Publications and resources

IICI Publications

• Global Code of Conduct for Gathering and Using Information about Systematic and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence ("The Murad Code"). The Murad Code is available in more than 10 languages.
• IICI guidelines on remote interviewing and PIAC-IICI webinar
• Tool for SGBV-investigation/documentation trainers: training materials accompanying the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict (March 2017 edition)
• IICI Guidelines for Investigating Conflict-Related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Men and Boys
• Guide to help practitioners document conflict-related sexual violence crimes in Iraq: Iraq Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Guidance for Practitioners in Iraq
• Guide to help practitioners document conflict-related sexual violence crimes in Myanmar/Burma: Myanmar/Burma Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Myanmar-Specific Guidance for Practitioners
• Guide to help practitioners document conflict-related sexual violence crimes in Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Sri Lanka-Specific Guidance for Practitioners & Tamil translation of the International Protocol (2017 edition)
• ICLS materials: International Criminal Law & Practice, Training Materials for: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia.  Supporting the Transfer of Knowledge and Materials of War Crimes Cases from the ICTY to National Jurisdictions

Other resources

• Berkeley Protocol of Digital Open Source Investigations
• The Bournemouth Protocol on Mass Grave Protection and Investigation
• New guide on investigating and mapping perpetrators in open-source investigations
• Berkeley Protocol of Digital Open Source Investigations – PDF
• New guide on investigating and mapping perpetrators in open-source investigations

IICI guidelines on remote interviewing and PIAC-IICI webinar

IICI has developed a 13-page set of guidelines on remote investigative interviewing: IICI guidelines on remote interviewing (see here). The recording of the PIAC-IICI hosted webinar on this topic is available here (in English only).  Additional summary information about the guidelines, the PIAC companion publication and the PIAC-IICI webinar is provided a few paragraphs down, underneath the Arabic announcement (PIAC now is called the Justice and Equity Centre.).

Directives IICI sur les entretiens en distanciel et le webinaire organisé par le PIAC-IICI

L’Institut pour les enquêtes criminelles internationales (IICI) a procédé à l’élaboration d’un ensemble de lignes directrices de 13 pages sur les entretiens d’enquête en distanciel. Les voici dans leur version française, sous le titre Directives IICI sur les entretiens en distanciel. L’enregistrement du webinaire organisé par le PIAC-IICI sur cette question est disponible ici (en anglais seulement).

Directrices del IICI para las entrevistas a distancia y seminario web del PIAC y el IICI

El Instituto de Investigación Penal Internacional (IICI) ha elaborado un conjunto de directrices de 13 páginas sobre las entrevistas de investigación a distancia; aquí puede encontrarse la traducción al español: Directrices del IICI para las entrevistas a distancia. La grabación del seminario web auspiciado por el PIAC y el IICI sobre este tema está disponible aquí (únicamente en inglé)

المبادئ التوجيهية لمعهد التحقيقات الجنائية الدولية IICI بشأن المقابلات عن بُعد وندوة مركز الدفاع عن المصلحة العامة – معهد التحقيقات الجنائية الدولية PIAC-IICI عبر الإنترنت

قام معهد التحقيقات الجنائية الدولية IICI بإعداد مجموعةٍ من المبادئ التوجيهية في 13 صفحة بشأن المقابلات عن بُعد؛ وهاهي ذي الترجمة العربية لها: المبادئ التوجيهية لمعهد التحقيقات الجنائية الدولية IICI بشأن المقابلات عن بُعد.  يتوفر هنا تسجيلٌ للندوة عبر الإنترنت التي استضافها مركز الدفاع عن المصلحة العامة – معهد التحقيقات الجنائية الدولية PIAC-IICI حول هذا الموضوع (باللغة الإنجليزية فقط).

IICI’s guidelines generally discourage remote interviewing, but also set out guidelines for considering if and how remote interviews could be done ethically, safely, effectively and, in the case of victims or survivors, in a survivor-centric manner. The publication accentuates carefully developed investigation policies, procedures, threat and risk assessments and plans which specifically and in detail address remote interviewing and reflect the input of security, trauma and other experts as an absolute precondition for any remote interview. It covers human rights investigations, documentation, monitoring and reporting (including by NGOs, national investigation authorities, UN commissions of inquiry and other international investigation bodies) and criminal investigations concerning grave human rights violations and international crimes. The guidelines mainly concern investigations that take place in resource-constrained, conflict-affected or similarly challenging contexts and where the interviewer(s) is not in the same location as the interviewee. The guidelines have been developed with the help of experts on international and national human rights and criminal investigations; investigating serious crimes involving children; law; and psychology and psychiatry. These guidelines form a companion piece to the August 2021 publication “Restricted access interviews: a guide to interviewing witnesses in remote human rights investigations”, published by what was then the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (and now is the Justice and Equity Centre).  The PIAC publication addresses additional issues, and discusses some topics raised in the IICI publication in more detail.

PIAC & IICI co-hosted a webinar on this topic on 28 September 2021. Moderated by Daniela Gavshon, the speakers and panelists were The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, Erin Gallagher, Mohamed Kheir, Shuvai Busuman Nyoni and Philip Trewhitt. The webinar was recorded.

Tool for SGBV-investigation/documentation trainers: training materials accompanying the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict (March 2017 edition)

As part of a 2-year long FCO-supported capacity-building project on documenting sexual violence in conflict, IICI is publishing training materials to accompany the second (March 2017) edition of the FCO’s International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict (IP2, Protocol). It is an update of the IICI-prepared training materials which accompanied the first (June 2014) edition of the Protocol.

Written in English, the updated training materials comprise (a) guidance notes for trainers and (b) suggested (PowerPoint) presentations. Trainers can tailor the PowerPoint slides as they wish. (Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) has translated these training materials into Burmese; they can be downloaded at Myanmar: Tool for SGBV-investigation/documentation trainers (Burmese) – Legal Action Worldwide.)

The set of guidance notes includes notes on module objectives, key points for trainers to consider highlighting during each module, the possible duration of each module, and, for some modules, proposed exercises. The set of guidance notes comprises 19 (Word) documents: introductory notes/ cover pages (1 document); 17 separate guidance notes (modules), ie, one for each chapter of the IP2; and a fact scenario for one of the proposed exercises (1 document). The introductory notes and 17 guidance notes are also available in a single, consolidated document (which, however, does not include the module-4 linked fact scenario, which must be downloaded separately).

The set of PowerPoint presentations comprises 17 documents, ie, one module for each IP2 chapter. They reflect the core content of IP2 and the guidance notes, but trainers would have to shorten, extend or otherwise tailor them as necessary.

The primary author of the updated training materials is Danaé van der Straten Ponthoz. Max Marcus and Gabriël Oosthuizen were the primary content advisers and reviewers. The updated training materials used the training materials accompanying the 1st edition of the Protocol (written by Niamh Hayes) as starting point. IICI is grateful to the FCO for supporting the development of this tool.

Guidance Notes:

• Guidance notes for trainers: consolidated version (modules 0-17)
• Guidance notes for trainers: introductory notes (cover pages) (M 0)

Modules:

• Module 1: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 2: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 3: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 4: guidance notes + fact scenario (for exercise) + presentation
• Module 5: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 6: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 7: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 8: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 9: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 10: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 11: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 12: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 13: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 14: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 15: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 16: guidance notes + presentation
• Module 17: guidance notes + presentation

IICI Guidelines for Investigating Conflict-Related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Men and Boys

IICI has developed guidelines for investigating conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence against men and boys.  They were published in early 2017.  The guidelines have been developed for a range of professionals, from international criminal investigators and prosecutors to national police officers, UN human rights officers and local human rights reporters. The guidelines complement existing relevant investigation frameworks and practices, including those that currently focus on conflict-related SGBV against women and girls or children.  The guidelines have been integrated in the second (March 2017) edition of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict (IP2) and the IICI-developed training materials accompanying IP2.  The guidelines have been developed with financial support from the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative of the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (PSVI) and from IICI’s own pocket.

(Also see the Projects page for information on IICI’s development of guidelines for the investigation of international crimes and serious human rights violations affecting children.)

The guidelines

Guide to help practitioners document conflict-related sexual violence crimes in Iraq: Iraq Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Guidance for Practitioners in Iraq

Sexual violence is a prominent and well-publicised aspect of the ethnic cleansing committed in Northern Iraq by Da’esh since 2014, including the creation of a complex system of slavery that includes rape, forced marriage and sexual violence.  However, as elsewhere, conflict and atrocity-related sexual violence is not a new phenomenon in Iraq.

The Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI) has launched a guide to assist practitioners gather evidence of these forms of violence in Iraq, helping to overcome some of the key barriers to tackling impunity for these crimes.

The new Iraq Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Guidance for Practitioners in Iraq is available in English [PDF + Word], Arabic [PDF + Word] and Kurdish [PDF + Word]

It complements the second edition of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was published in March 2017 by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The International Protocol is designed to help strengthen the evidence base for bringing perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict to justice.

The Supplement is specifically intended for practitioners who work in and on Iraq.  It is intended to be a living document, to be updated as best practice evolves and in light of the feedback received by users. All users are free to update, correct and adapt the Supplement as they wish.

The Supplement forms part of a series of country-specific guides published by IICI and REDRESS. Other supplements published on the IICI and/or REDRESS websites include guides for Myanmar (in English and Burmese) and Sri Lanka (in English, Sinhala and Tamil), along with a translation of the International Protocol’s second edition into Tamil.

REDRESS and IICI are grateful for the support to the project of the FCO.

Guide to help practitioners document conflict-related sexual violence crimes in Myanmar/Burma: Myanmar/Burma Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Myanmar-Specific Guidance for Practitioners

Sexual violence – particularly against women and girls – is a feature of everyday life in Myanmar, with sexual violence committed in the context of long-running armed conflicts and attacks against civilian populations being a particularly brutal aspect of this violence. However, investigations and accountability of those responsible is almost non-existent and survivors often face insurmountable barriers to justice.

REDRESS and the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI) have launched a guide to assist practitioners gather evidence of conflict and atrocity-related sexual violence in Myanmar, thus helping to overcome some of the key barriers to tackling impunity for these crimes.

The new Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Myanmar-Specific Guidance for Practitioners is available in both English [Word + PDF] and Burmese [Word + PDF].

It complements the second edition of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was published in March 2017 by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).The International Protocol is designed to help strengthen the evidence base for bringing perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict to justice.

The Supplement is specifically intended for practitioners who work in and on Myanmar.  It looks at the specific context for such violence in Myanmar, the forms it commonly takes and impacts it may have, available legal avenues for justice at the domestic and international levels, specific evidential and procedural requirements and practical issues that may arise when documenting sexual violence crimes in the country.

The Supplement is intended to be a living document, to be updated as best practice evolves and in light of the feedback received by users. All users are free to update, correct and adapt the Supplement as they wish. We would greatly welcome any feedback to info@redress.org.

The Supplement forms part of a series of country-specific guides published on the IICI and/or REDRESS websites. Other supplements include guides for Sri Lanka (in English, Sinhalese and Tamil) and Iraq (in English, Arabic and Kurdish), along with a translation of the International Protocol’s second edition into Tamil.

REDRESS and IICI are grateful for the support to the project of the FCO.

Guide to help practitioners document conflict-related sexual violence crimes in Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Sri Lanka-Specific Guidance for Practitioners & Tamil translation of the International Protocol (2017 edition)

Sexual violence in Sri Lanka, as elsewhere, is a complex and pervasive problem set in a context of deeply entrenched impunity. This has been reflected in horrific fashion through widespread sexual violence against both women and men committed by state actors, including during periods of conflict. Investigations and accountability of those responsible are almost non-existent and survivors often face insurmountable barriers to justice.

REDRESS and the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI) have launched a guide to assist practitioners gather evidence of conflict and atrocity-related sexual violence in Sri Lanka, helping to overcome some of the key barriers to tackling impunity for these crimes.

The new Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Sri Lanka-Specific Guidance for Practitioners is available in English [Word + PDF], Sinhala [Word + PDF] and Tamil [Word + PDF].

It complements the second edition of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was published in March 2017 by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The International Protocol is designed to help strengthen the evidence base for bringing perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict to justice.

The Supplement is specifically intended for practitioners who work in and on Sri Lanka.  It looks at the specific context for such violence in Sri Lanka, the forms it commonly takes and impacts it may have, available legal avenues for justice at the domestic and international levels, specific evidential and procedural requirements and practical issues that may arise when documenting sexual violence crimes in the country.

The Supplement is intended to be a living document, to be updated as best practice evolves and in light of the feedback received by users. All users are free to update, correct and adapt the Supplement as they wish. We would greatly welcome any feedback to info@redress.org.

The Supplement forms part of a series of country-specific guides published by IICI and/or REDRESS. Other supplements published on the IICI and/or REDRESS websites include guides for Myanmar (in English and Burmese) and Iraq (in English, Arabic and Kurdish), along with a translation of the International Protocol’s second edition into Tamil (whole document 15MB; it can be downloaded in 6 parts, see underneath the Tamil announcement below).

REDRESS and IICI are grateful for the support to the project of the FCO.

ICLS materials: International Criminal Law & Practice, Training Materials for: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia.  Supporting the Transfer of Knowledge and Materials of War Crimes Cases from the ICTY to National Jurisdictions

ICLS (the NGO International Criminal Law Services) provided legal and technical training, advice and support in order to ensure accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.  ICLS’ Board of Directors dissolved ICLS with effect from 31 December 2013.  Elements of ICLS’ expertise were transferred to IICI.  Former ICLS experts, including some members of the ICLS Board of Directors, are now associated with IICI.  ICLS’ expertise on providing technical assistance, capacity-building and other advisory and assistance services to prosecutors, judiciaries, governments, inter-governmental organisations, international organisations and others in the area of international criminal justice now resides in IICI.  ICLS’ publications, and related intellectual property rights, also now belong to IICI.

Among the ICLS-developed publications is the 2014 published International Criminal Law & Practice, Training Materials for: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia.  Supporting the Transfer of Knowledge and Materials of War Crimes Cases from the ICTY to National Jurisdictions.  It was published as part of the EU-supported OSCE-ODIHR/ICTY/UNICRI Project “Supporting the Transfer of Knowledge and Materials of War Crimes Cases from the ICTY to National Jurisdictions”.

• icls-training-materials-sec-1-introduction1
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• icls-training-materials-sec-5-domestic-app-of-intl-law
• icls-training-materials-sec-6-genocide
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• icls-training-materials-sec-9-modes-of-liability
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• icls-training-materials-sec-11-defences-and-other-grounds-for-excluding-liability
• icls-training-materials-sec-12-procedure-and-evidence
• icls-training-materials-sec-13-sentencing-and-penalties
• icls-training-materials-sec-14-witnesses-and-victims

Berkeley Protocol of Digital Open Source Investigations

Berkeley Protocol of Digital Open Source Investigations 

A Practical Guide on the Effective Use of Digital Open Source Information in Investigating Violations of International Criminal, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.

The Bournemouth Protocol on Mass Grave Protection and Investigation

New guidance on investigating and protecting mass graves has been published by Bournemouth University in partnership with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). The Bournemouth Protocol on Mass Grave Protection and Investigation brings together legal rules, and informed practice to support those protecting and investigating mass grave sites.

Mass graves contain evidence that is essential to the realisation of truth, justice and perpetrator accountability. Effective rules and procedures for the protection, maintenance and investigation of mass graves are therefore vital. The Protocol brings together relevant legal guidance and the chronological processes of mass grave protection and investigation to support and inform practitioners. These could include government and state officials, legal personnel and forensic experts.

The Bournemouth Protocol is free to access here

The Protocol is also available in the following translations (see also project website: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/projects/mass-grave-protection-truth-justice)

Arabic

Bosnian

Dari

French

Georgian

Kurdish

MY Burmese

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Swahili

New guide on investigating and mapping perpetrators in open-source investigations

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) in Sydney and the Human Rights Center (HRC) at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law have developed a ground-breaking guide to support investigation of international human rights violations.

Investigating Perpetrators provides practical guidance for investigators on how to use open-source data to comprehensively map potential perpetrators of human rights violations and related crimes. Understanding the structure of security forces, roles within various units and their location over time is a powerful tool to support accountability processes, including criminal prosecutions, civil cases, vetting processes and sanctions.

The guide sets out a methodology for collecting, organising and analysing the copious open-source information available regarding alleged war crimes and mass human rights violations. Investigators can use the methodology to create a powerful information map of parties’ activities through time and across geographic regions.

Open-source mapping can also provide valuable insight into time periods or locations where there has not been wide or accurate reporting of events, and where more investigations are necessary to address information gaps.

Access the guide here: New guide on investigating and mapping perpetrators in open-source investigations