scale displacement of Ugandan citizens and subsequent disappearance of some, and discrimination based on race, tribe, place of origin, political opinion, religion or sex.

Munyama Human Rights Commission

The Munyama Human Rights Commission (1993-1995), named after its chairperson, was appointed in 1993 and mandated to investigate violations of human rights committed during Zambia’s Second Republic years, between 1972 to 1991, as well as violations that occurred in the Third Republic, after 30 October 1991.

Commission of Inquiry into the Matabeleland Disturbances

The four-person Commission of Inquiry into the Matabeleland Disturbances, known as the Chihambakwe Commission after its chairperson, was mandated to investigate the killings of 1,500 political dissidents and other civilians in the Matabeleland region in 1983 and to gather testimony. The commission submitted its final report to government, which did not make it public.

National Peace and Reconciliation Commission

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (2018-present) was mandated to foster post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation and create programmes that foster unity in Zimbabwe. According to its founding legislation, the commission was tasked with informing the public of Zimbabwe’s history, developing national systems that create dialogue to preemptively address conflict, creating systems to ensure that victims receive rehabilitation for past human rights abuses, and generally fostering peace and preventing conflict. The founding legislation also requires the creation of a Gender Unit to incorporate gender into the design of the commission and throughout its operations, to work with victims of gender-based violence and address their specific needs, and to ensure that there is a chapter dedicated to gender in each commission report. Finally, the commission is required to submit annual reports to Parliament that detail its findings, budget information and recommendations.