Increasingly, human rights defenders find themselves in a unique position to conduct investigations in conflict-affected areas, but without appropriate experience, training or access to best practice information. As a result, despite best efforts, information presenting international crimes and associated human rights violations is often lost, damaged, destroyed or rendered inadmissible for accountability purposes, with serious consequences for truth and justice. 

The Global Rights Compliance (GRC) Basic Investigative Standards App, places key principles and international standards for collecting, preserving and handling evidence relating to violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in an easily accessible format for use by professional and non-professional investigators alike. 

The BIS will advise practitioners on how to conduct conflict-sensitive risk assessments, design safe and secure storage systems, preserve and record crime scenes, interview and safeguard vulnerable victims and witnesses, including children and victims of SGBV, authenticate documentary, photographic, and digital evidence, select, prioritise and build robust international crimes cases, and access and engage with the International Criminal Court and other accountability mechanisms. In addition, the BIS App includes an interactive function that will enable users to contact GRC, a specialist team of international lawyers, to obtain on-the-spot advice and answers to FAQs concerning international justice and accountability.