Casualty recording centres around the process of establishing the circumstances of a death from armed violence or conflict, identifying the victim, recording the details and verifying the facts. The resources collected here provide comprehensive guidance on the principles and practical steps required to conduct this work to the highest standard.
UN Commissions of inquiry: guidance and practices
This publication from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights includes description of the standard methodological and operational processes of UN-mandated commissions of inquiry. These may provide useful basic models for casualty recorders establishing new investigations. The publication may also be useful to casualty recorders working alongside commissions of inquiry, to better understand their mandate, policies and practices.
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OHCHR Guidance on Casualty Recording
The OHCHR Guidance on Casualty Recording is based on existing practice within OHCHR field missions and offices. It provides a basic guide for establishing a casualty recording system for advocacy purposes, including for reporting on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 16.1.2 on conflict-related deaths.
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OHCHR Manual on Human Rights Monitoring
This manual provides general guidance on all forms of human rights monitoring work. It is not specific to casualty recording but provides a good basic framework.
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Minnesota Protocol on investigation of potentially unlawful death
The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016) is an updated version of the original UN Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions of 1991. It provides detailed guidance on procedures for crime-scene investigations, interviews of suspects and witnesses, the excavation of graves, post-mortem examinations, and the analysis of skeletal remains. The Minnesota Protocol is the internationally recognised common standard for investigating potentially unlawful deaths.
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Guidance on conducting digital open source investigations
The Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations provides guidance on conducting online research of alleged violations of international criminal, human rights, and humanitarian law. It includes advice on legal and ethical issues related to gathering and storing digital information relevant to casualty recording. It also includes recommendations on steps casualty recorders can take to protect the safety of staff, volunteers, witnesses and others involved in the casualty recording process.
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Rule-of-law tools for post-conflict States: Archives
This publication from the OHCHR series on rule of law in post-conflict states provides guidance on the management, reform, use and preservation of archives. It identifies best practice in managing and preserving different types of records. It focuses on the role of archives in transitional justice processes and upholding human rights, particularly the right to truth.
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