Foreword The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has increasingly recognized the need to enhance its assistance in United Nations-wide efforts to work quickly and effectively to re-establish the rule of law and the administration of justice in postconflict missions. Countries emerging from conflict and crisis are vulnerable to weak or nonexistent rule of law, inadequate law enforcement and justice administration capacity, and increased instances of human rights violations. This situation is often exacerbated by a lack of public confidence in State authorities and a shortage of resources. In 2003, OHCHR, as the United Nations focal point for coordinating system-wide attention for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, began to develop rule-of-law tools so as to ensure sustainable, long-term institutional capacity within United Nations missions and transitional administrations to respond to these demands. These rule-of-law tools will provide practical guidance to field missions and transitional administrations in critical transitional justice and rule of law-related areas. Each tool can stand on its own, but also fits into a coherent operational perspective. The tools are intended to outline the basic principles involved in: Mapping the Justice Sector, Prosecution Initiatives, Truth Commissions, Vetting and Monitoring Legal Systems. This publication specifically sets out basic considerations on prosecution initiatives, and is intended to assist United Nations field staff when advising on approaches to addressing the challenges of prosecuting perpetrators of crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The focus of this guidance is mainly on the strategic and technical challenges that these prosecutions face domestically, and sets out the principal considerations that should be applied to all prosecutorial initiatives: the need for a clear political commitment to accountability; the need for a clear strategy; the need to ensure that initiatives are endowed with the necessary capacity and technical ability to investigate and prosecute the crimes in question; the need to pay particular attention to victims; and the need to have a clear understanding of the relevant law and an appreciation of trial management skills, as well as a strong commitment to due process. The principles used in these tools have been primarily garnered from previous experience and lessons learned in the prosecution of international crimes. Clearly, this document cannot dictate strategic and programmatic decision-making, which needs to be made in the field in the light of the particular circumstances within each post-conflict environment. However, the tools are meant to provide field missions and transitional administrations with the fundamental information required to advise effectively on the development of prosecution initiatives for serious human rights abuses, in line with international human rights standards and best practices.