Global Initiative against Impunity Makes Recommendations to Upcoming EU Strategy on Victims’ Rights
In July 2026, the European Parliament and the Council adopted the revised EU Victims’ Rights Directive, a key piece of EU legislation providing for the minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime. The revised Article 9(3)(b) of the Directive expressly included, for the first time, victims of core international crimes among victims with specific needs who should have access to targeted and integrated support, information and, where appropriate, referral to medical and forensic examinations, healthcare, social and psychological counselling and trauma care.
Members of the Global Initiative against Impunity (GIAI) previously submitted recommendations on strengthening support and protection for victims of international crimes and adopting language that is inclusive of victims of all core international crimes in the Directive.
In parallel with the adoption of the revised Directive, the European Commission launched an open public consultation on 13 August 2026 to shape the upcoming EU Strategy on Victims’ Rights (2026-2030). GIAI members submitted recommendations, focusing on the rights of victims of core international crimes in the EU. The submitted brief analyses developments brought about by the revised Directive and identifies gaps that could be filled by the upcoming Strategy.
This brief is structured around three priority areas in which the 2026–2030 Strategy could strengthen the implementation of rights for victims of core international crimes. The recommendations draw from the extensive experience of GIAI partners, and from a public briefing published by GIAI on the same matter.
It addresses the need for effective communication with victims and affected communities, including accessible information, outreach, and safe reporting channels, and examines how the Strategy can improve support and protection for particularly vulnerable victims through specialised protocols, training, and early access to legal assistance. Finally, it considers measures to facilitate victims’ access to compensation, including national compensation schemes, asset recovery, and improved coordination between relevant authorities.
The GIAI is a consortium of nine leading civil society organisations with networks of local members and partners worldwide: the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Civil Rights Defenders (CRD), the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), Impunity Watch, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), REDRESS, TRIAL International, and Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ). The consortium aims to contribute to the fight against impunity by supporting a comprehensive, integrated, and inclusive approach to justice and accountability for serious human rights violations and international crimes.