Access to justice and work against impunity for human rights violations is essential both for ensuring justice to those affected and to act as a deterrent for future crimes. Perpetrators of past violations need to be held accountable and potential perpetrators should know that they are likely to be held accountable if they commit human rights violations in the future.
The work on access to justice and promotion of accountability is often linked to transitional justice work in conflict or post-conflict environments and often involves seeking accountability for human rights abuses taking place during conflict. Work for access to justice and promotion of accountability can also be linked to human rights abuses committed by businesses and corporations, as well as violations of human rights committed by state and non-state actors in general.
