Conference – Innovative ways to counter terrorism: the role of transitional justice

The conference will address whether and how transitional justice (TJ) can be used as an innovative way to counter terrorism by analysing the Northern Ireland and Colombian cases. TJ is defined by the United Nations as “the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempts to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses, in order to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation.” It is based on four pillars: justice, truth, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, which should be implemented holistically to redress human rights abuses. TJ approaches are victim-centred and aim to foster memory and reconciliation within a society. 

The objective of this conference is to generate a better understanding of TJ’s potential relevance within a counter-terrorism context and raise awareness amongst practitioners, academics, and policymakers on its possible uses in a countering terrorism context. Focusing on the examples of Northern Ireland and Colombia, it aims to analyse what and how TJ mechanisms can contribute to reducing the terrorist threat in the long term, fostering national security, transforming victims and survivors into active counter-terrorism actors, and promoting reconciliation.  

The conference will therefore build the necessary bridges between TJ and counter-terrorism. It will convene academic researchers from relevant disciplines and stimulate critical reflections on the interactions and divergences of TJ and counter-terrorism. Additionally, it will engage a multi-stakeholder approach, bringing together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and civil society and serve as a ground for networking and partnerships for future research. 

The one-day conference will take place at T.M.C. Asser Instituut and be co-organised by the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, Queen’s University Belfast This link opens in a new tab. It will consist of two panels: one focusing on Colombia and one on Northern Ireland and be complemented by two keynote lectures. 

View the full programme of this conference. This link opens in a new tab

Speakers: 

• Prof. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin This link opens in a new tab (Professor of Law, QUB and Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism) This link opens in a new tab 

• Prof. Richard English This link opens in a new tab (Professor of Politics and Director of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security, and Justice, QUB)   

• Prof. Josefina Echavarría This link opens in a new tab Álvarez This link opens in a new tab (Professor of the Practice and Director of the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM) Program at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame)  This link opens in a new tab This link opens in a new tab

• Prof. Chris Maccabe This link opens in a new tab (Honorary Professor of Practice of Conflict Resolution at the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, QUB) This link opens in a new tab  

• Prof. Cheryl Lawther This link opens in a new tab (Professor of Law, The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, QUB) This link opens in a new tab   

• Dr Lina Malagon Diaz This link opens in a new tab (Senior Lecturer in Politics, Human Rights and Gender, UWE Bristol) 

• Dr  This link opens in a new tabBeatriz Mayans Hermid This link opens in a new taba (VU Amsterdam) (TBC)

Moderators: 

• Dr Niki Siampakou This link opens in a new tab (Researcher, T.M.C. Asser Instituut)  This link opens in a new tab
• Ms Zsófia Baumann This link opens in a new tab (Junior Researcher, T.M.C. Asser Instituut)  This link opens in a new tab
• Mr Antonio Guzmán Mutis This link opens in a new tab (Junior Researcher, T.M.C. Asser Instituut)

Scientific organisation comittee:

• Dr Niki Siampakou This link opens in a new tab (T.M.C. Asser Instituut)  This link opens in a new tab
• Dr Christophe Paulussen This link opens in a new tab (T.M.C. Asser Instituut)  This link opens in a new tab
• Prof. Cheryl Lawther This link opens in a new tab (QUB)  This link opens in a new tab

Co-organiser: Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, Queen’s University Belfast This link opens in a new tab

Financial contributors: 

• British Embassy in the Netherlands  This link opens in a new tab

• KNVIR  This link opens in a new tab

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies of the University of Notre Dame This link opens in a new tab