Jus Post Bellum: Justice After the War

Much of the conversation surrounding international law and human rights focuses on the period of actual conflict, but the period in which states transition from conflict to peace and the mechanisms used are just as critical. The International Center for Transitional Justice defines transitional justice as “the ways countries, emerging from periods of conflict and repression, address large scale or systematic human rights violations so numerous and so serious that the normal justice system will not be able to provide an adequate response.” The Symposium will examine and discuss the mechanisms used to address such issues.

Some conflicts result in occupation of territory by another hostile actor or state. In theory, such a circumstance is governed by the Law of Occupation under the U.N. Charter and the Geneva Conventions. How does this set of laws affect the territory’s government, economy, and society, and should it be considered a post-war period in which the mechanisms of transitional justice apply?

The power of the Law of Occupation, transitional justice and jus post bellum is only commensurate with its relevance. It is an inescapable truth that—just like the past and the present—the future will be marked with conflict and wars. It is a similar truth that conflicts will cause the deprivation of human rights and human life. Although conflict may end, the devastation of societies and the necessity to rebuild and move forward endures.

The Symposium aims to provide an insight into the transition from wartime to peace and reconstruction, and the human rights concerns that accompany this process through an interdisciplinary and international lens. The Minnesota Journal of International Law and the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center are proud to present internationally recognized scholars to create an engaging conversation on the meaning of jus post bellum, reconstruction and peace, and occupation.