[Conference] Innovative ways to counter terrorism: the role of transitional justice

The conference will address whether and how transitional justice (TJ) can be used as an innovative way to counter terrorism by analysing the Northern Ireland and Colombian cases. TJ is defined by the United Nations as “the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempts to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses, in order to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation.” It is based on four pillars: justice, truth, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, which should be implemented holistically to redress human rights abuses. TJ approaches are victim-centred and aim to foster memory and reconciliation within a society. 

The objective of this conference is to generate a better understanding of TJ's potential relevance within a counter-terrorism context and raise awareness amongst practitioners, academics, and policymakers on its possible uses in a countering terrorism context. Focusing on the examples of Northern Ireland and Colombia, it aims to analyse what and how TJ mechanisms can contribute to reducing the terrorist threat in the long term, fostering national security, transforming victims and survivors into active counter-terrorism actors, and promoting reconciliation.  

The conference will therefore build the necessary bridges between TJ and counter-terrorism. It will convene academic researchers from relevant disciplines and stimulate critical reflections on the interactions and divergences of TJ and counter-terrorism. Additionally, it will engage a multi-stakeholder approach, bringing together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and civil society and serve as a ground for networking and partnerships for future research. 

The one-day conference will take place at T.M.C. Asser Instituut and be co-organised by the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, Queen’s University Belfast. It will consist of two panels: one focusing on Colombia and one on Northern Ireland and be complemented by two keynote lectures. 

View the full programme of this conference.

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