Introduction

Subject(s):

Human rights — Immunity from jurisdiction — Armed conflict

This book provides a systematic in-depth study of the Principles, which were conceived and designed ‘as a guideline to assist States in developing effective measures for combating impunity’. The document contains 38 Principles, analyzed in the present book in the context of a host of complex theoretical and practical issues currently discussed in the arena of human rights and beyond. This introduction orients readers towards the basic issues, situating the Principles in their wider historical and political context and elucidating their conceptual and normative nature. It also clarifies the role, limitations and opportunities of the Principles in addressing current challenges, especially with respect to ‘transitional’ societies emerging from prolonged periods of armed conflict or oppression.