The Ministry of Justice, in partnership with African Peace Partners, convened a high-level dialogue and training session on Trauma-Informed Mediation and Restorative Justice as part of the continued implementation of Rwanda’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Policy.

Held at Lemigo Hotel on 05^th January 2026, the event brought together representatives from the Justice Sector, and other key institutions to explore the intersection between collective trauma healing and restorative justice, and to identify practical pathways for strengthening the implementation of the ADR Policy.

Since its adoption in 2022, the ADR Policy has significantly improved access to quality justice through the expansion of court-annexed mediation, plea bargaining, and victim-offender mediation. Building on these achievements, the dialogue focused on two major provisions of the Policy: integrating a trauma-informed approach into all ADR processes and creating restorative justice options along the entire criminal justice chain.

The discussions highlighted Rwanda’s pioneering role as the first country in the world to adopt a national justice policy that explicitly calls for a trauma-informed approach. Participants reflected on how the country’s post-colonial and post-genocide context continues to shape conflict dynamics and affirmed the relevance of ADR and restorative justice in addressing both the causes and consequences of historical trauma.

Participants developed key recommendations to guide the next phase of implementation, particularly on mainstreaming trauma-informed practices in ADR mechanisms and expanding restorative justice options across the justice system.