A Conceptual Framework for Dealing with the Past

The Conceptual Framework on Dealing with the Past, developed by swisspeace and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, is based on the 1997 UN principles proposed by Louis Joinet to address impunity. It highlights four key pillars: the right to know, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence. The framework emphasizes a holistic, interconnected approach that transforms victims and perpetrators into equal citizens, fostering accountability, the rule of law, and reconciliation as part of a long-term process.