Advancing Human Rights Accountability

Advancing Global Human Rights Accountability Through Research, Collaboration, and Action

A University of Oxford initiative working with global partners to promote truth, justice, and long-term accountability.

About us

Bridging Academia and Advocacy to Advance Justice and Human Rights

Advancing Human Rights Accountability (AHRA) refers to a set of projects based in the University of Oxford, that work alongside international partners to strengthen access to truth, justice, reparations, and non-recurrence for victims of human rights violations.

Our projects

Advancing Justice Across Contexts and Continents

From enforced disappearances to democratic threats, our projects unite global partners to confront complex human rights challenges with research and local collaboration.
Corporate Accountability in Transitional Justice

Holding Economic Actors Accountable for Past Abuses

This project explores how business actors have been held accountable for their roles in authoritarian regimes and armed conflicts. Through data-driven research, strategic litigation support, and international collaboration, CATJ bridges the gap between academic inquiry and real-world justice efforts—centering victims’ rights in transitional justice processes around the world.
The Right Against Rights

Understanding the Rise of Anti-Rights Movements in Latin America

RagR explores the growth of right-wing movements that challenge democratic norms and threaten human rights in the region. With an interdisciplinary lens, the project investigates the ideologies and dynamics behind these trends to inform strategies for protecting democratic resilience and civil liberties.
Overcoming Impunity in Post-Transition Disappearances

Addressing the Persistence of Disappearances Beyond Dictatorships

OID works with academic institutions and grassroots groups in Mexico and Brazil to spotlight enforced disappearances that continue even after democratic transitions. By analyzing patterns of perpetration and impunity, the project supports victims’ demands for truth, justice, and structural change in post-authoritarian societies.
Confessions to Violence

Exploring Perpetrators’ Confessions to Violence and Sexual Crimes in Post-Conflict Contexts

This project examines three key dimensions of confessional practices after conflict—state violence, revolutionary violence, and sexual violence—to understand how truth-telling can challenge silence, reshape accountability, and advance transitional justice.

Publications

Research, Insights, and Tools for Advancing Human Rights and Accountability

We publish research, case studies, and policy insights that support global efforts to strengthen human rights accountability. Our work amplifies the voices of victims, informs practitioners, and contributes to ongoing debates in transitional justice and democratic resilience.
Overcoming Impunity in Post-Transition Dissapearances
Nombrarlas para encontrarlas
The study examines women’s disappearances in central Mexico, linking gender, state, and criminal violence, and calls for better coordination and data sharing to strengthen search and justice efforts.
Overcoming Impunity in Post-Transition Dissapearances
Report on Information Policies Regarding State Responses to the Disappearance of Persons
The report reveals inconsistent, opaque state data on disappearances in Mexico, showing failures in justice, transparency, and accountability, and urging stronger public information policies to combat impunity and support victims’ rights.
Overcoming Impunity in Post-Transition Dissapearances
Report on Criminal Sentences in Cases of Enforced Disappearance at the Federal and State Levels
The report reviews 28 rulings on enforced disappearance in Mexico, revealing limited judicial action, weak investigations, and the need to strengthen courts’ roles in ensuring truth, justice, and victims’ rights.
Overcoming Impunity in Post-Transition Dissapearances
Report on Specialized Prosecutor’s Offices
The report examines Mexico’s specialized prosecutor’s offices on disappearances, highlighting systemic impunity, limited progress, and emerging collaboration between families, collectives, and authorities to strengthen justice.
Overcoming Impunity in Post-Transition Dissapearances
Report on State Search Commissions
The report reviews Mexico’s State Search Commissions, created by the 2017 law on disappearances, highlighting progress and challenges in coordination, resources, and trust as they work to improve searches and access to truth and justice.
Overcoming Impunity in Post-Transition Dissapearances
Comparative Report on Disappearance Events: “Nuevo León, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas (Northeast Region)”
Mexico faces a major human rights crisis of widespread disappearances. The Observatory on Disappearance and Impunity studies this issue locally to support truth, justice, and public policy efforts nationwide.

Contact us

Contact Us to Learn More and Engage with Our Work

Whether you’re a researcher or advocate, we welcome your questions, ideas, and opportunities for collaboration. Reach out to learn more about our work, share your insights, or explore ways to support our mission for truth, justice, and accountability.