Unstoppable

A few words from JRR’s Executive Director on World Day for International Justice

On World Day for International Justice, Samuel Emonet, Executive Director of Justice Rapid Response, reflects on the current state of the human rights and international justice ecosystem

The international justice and human rights ecosystem is facing an unprecedented combination of threats. They include attacks against the International Criminal Court, the defunding of human rights institutions and the bulldozing of basic human rights on which our societies are built: gender equality and non-discrimination.

So yes, human rights organizations might have to close down, jobs will be cut, important projects will be interrupted, and victims and survivors might never see justice or the reparations they need. That is the sad reality of an amnesic world, drunk on disinformation, plagued by inequalities and stumbling everyday closer to the precipice.

But there is another – more hopeful – story to tell.

Across the world, human rights and justice actors will stand their ground as retreat is not an option: they will adapt, evolve and become more resilient over time. Why? Because the combination of threats that we see materializing today is not new; they are exactly what so many grassroots organizations, human rights defenders, journalists, prosecutors, judges and lawyers have endured and resisted for years in their respective country: sanctions, defunding, intimidation or threats.. What is new is that these authoritarian methods are now shamelessly applied internationally.

Many organizations and institutions forming our justice and human rights ecosystem of today were born from suffering, driven by hope, and sustained by the determination of survivors and their allies. Justice does not depend on institutions alone. It lives in people — in their courage to speak, to act, and to rebuild. Resilience is in their DNA. Nobody better than them will know how to resist and adapt.

From grassroots initiatives in conflict and post-conflict societies to domestic courts boldly taking on international crimes, the push for justice is vibrant and very much alive. Civil society organizations will continue to uplift the voices of victims and survivors, ensuring that their stories are heard and their rights defended. International bodies will persist in documenting abuses and exposing the truth — even in the face of political pressure and financial challenges.

At Justice Rapid Response, we are privileged to support this movement by deploying expert support where it’s needed the most, and we will continue to work alongside those who refuse to give up on justice and human rights.

The multilateral system may be strained, but the fight for human dignity will continue. It cannot be dismantled. It cannot be silenced. It is unstoppable.

Samuel Emonet, 

Executive Director, Justice Rapid Response