In August-September 2021, the Universal Rights Group, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of the United States to the UN Office in Geneva, organised a series of policy dialogues with a cross-regional group of over 150 experts, to seek conceptual clarity and analyse emerging trends and best practices in international efforts to secure ‘accountability’ for human rights violations. The first session, held on 24 August 2021, focused on targeted human rights sanction regimes, and provided an opportunity to share good practices and lessons learnt, and consider improved coordination of ‘Magnitsky-style’ sanction regimes.

Two additional sessions followed on 31 August and 1 September 2021 focusing on UN-mandated accountability efforts, notably through fact-finding and other investigative mechanisms.

In order to respect the ‘Chatham House rule’ under which the meetings were held, the report does not attribute comments made or conclusions reached to any of the individual participants or their respective organisations.