National Authorities Against Impunity

National Authorities Against Impunity (IMPNA) project

Armed conflicts and violations of international human rights and humanitarian law are increasing worldwide. In this context, the international community is faced with the challenge of pursuing meaningful accountability measures for the atrocities committed and bringing justice to victims and survivors. The European Union and its Member States are crucial players in holding perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes accountable, but these efforts increasingly require collaboration with civil society and judicial authorities, including outside the EU’s borders.

This is where the National Authorities Against Impunity (IMPNA) project comes into play. The project, which was established in October 2024 for an initial period of four years, aims to contribute to justice and accountability efforts for core international crimes (CICs) by enhancing the cooperation between civil society organisations (CSOs) and national authorities investigating and prosecuting CICs in both EU and non-EU countries.

The project is structured around two clusters of activities:

enhancing CSOs’ engagement with national authorities investigating and prosecuting CICs in the EU and in non-EU countries; and
bolstering the efforts of national authorities of non-EU countries to investigate and prosecute CICs, including by strengthening regional cooperation.

The IMPNA project has received funding from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA). It is co-implemented by Eurojust and the Genocide Network Secretariat, at Eurojust.

Scope

The IMPNA project is funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) for four years (October 2024- September 2028). It is co-implemented by Eurojust and the Genocide Network Secretariat, at Eurojust. The overall objective is to address existing impunity gaps for core international crimes (CICs) worldwide, especially by supporting the cooperation between CSOs active in the documentation of these crimes and relevant national investigating and prosecuting authorities both in the EU and in non-EU countries.

Activities will focus on:

Facilitating and enhancing cooperation and exchange of information between CSOs and national authorities investigating and prosecuting CICs in the EU and in non-EU countries;
Promoting the creation of specialised units and the development of technical expertise on CICs among national investigating and prosecuting authorities in non-EU countries;
Promoting the creation of regional networks focusing on the investigation and prosecution of CICs to enable close cooperation and coordination between the national authorities of non-EU countries in various regions of the world, modelled on the EU Genocide Network.

Methodology

The project activities are designed and delivered in line with international human rights standards, and integrate a gender-sensitive perspective at all stages of the project implementation. Further, the implementation of project activities integrates a victim and survivor-centred approach and a ‘do no harm’ approach.

Coordination

During the implementation of the project activities, IMPNA will coordinate closely with relevant stakeholders, including the DG INTPA-funded Global Initiative Against Impunity (GIAI), the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as well as other key actors involved in accountability efforts for CICs.

The project’s emphasis on coordination with other partners aims to ensure alignment of activities and avoid duplication of efforts.

News and publications

New Eurojust-hosted project widens scope of actions against impunity for war crimes and genocide beyond EU

12 February 2025|PRESS RELEASE