Reparations (transitional justice)

Common card · No. 479008

Reparations are broadly understood as compensation provided for an abuse or injury. The colloquial meaning of the term has changed substantially over the past century. In the early twentieth century, reparations generally referred to interstate transfers imposed as punitive measures following armed conflict (see war reparations), as determined by treaty and paid by the defeated party, such as the reparations required of Germany and its allies after World War I. In contemporary usage, reparations may include war-related damages and restitution, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition provided to victims of human rights violations by those responsible. The right of victims to obtain reparations, and the corresponding obligation of responsible parties to provide them, have been recognized in international law, including through instruments adopted by the United Nations. However, the recognition is limited to gross violations of international human rights law and serious...

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