WHO WE ARE
Justice Rapid Response is the only global facility that provides rapidly deployable specialized justice experts to assist with investigations of reported war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious human rights violations.
Our belief is that timely, impartial, and professional investigations are crucial for the credibility of any accountability process. Accountability strengthens institutions and enhances public confidence in the rule of law. When impunity for mass atrocities ends, we can bring justice and dignity to victims and survivors.
Justice Rapid Response provides criminal justice experts to investigate crimes of the world’s most violent conflicts including Central African Republic, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and others.
Through these activities, Justice Rapid Response promotes peaceful and inclusive societies, as well as access to justice, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 16.
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OUR IMPACT
Justice Rapid Response contributed experts to several landmark cases, including the conviction of former President of Chad Hissène Habré at the Extraordinary African Chambers, the conviction of Congolese rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda at the International Criminal Court and to the documentation of extensive sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Myanmar.
Justice Rapid Response’s victim-centred approach enables survivors to participate in justice processes and to define what justice means for their communities.
Justice Rapid Response helped to raise the investigation standard for SGBV crimes. Today, every UN Commission of Inquiry has an SGBV investigator on its investigation team.
WHAT WE OFFER
Justice Rapid Response responds to requests from international organizations, States and civil society organizations to assist in the investigation, analysis and documentation of serious human rights violations and international crimes wherever they occur.
OUR EXPERTS & PARTNERS
Justice Rapid Response provides expertise in some 50 specializations, including criminal investigations, prosecutions, transitional justice, sexual and gender-based violence investigations, child protection, witness protection and military analysis.
Our experts work through United Nations investigations such as commissions of inquiry; national authorities undergoing transitional justice processes; and civil society organizations active in documenting violations in order to engage with justice processes.
In a long-standing partnership with UN Women, 230 sexual and gender-based violence justice experts work to strengthen accountability for crimes of sexual and gender-based violence.
THE ROSTER AT A GLANCE
Justice Rapid Response has more than 700 rapidly deployable experts on its roster.
This comprises 54% women, 42% from the Global South, speaking over 90 languages and representing more than 100 nationalities.
LEGAL ENTITY AND STRUCTURE
Justice Rapid Response is registered as an international non-profit Association under Swiss law and is led by an Executive Board comprised of ten States (Argentina, Colombia, Canada (observer), Finland, The Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Switzerland and Uganda), UN Women and two individuals. JRR’s operations are managed by a secretariat based in Geneva with a liaison office in New York.