The Paradox of Addressing War Crimes During Peace Negotiations
In her book The Peacemaker’s Paradox: Pursuing Justice in the Shadow of Conflict, Priscilla Hayner explores the dilemmas that arise when peacemakers seem to have to choose between settling an armed conflict and holding accountable those responsible for severe human rights violations.
Through detailed case studies on Colombia, Uganda, Libya, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the book examines the challenge of addressing war crimes during peace negotiations. It also looks at the impact of international courts on armed conflict, including whether prosecutions deter further abuses—or whether there is sometimes a risk of doing damage to a peace process.
At a recent book launch event, Hayner was joined by Human Rights Watch director Richard Dicker and Aryeh Neier, president emeritus of the Open Society Foundations.
Listen to the conversation above.