The Grey Zones of Reparations for War Victims under International Law

There is growing consensus and practice around making reparations for war victims. On this matter, it arises an international standard of reparations (ISoR) as a list of measures to follow, either as part of legal obligations or best practices. Although the standard embodies a redundant message delivered in international law instruments and customs, it is both a call for warring parties to fulfill their obligations towards victims as well as an invitation to undertake some actions that still do not reach the level of general binding rules. As the ISoR may raise expectations that cannot be met in all contexts, it is important to know what can and cannot be expected. The answer to this question comes, in part, from knowing what is mandatory out of what is portrayed as an aspiration. By studying legal developments on the international law applicable to armed conflicts and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ case law, this paper identifies a core of mandatory measures: restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, and satisfaction, as well as investigation of violations. Then, it considers two grey zones. Firstly, those actions expressed in aspirational terms: investigation and prosecution of violations against women from an intersectional approach, control over firearms trade to prevent gender-oriented crimes, and the prohibition of amnesties and statutory limitations to criminal justice; secondly, mechanisms enlisted as reparations but serving purposes other than redress, namely assistance to internally displaced people, truth-telling, non-repetition, and criminal prosecution. ; Cada vez hay más consenso y acción en torno a la reparación de las víctimas de conflictos armados. En esta materia, surge un estándar internacional de reparaciones (EIR) como una lista de medidas a seguir, ya sea como parte de las obligaciones legales o de mejores prácticas. Aunque la norma encarna un mensaje redundante emitido en tratados internacionales y el derecho consuetudinario internacional, es tanto un llamado a las partes en ...