Human Rights & Conflict Mitigation Programs
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| Defense attorneys discuss common problems they face in providing adequate representation for those accused of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. |
The Rule of Law Initiative plays a crucial role in a number of ongoing international conflict mitigation efforts by working to improve the functioning and accessibility of the justice system, increasing awareness of international human rights standards and humanitarian law, documenting human rights abuses, and promoting accountability. The Rule of Law Initiative also promotes understanding and implementation of human rights standards through public awareness projects, human rights legal clinics and continuing legal education on human rights for legal professionals.
To learn more, please visit our Human Rights and Conflict Mitigation resource page.
Human Rights Programs by country
CROATIA
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| As part of its training in adjudicating war crimes cases, the ABA held a workshop for prosecutors that focused on investigating and prosecuting war crimes involving massacres. |
Curriculum Development and Professional Training
In 2004, the ABA sought to develop, pilot and begin implementation of a continuing professional education curriculum for police, prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys and other judicial officials. The program focused on enhancing the professional expertise and skills required to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate war crimes and other complex criminal matters.
The ABA worked closely with the Croatian Ministry of Justice, the State Attorney General's Office, the Police Academy and the Judicial Academy to develop a coordinated and needs-responsive professional training program.
The ABA and its partners prepared a war crimes adjudication curriculum. The draft curriculum for the education of police, prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys consists of eight training modules:
- Witness/Victim Protection
- Camp & Massacre Case Studies
- Defending War Crime Cases
- Attacking the War Criminal Support Network
- Practical guide to ICTY
- Command Responsibility
- Right to a Fair Trial
- Practical skills training for the Police
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| Croatian judicial officials discuss critical issues regarding the right to a fair trial, including specific rights of the accused, the duty of judges and prosecutors to protect these rights, and the challenges they face in ensuring a fair trial. |
The ABA also supported activities to strengthen professional relationships between Croatian and international legal professionals involved in the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of war crimes and other complex criminal matters. The ABA, the Croatian Judicial Academy, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Outreach Program organized a study visit to the ICTY for Croatian judges and prosecutors in February and March 2005. The visit was designed to strengthen the cooperation between the ICTY and Croatian judicial officials who are assigned to adjudicate war crime cases, and to discuss issues likely to arise in connection with any future transfer of cases or evidence from the ICTY to Croatia. The participants included judges and prosecutors from the main courts designated for any cases that may be transferred from the ICTY to Croatia, Supreme Court justices and State Attorney General Deputies.
Program closed in July 2006.
Brazil
Evaluation of USAID's "Brazil Children at Risk" Program
In 2004, the ABA sent a consultant to Brazil to assess USAID’s POMMAR (translation of Portuguese acronym for Prevention Oriented towards At-Risk Boys and Girls) program. The initiative, which came to a close in September 2004, included care for children with AIDS; eradicating child labor; returning children to the formal education system; technical training and job placement; AIDS prevention; assistance to victims of physical abuse and sexual exploitation; support for street children; and a host of other initiatives designed to address the root causes of poverty and social exclusion. The consultant documented the highlights of this project to provide a record of lessons learned.
