--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I joined the UN War Crimes Tribunal…" description: "\"When I joined the UN War Crimes Tribunal, it was a realization of the dream of justice, that finally after Nuremberg, the UN is going to put the accuse..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/payam-akhavan-33674_accountability_when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal_2967719.jpg" --- # When I joined the UN War Crimes Tribunal, it was a… ![“When I joined the UN War Crimes Tribunal, it was a realization of the dream of justice, that finally after Nuremberg, the UN is going to put the accused on trial again! And I still believe that accountability that eradicates impunity is very, very important for transforming the sordid culture of…” quote by Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/payam-akhavan-33674_accountability_when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal_2967719.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/payam-akhavan-33674_accountability_when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal_2967719.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/payam-akhavan-33674_accountability_when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal_2967719.jpg) > “When I joined the UN War Crimes Tribunal, it was a realization of the dream of justice, that finally after Nuremberg, the UN is going to put the accused on trial again! And I still believe that accountability that eradicates impunity is very, very important for transforming the sordid culture of politics and power that we see in the world. But we need to be humble about the fact that justice will not bring back the dead.” [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Justice seeks accountability, yet cannot reverse loss; humility is essential. **In simple terms:** Justice punishes but cannot revive the dead. Key Takeaway Balance accountability with compassion. Themes justice accountability humility Mood serious hopeful Type political ethical When to use this quote - court proceedings - victim support - policy advocacy Key Concepts international law human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we honor victims while seeking justice? - What limits does humility place on reform? A Different Perspective Legal processes are slow and imperfect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accountability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accountability/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble/) [I still believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-still-believe/) [Impunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impunity/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Realization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realization/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War crimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-crimes/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“The reactions of some on the left to the October 7, 2023, attack revealed with disturbing clarity the extent to which antisemitic thinking had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leifer/the-reactions-of-some-on-the-left-to-the-october-7-2023-attack/) Joshua Leifer > [There seems to be a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navi-pillay/there-seems-to-be-a-strong-possibility-that-international/) Navi Pillay > [“I dispute the point that nuclear energy is 'clean' and 'cost-effective'. As I recall, when we first harnessed nuclear power it was to drop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/i-dispute-the-point-that-nuclear-energy-is-clean-and-cost-effective/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [Saddam Hussein is about to face trial and George Bush wants to execute him. Not because of the war crimes, but because Saddam is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kilborn/saddam-hussein-is-about-to-face-trial-and-george-bush-wants-to/) [Craig Kilborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kilborn/) > [“What the hell do you know about what we lost?! You think we had it easy? That we had it better than you? That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-remender/what-the-hell-do-you-know-about-what-we-lost-you-think-we-had-it-easy/) [Rick Remender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-remender/) > [“I look up some old friends, journalists. One is a senior editor at L’Express, and he complains to me that he has in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-ivan-evi/i-look-up-some-old-friends-journalists-one-is-a-senior-editor-at-l/) Nina Živančević > [Do not touch anything unnecessarily. Beware of pretty girls in dance halls and parks who may be spies, as well as bicycles, revolvers, uniforms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/do-not-touch-anything-unnecessarily-beware-of-pretty-girls-in-dance/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [“I release Josef, who collapses to my feet, and confesses not just to all war crimes at Auschwitz but also for being responsible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-release-josef-who-collapses-to-my-feet-and-confesses-not-just-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“The world should remember, genocide and war crime licenses issued by the government are only owned by the US and the Eu. Others will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/the-world-should-remember-genocide-and-war-crime-licenses-issued-by/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [There's a War Crimes Act in the United States passed by a Republican Congress in 1996, which says that grave breaches of the Geneva…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-a-war-crimes-act-in-the-united-states-passed-by-a-republican/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [WikiLeaks exposed corruption, war crimes, torture and cover-ups. It showed that we were lied to about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemima-khan/wikileaks-exposed-corruption-war-crimes-torture-and-cover-ups-it/) [Jemima Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemima-khan/) > [Military commanders do not want to be tried for war crimes, even if those crimes are committed online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/military-commanders-do-not-want-to-be-tried-for-war-crimes-even-if/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [I believe the United States should make the protection of Syrian civilians from war crimes and crimes against humanity a higher priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-casey-jr/i-believe-the-united-states-should-make-the-protection-of-syrian/) [Bob Casey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-casey-jr/) > [The invasion of Iraq was simply a war crime. Straight-out war crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-invasion-of-iraq-was-simply-a-war-crime-straight-out-war-crime/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We've committed many war crimes in Vietnam - but I'll tell you something interesting about that. We were committing war crimes in World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-ve-committed-many-war-crimes-in-vietnam-but-i-ll-tell-you/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) ## More by Payam Akhavan > [I hate the tribal hatred thesis - in Yugoslavia and Rwanda and places like that they kill each other because that's just what people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/i-hate-the-tribal-hatred-thesis-in-yugoslavia-and-rwanda-and-places/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [We must sacrifice something in order to make the world better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/we-must-sacrifice-something-in-order-to-make-the-world-better/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [Helping survivors of residential schools in Canada is not the same as the UN sending in peacekeepers to prevent the genocide in Rwanda. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/helping-survivors-of-residential-schools-in-canada-is-not-the-same-as/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [We need to sacrifice something. And this is what I find lacking. We want to construct an image of ourselves as virtuous but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/we-need-to-sacrifice-something-and-this-is-what-i-find-lacking-we/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [Wounds simply won't heal if they are swept under the carpet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/wounds-simply-won-t-heal-if-they-are-swept-under-the-carpet/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [The reason why the war ended in Bosnia was not because of amnesty but because a combined Croat-Bosnian offensive defeated the Serbs on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/the-reason-why-the-war-ended-in-bosnia-was-not-because-of-amnesty-but/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [Criminal trials are fundamentally about individual accountability whereas truth commissions are less about the guilt of the perpetrator and more about the suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/criminal-trials-are-fundamentally-about-individual-accountability/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [Storytelling is very important. It is through context and relations that we understand the importance of human dignity. The concept means nothing as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/storytelling-is-very-important-it-is-through-context-and-relations/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [“There can be no meaningful change if we choose to look down at the arena of anguish from thirty thousand feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/there-can-be-no-meaningful-change-if-we-choose-to-look-down-at-the/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [In Yugoslavia we were told we were not only naive idealists in wanting war criminals to be prosecuted but that we were actually standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/in-yugoslavia-we-were-told-we-were-not-only-naive-idealists-in/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [There are realities that one needs to deal with, but very often what we are told is political reality is merely cynicism. One could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/there-are-realities-that-one-needs-to-deal-with-but-very-often-what/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [When we deconstruct how radical evil occurs we realize that it is anything but spontaneous combustion. You need pyromaniacs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/when-we-deconstruct-how-radical-evil-occurs-we-realize-that-it-is/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) > [In many instances violence - which obviously inflicts tremendous trauma on victims - also inflicts trauma on the perpetrator. Radical evil takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/in-many-instances-violence-which-obviously-inflicts-tremendous-trauma/) [Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) [Explore all 14 Payam Akhavan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/) ## More Accountability quotes > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [Democracy is not being well served as we're accustomed to. There is less information, there's less investigation, there's less analysis, there's less accountability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-greenspon/democracy-is-not-being-well-served-as-we-re-accustomed-to-there-is/) Edward Greenspon > [I come from a world where accountability and accomplishments matter, and where titles and rhetoric take a back seat to results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-come-from-a-world-where-accountability-and-accomplishments-matter/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [It means a lot. It means I'm accountable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/champ-bailey/it-means-a-lot-it-means-i-m-accountable/) [Champ Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/champ-bailey/) > [Our particular principles of religion are a subject of accountability to our god alone. I enquire after no man's and trouble none with mine;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/our-particular-principles-of-religion-are-a-subject-of-accountability/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [This strongly asserted but ill-defined license to kill without accountability is not an entitlement which the United States or other states can have without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-alston/this-strongly-asserted-but-ill-defined-license-to-kill-without/) Philip Alston > [Responsible Development shares many practices with XP but the roots are different. Responsible Development's values are honesty, transparency, accountability and responsibility. These lead me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-beck/responsible-development-shares-many-practices-with-xp-but-the-roots/) [Kent Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-beck/) > [“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bullard/opinion-is-really-the-lowest-form-of-human-knowledge-it-requires-no/) Bill Bullard > [The American people deserve accountability over wasteful spending, and we accomplish that by prioritizing taxpayer dollars in a responsive and responsible manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-britt/the-american-people-deserve-accountability-over-wasteful-spending-and/) [Katie Britt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-britt/) > [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“There are many professions that require individuals, on an ongoing basis, to pass drug tests, physicals and psychological evaluations in order to keep their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hopkins/there-are-many-professions-that-require-individuals-on-an-ongoing/) [Gary Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hopkins/) > [“Expecting accountability from the UN system was akin to expecting a blind dog to catch a flying Frisbee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-soussan/expecting-accountability-from-the-un-system-was-akin-to-expecting-a/) Michael Soussan [Browse all 860 Accountability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accountability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I joined the UN War Crimes Tribunal, it was a realization of the dream of justice, that finally after Nuremberg, the UN is going to put the accused on trial again! And I still believe that accountability that eradicates impunity is very, very important for transforming the sordid culture of politics and power that we see in the world. But we need to be humble about the fact that justice will not bring back the dead.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Payam Akhavan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal-it-was-a-realization-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accountability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal-it-was-a-realization-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/payam-akhavan-33674_accountability_when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal_2967719.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/payam-akhavan-33674_accountability_when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal_2967719.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/payam-akhavan-33674_accountability_when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal_2967719.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I joined the UN War Crimes Tribunal, it was a realization of the dream of justice, that finally after…” — Payam Akhavan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Payam Akhavan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I joined the UN War...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal-it-was-a-realization-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/when-i-joined-the-un-war-crimes-tribunal-it-was-a-realization-of-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```