The Amnesties, Conflict and Peace Agreement Dataset: An Open Access Database for Research
The Political Settlements Research Programme based at Edinburgh Law School has collaborated with researchers based at Queen’s University Belfast to publish the first public, open access database of amnesties data relating to peace negotiations.
This comprehensive database is the Amnesties, Conflict and Peace Agreement (ACPA) dataset, containing detailed information on 289 amnesties introduced across the globe from early 1990 to mid-2016.
Amnesties are defined as measures that seek to remove criminal liability for wrongdoing, and are often used during armed conflicts or peace settlement negotiations to both reduce violence and contribute to sustainable peace. The ACPA dataset and online tool provide qualitative data on key themes relating to the scope and legal effects of different forms of amnesty, along with data detailing when and how amnesties are implemented.
Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the dataset can be explored using a new online tool hosted by the PA-X Peace Agreements Database website. The project is led by Professor Louise Mallinder who is based at the School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast.