communities, truth commissions and national human rights institutions). Lastly, those deemed ineligible to work in the State institution concerned are removed from public service. Vetting mechanisms must comply with the basic principles of procedural fairness, including the right to appeal a decision, and should not disproportionally target national minorities. ii. Truth commissions55 Truth commissions are independent commissions of inquiry established by the State with a mandate to investigate and report on current or past human rights abuses and to recommend reparations as well as other reforms to prevent the recurrence of conflict. Truth commissions can also be vested with quasi-judicial powers, such as being able to rule on reparation claims or to compel witnesses to testify. They are victim-centred in nature and work directly with them by taking statements, holding public hearings and investigating facts, causes and circumstances surrounding past abuses. They can help victims belonging to minority communities to achieve reparations and recognition from the State for abuses committed against them and can make the prosecution of perpetrators possible. Truth commissions can be an effective tool for tackling past atrocities in post-conflict situations when State institutions are not able to investigate all abuses vigorously and fairly. By gathering information and recommending prosecutions as well as other reforms (such as institutional reform and vetting), they can pave the way for addressing violations committed against national minorities, play a part in crafting a shared narrative about the conflict, act as a conflict-prevention tool and contribute to reconciliation. iii. Access to judicial remedies56 States should provide equal access to an effective judicial remedy to victims of serious human rights violations. Besides criminal prosecution, this should include the possibility of civil lawsuits, including by groups of victims as part of collective redress. Legal assistance should be made available to minority victims (see Recommendation 4). States should also investigate and prosecute individuals who committed serious human rights violations during the conflict in question. It is important that crimes committed against persons belonging to national minorities are tackled thoroughly and impartially. Within the investigation and prosecution, particular attention should be paid to instances of genderbased violence perpetrated against minority women and cases of missing 55 56 UN Security Council (2004) Report of the Secretary-General: The Rule of Law and Transitional Justice in Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies, section XIV. UN Security Council (2004) Report of the Secretary-General: The Rule of Law and Transitional Justice in Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies, section XII. The Graz Recommendations on Access to Justice and National Minorities 39