A truth commission or

truth and reconciliation commission A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...

is a commission tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances,

non-state actor A non-state actor (NSA) are organizations and/or individuals that are not affiliated with, directed by, or funded by any government. The interests, structure, and influence of NSAs vary widely. For example, among NSAs are non-profit organizations, ...

s also), in the hope of resolving conflict left over from the past. They are, under various names, occasionally set up by states emerging from periods of internal unrest,

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, or

dictatorship A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship a ...

List by country

; Algeria:The Ad Hoc Inquiry Commission in Charge of the Question of Disappearances formed in 2003 to investigate human rights violations that occurred in the 1990s. ; Argentina: Created by President of Argentina Raúl Alfonsín on 15 December 1983, the

National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (Spanish: ', CONADEP) was an Argentine organization created by President Raúl Alfonsín on 15 December 1983, shortly after his inauguration, to investigate the fate of the ''desaparecidos'' (v ...

(''Comisión Nacional sobre la Desaparición de Personas'') investigated human rights violations, including 30,000 forced disappearances, committed during the Dirty War. The research of the commission, documented in the Never Again (''Nunca Más'') report, included individual cases on 9,000 disappeared persons. The report was delivered to Alfonsín on 20 September 1984 and opened the door to the Trial of the Juntas, the first major trial held for war crimes since the

Nuremberg trials The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany invaded m ...

in Germany following World War II and the first to be conducted by a civilian court. ; Australia: In March 2021, the state of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

announced the creation of the first commission of inquiry in Australia into the "violent dispossession and genocide of Aboriginal people during colonisation". ; Bangladesh: War Crimes Fact Finding Committee, set up in Bangladesh to investigate the Human rights abuses carried out during the Bangladesh Liberation War. ; Bolivia: The National Commission of Inquiry into Disappearances was the first of a series of Latin American commissions. It formed in 1982 but did not complete its report. ; Brazil: The non-punitive National Truth Commission (''Comissão Nacional da Verdade'') was approved in late 2011 by the Federal Senate and sanctioned by President Dilma Rousseff. The commission will last for two years and consist of seven members appointed by the President. Members of the commission will have access to all government files about the 1946–1988 period and may convene victims or people accused of violations for testimony, although it will not be mandatory for them to attend. After the end of the two years period, the commission will issue a report with its findings. The group will not have, however, the obligation to disclose everything they discover. ; Canada: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was a commission investigating the human rights abuses in the

Canadian Indian residential school system In Canada, the Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches. The school s ...

. It ran from June 2008 through June 2015. ; Chad: formed a Commission of Inquiry into Crimes and Misappropriations committed by former president Hissene Habre in 1990 which reported there had been 40,000 killings and 200,000 cases of torture under Habre's rule. ; Colombia: The National Commission for Reparation and Reconciliation (''Comisión Nacional de Reparación y Reconciliación'') aims to help victims to recover from the armed conflict. ; Congo (Democratic Republic): A peace agreement in 2004 mandated the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (DRC) which issued an administrative report in 2007. ; Chile: The National Truth and Reconciliation Commission (''Comisión Nacional de Verdad y Reconciliación;'' popularly known as the "Rettig Report"), created in April 1990, investigated deaths and disappearances, particularly for political reasons, under

Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (, , , ; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, being declared President of ...

's rule. The report was released in 1991. The National Commission on Political Imprisonment and Torture ("Valech Report") also investigated human rights abuses from the reign of Pinochet. Released in 2004 and 2005, the commission differed from the previous one in that it investigated non-fatal violations of human rights, such as torture, and also covered children whose parents had disappeared or been killed. The report of this commission was used by the government of Chile to give out pensions and other benefits to survivors. ; Czech Republic: The

Office for the Documentation and the Investigation of the Crimes of Communism The Office of the Documentation and the Investigation of the Crimes of Communism ( cz, Úřad dokumentace a vyšetřování zločinů komunismu, abbrev. ÚDV) is the Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a coun ...

(''Úřad dokumentace a vyšetřování zločinů komunismu'') is a subdivision of Czech criminal police which investigates criminal acts from the period 1948-1989 which were unsolvable for political reasons during the Czechoslovak communist regime. ; Ecuador:

The Truth Commission The Truth Commission was a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). Their label "Truth Commission" was a take on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commissio ...

(''La Comisión de la Verdad'') was established by the government to investigate the violation of human rights especially during the period of 1984 to 1988. ; El Salvador: Established by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

(instead of the Government of El Salvador), the establishment of the

Commission on the Truth for El Salvador The Truth Commission for El Salvador ( es, Comisión de la Verdad para El Salvador) was a restorative justice truth commission approved by the United Nations to investigate the grave wrongdoings that occurred throughout the country's twelve year ...

(''Comisión de la Verdad para El Salvador'') was part of

Chapultepec Peace Accords The Chapultepec Peace Accords were a set of peace agreements signed on January 16, 1992, the day in which the Salvadoran Civil War ended. The treaty established peace between the Salvadoran government and the Farabundo Martí National Liberat ...

to end the

Salvadoran Civil War The Salvadoran Civil War ( es, guerra civil de El Salvador) was a twelve year period of civil war in El Salvador that was fought between the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front The Farabundo Ma ...

. The commission investigated murders and executions committed during the war, including that of

Óscar Romero Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (15 August 1917 – 24 March 1980) was a prelate of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Salvador, the Titular Bishop of Tambeae, as Bishop of Santiago ...

in 1980 and six Jesuits in 1989. ; Fiji: Reconciliation and Unity Commission. ; Gambia: The '' Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) Act'' was enacted by the National Assembly in December 2017 to investigate human rights violations during the period of Yahya Jammeh's rule. It was sworn in on October 15, 2018. ; Germany: Created a Commission of inquiry into crimes of the SED in East Germany after unification in 1992. ; Ghana: National Reconciliation Commission. ; Guatemala: Historical Clarification Commission (''Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico''). ; Haiti: The Haitian National Truth and Justice Commission. ; Honduras: The Honduras Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigated events around the 2009 Honduras coup d'état. ; Ireland:

Forum for Peace and Reconciliation The Forum for Peace and Reconciliation ( ga, an Fóram um Shíocháin agus Athmhuintearas) was a forum established by the government of Ireland in October 1994 as part of the Northern Ireland peace process. Initiation The Forum was envisaged in ...

, launched in 1994 sought to reconcile communities in conflict in Northern Ireland. ;Kenya : Waki Commission; The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Kenya. ; Liberia:

Truth and Reconciliation Commission A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...

. ; Mauritius: The Truth and Justice Commission of the Mauritius was an independent truth commission established in 2009, which explored the impact of

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and indentured servitude in

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...

. The commission was tasked to investigate the dispossession of land, and “determine appropriate measures to be extended to descendants of slaves and indentured laborers.” It was “unique in that it ealtwith socio-economic class abuses" and explored the possibility of reparations. The Commission attempted to cover more than 370 years, the longest period of time that a truth commission has ever covered. ; Morocco: Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER). ; Nepal: Nepalese Truth Commission reported in 1991 on the period 1961–1990. A new Commission on Investigation of Disappeared Persons (CIDP) formed on 10 February 2015. ; New Zealand: Established in 1975, Waitangi Tribunal is a commission which makes recommendations on claims brought to the tribunal by Maori relating to legislation, policy, actions or inactions by the Crown in breach of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. ; Nigeria:A Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission formed in 1999 and reported in 2002. ; Norway:

; Panama: The Panama Truth Commission (''Comisión de la Verdad'') was established in 2000 and reported that the former military regime had engaged in torture and other forms of cruel,

inhuman, and degrading treatment Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (CIDT) is treatment of persons which is contrary to human rights or dignity, but is not classified as torture. It is forbidden by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 3 of the European Convention ...

. ; Paraguay: Truth and Justice Commission (''Comisión de Verdad y Justicia''). ; Peru :

''(Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación)''. ; Poland:

Institute of National Remembrance The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation ( pl, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej – Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu, abbreviated IPN) is a Polish state resea ...

. ; Philippines: In 2010, President

Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...

announced that a Philippines Truth Commission would be formed to investigate unresolved issues concerning the previous administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. On July 30, 2010, a month after being sworn in as the 15th

President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...

, Aquino signed Executive Order No. 1, creating the Philippine Truth Commission of 2010. However, the Supreme Court of the Philippines invalidated the executive order because of its apparent transgression of the equal protection clause for singling out the Arroyo administration. In his ponencia i
Biraogo vs. Truth Commission

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

Jose C. Mendoza blatantly tagged Aquino's Truth Commission "as a vehicle for vindictiveness and selective retribution." ; Rwanda

International non-governmental organizations created an

International Commission of Investigation on Human Rights Violations in Rwanda since October 1, 1990 The International Commission of Investigation on Human Rights Violations in Rwanda since October 1, 1990 was an international inquiry that investigated reported human rights abuses during the Rwandan Civil War. Sponsored by four international non-go ...

that reported in 1993; it did not advance afterwards due to the

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed H ...

of 1994. A new National Unity and Reconciliation Commission formed in 1999 to promote reconciliation after the genocide. ; Seychelles: Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission is to investigate complaints of alleged human rights violations committed in relation to the 1977 Coup. ; Sierra Leone: After the end of the Sierra Leone civil war in 1999, the country created a Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission which reported that both sides had targeted civilians, including children, and called for improvements in democratic institutions and accountability. ; Solomon Islands:

. On April 29, 2009, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission was launched by the Government of the Solomon Islands. Its aim would be to "address people’s traumatic experiences during the five year ethnic conflict on Guadalcanal (1999–2004)". It is modelled on the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. Its public hearings commenced in March 2010. ; South Africa: After the transition from

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

, President Nelson Mandela authorized a truth commission under the leadership of former Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu to study the effects of apartheid in that country. The commission was simply called the

. ; South Korea: The Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths in the Republic of Korea reported in 2004. A second

opened in 2005. There has also been a local truth commission for Jeju island. ; Sri Lanka:

Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC, si, උගත් පාඩම් හා ප්‍රතිසන්ධාන කොමිෂන් සභාව ''Ugath Padam Ha Prathisandhana Komishan Sabhava'', ta, கற்றுக்� ...

. After an 18-month inquiry, the commission submitted its report to the President on 15 November 2011. The report was made public on 16 December 2011, after being tabled in the

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

. ; Sweden: In 2020, Sweden initiated an independent truth commission to research past abuse of the

Sámi The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are a Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, Ru ...

by the Swedish state. ; Taiwan:

Transitional Justice Commission The Transitional Justice Commission (TJC; ) was an independent government agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan) active from 31 May 2018 to 30 May 2022 based on the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice. The commission is responsible for the i ...

(''促進轉型正義委員會'') is an independent government agency responsible for the investigation of injustices committed by the government between 15 August 1945 and 6 November 1992, including the February 28 Incident as well as White Terror. ; Timor-Leste (East Timor): Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor (''Comissão de Acolhimento, Verdade e Reconciliação de Timor Leste''; 2001–2005);

Indonesia–Timor Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship The Indonesia–Timor Leste Commission on Truth and Friendship (more commonly known by its Portuguese acronym CVA, ''Comissão Verdade e Amizade'') was a truth commission established jointly by the governments of Indonesia and East Timor in Augus ...

(2005–2008). ; Togo: Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission established in 2009 to investigate the period from 1958 to 2009. ; Tunisia: Truth and Dignity Commission (2014) ; Uganda: Uganda Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights (1986-1994). ; Ukraine:

Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory ( uk, Український Інститут Національної Пам’яті, UINM), also translated as the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, is the central executive body operating un ...

(Український інститут національної пам'яті), founded by President

Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( uk, Віктор Андрійович Ющенко, ; born 23 February 1954) is a Ukrainian politician who was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010. As an informal leader of th ...

in 2006. ; Uruguay: The Investigative Commission on the Situation of Disappeared People and its Causes operated in 1985 and produced a report covering the years 1972–1983. A new Peace Commission was authorized by the president to look into the same period, and reported in 2003. ; United States: The

Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission The Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in 2004 based on the violent events of November 3, 1979 in Greensboro, North Carolina. On that date, the Communist Workers Party (CWP) led by Nelson Johnson gathered at the Mornings ...

was a non-governmental body that ran in 2004–2006 to investigate deadly events in the city that took place around 3 November 1979 and came to be known as the

Greensboro Massacre The Greensboro massacre was a deadly confrontation which occurred on November 3, 1979, in Greensboro, North Carolina, US, when members of the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party (ANP) shot and killed five participants in a "Death to the Kla ...

. :The Maine Wabanaki-State Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigated child welfare issues among the Wabanaki peoples. ; Yugoslavia (Federal Republic of): A Commission of Truth and Reconciliation was created by the president in 1999 but did not complete its report.

Multinational

; Bulgaria / North Macedonia: A commission for historical and educational issues was created by the mutually signed relations regulation agreement in 2019 but still did not complete its report.

References

External links

International Center for Transitional Justice, Truth and Memory page
{{Truth and Reconciliation Commission *

List by country

Multinational

See also

References

External links