I’m pleased to announce the release of the 2016 Annual Report of Justice Rapid Response:
Read the Report
Our 2016 Annual Report reminds that JRR continues to be the world’s “go-to” facility for a wide range of criminal justice and human rights experts who can ensure investigations are professional, impartial, and prompt. Now in our eighth year of operations, JRR continues to deliver on our promise: rapid availability of highly-qualified, diverse experts to deploy wherever they’re needed most. We are proud to say that the JRR Expert Roster has more than 600 top professionals from over 100 countries and every region of the world. They speak more than 90 languages, and over half are women.
In 2016, we reached a milestone: JRR deployed its 100th mission. It was one of dozens of instances where JRR experts improved the quality of investigations in places such as Burundi, Cambodia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya and South Sudan. Our professionals helped communities of victims in Chad and Guatemala prosecute perpetrators of crimes such as torture, sexual slavery and enforced disappearance. They also provided mentoring to humanitarian responders servicing at-risk populations in the MENA region.
JRR continues to identify new areas where diverse expertise is needed. Last year, we launched a new partnership with the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative to strengthen the capacity of the international community to address crimes and serious human rights violations involving children, while always prioritizing their safety and well-being.
Our work goes beyond improving the standards of investigations we support. The JRR Expert Roster is an efficient, cost-effective way for the international community to access surge-capacity when and where it’s needed most. The JRR model shows how “just-in-time” delivery of the right expertise is making a real difference in our collective ability to deliver justice for atrocities, and deter would-be offenders. Without this, re-building a belief in the rule of law, and breaking the many recurring cycles of violence around the world has proven to be impossible.
On behalf of JRR’s staff and Executive Board, we want to thank all our partners, supporters, and experts for making our work possible. Together, with every mission successfully completed, with every expert deployed, we are moving closer to realizing JRR’s vision: a world where every investigation is professional, impartial and prompt.