A look at the achievements of the truth-seeking process in promoting and developing human rights and international humanitarian law

Abstract

Truth-finding institutions and missions have been established to investigate serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law. Fact-finding is of vital importance because it can have a significant impact on subsequent criminal prosecutions for human rights violations as well as war crimes and other international crimes, which in turn will ultimately affect the victims of these crimes. The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method and examining resolutions, declarations, legal documents, and opinions of international courts, attempts to determine what impact fact-finding has had on the promotion and development of human rights and humanitarian law. Finally, the findings of this study indicate that the truth-finding process has had many achievements in the fields of human rights and humanitarian law, especially monitoring and treaty mechanisms.