Despite the tireless work of human rights defenders and survivors, accountability for serious human rights violations and international crimes remains elusive in many cases. As part of the Global Initiative against Impunity (GIAI), ECCHR collaborates with eight civil society organizations to end systematic impunity: to uncover the truth, demand justice, and ensure that survivors’ voices are heard in legal proceedings.

Through their relentless efforts over the past decades, survivors, civil society organizations, activists and lawyers have achieved significant successes in the fight against impunity. Nevertheless, numerous challenges remain.

The GIAI is committed to ensuring that survivors and civil society organizations play a greater role in creating and shaping inclusive processes of coming to terms with past crimes. At the heart of this effort is a commitment to accountability and justice in cases of serious human rights violations – because genuine reparation can only occur when survivors’ rights are recognized and avenues for legal reckoning are opened.

As a member of the GIAI, we have been we have been drawing on our legal expertise since 2024 to provide targeted support to human rights defenders in navigating complex legal proceedings. Through mentoring and specialized training, we support them in effectively employing strategic litigation. At the same time, we provide survivors with legal and psychosocial support and encourage them to participate in proceedings – so that their experiences and perspectives shape case law and form the basis for decisions. The aim is to ensure access to legal protection, break down structural barriers, and make justice processes more inclusive and accessible to a wider range of people.

Furthermore, we specifically apply our expertise to strengthen international legal standards and guidelines and to ensure that human rights and international law can be effectively enforced. From Germany to Ireland, Poland, and Denmark, all the way to the EU institutions, we are committed to strengthening the principle of universal jurisdiction – so that survivors can effectively assert their rights.

As part of the GIAI, ECCHR has:

• Provided legal support to multiple survivors from various countries, enabling their participation in proceedings and testimony before investigative authorities;
• Promoted strategic dialogue with civil society organizations to jointly advance criminal justice processes in specific national contexts;
• Produced the video series "Universal Jurisdiction in Practice“, which provides information on the principle of universal jurisdiction and explains how it is applied;
• Sought dialogue with national and EU authorities regarding the implementation of existing legal frameworks and improving access to justice for those affected.

Collaboration lies at the heart of our work. The consortium brings together the following organizations: Civil Rights Defenders, the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Impunity Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights, Parliamentarians for Global Action, REDRESS, TRIAL International, Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice and ECCHR. They are supported by two associate partners: the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, as well as the International Commission of Jurists. The four-year initiative is co-funded by the European Union.

ECCHR combats double standards and impunity for international crimes in various international and national legal forums, including the International Criminal Court. Even beyond international bodies, ECCHR has successfully applied the principle of universal jurisdiction on multiple occasions to investigate crimes and prosecute perpetrators. With the support of the ECCHR, more than 100 Syrian torture survivors and their family members have filed criminal complaints in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway. In January 2022, the world’s first trial on state-sponsored torture in Syria concluded before the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz, marking a landmark judgment in the fight against impunity worldwide.