Event: Truth Commissions and Peace Processes: International Experiences and Challenges for Colombia (Bogotá, 2/25)

DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 – 08:00

LOCATION:  Bogotá, Colombia

REGISTRATION: Open

As Colombian peace talks advance, unveiling the truth about massive human rights violations committed over the course of the armed conflict is an essential element of the negotiating agenda.

The creation of a truth commission is a possibility now being discussed in Havana. The experiences and lessons learned from truth commissions in other countries transitioning from conflict can be an important contribution to Colombia’s debate on official truth seeking.

On February 25, 2015, in Bogotá, the International Center for Transitional Justice and the Kofi Annan Foundation will host a conference titled “Truth Commissions and Peace Processes: International Experiences and Challenges for Colombia.”

The day-long conference will gather renowned international and national experts to reflect on lessons learned from truth commissions emerging from peace processes around the world.

With the participation of Mr. Kofi Annan, Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation, and Mr. David Tolbert, President of the International Center for Transitional Justice, the event will present the reflections of policy makers, practitioners, peace mediators, practitioners and scholars about their hands-on experience with truth commissions in countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Kenya.

As the search for truth concerns Colombian society as a whole, the conference will provide space for Colombian social and institutional actors to exchange ideas, expectations and questions about the country’s search for truth about the armed conflict.

This conference is part of a joint effort by the International Center for Transitional Justice and the Kofi Annan Foundation to promote and facilitate dialogue on the experiences and lessons learned from truth commissions that have emerged from peace processes. A joint 2014 report exploring these issues by the two organizations is available in English; a Spanish edition will be launched at the conference.

This event is organized with the support of the Norwegian Embassy in Colombia and Foros Semana.

The event is free and open to the public. Those willing to attend the conference are requested to pre-register online here. Capacity is limited. Registration deadline is February 20th.

A live stream of the conference will be available in Spanish at www.ictj.org/es .