Primary competence lies with the courts in the countries where the most serious crimes have been committed.
FIDH seeks to consolidate the smooth administration of justice and the independent and impartial functioning of courts within the context of re-establishing the rule of law.
Thus FIDH works to ensure that the most serious crimes are criminalised in national law and are effectively prosecuted at national level.
FIDH directly supports victims of international crimes in their quest for justice and reparation and, on occasion, as an organisation assumes the status of civil party in national proceedings against perpetrators of the most serious crimes, notably in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali and Central African Republic.