Lessons from western Kosovo for the documentation of war crimes

Abstract

Based upon experiences of the International Crisis Group's Humanitarian Law Documentation Project in Western Kosovo, the author advances a series of recommendations for effective intervention by aid workers in areas where considerable trauma has been inflicted upon civilians. In particular, she argues that in documenting war crimes, the primary responsibility of the interviewer is to the wellbeing of the witness. This includes not only emergency survival needs such as adequate shelter, food and clothing; it means taking care of their mental health needs. This should be done by training interviewers in recognising symptoms of mental disorders and providing immediate assistance for those who need it as well as ensuring that there are facilities available in the longer term to address the inevitable consequences of mass violence. For people documenting war crimes, it is not enough simply to go in, take a statement and leave. In order to be able to provide this type of assistance, the mental health needs of humanitarian workers themselves must also be addressed. There must be adequate facilities staffed by experienced people to help both local and international workers deal with the type of work they are doing. In both of these situations, the persons providing training and treatment must themselves be trained in post‐conflict situations and issues arising as a result of mass trauma If possible, it is best to tap into local mental health structures that already exist.