Several initiatives to create a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for Bosnia and Herzegovina were launched between 1997 and 2006, but none came to fruition. This article explains the rationale behind the pursuit of a truth telling mechanism alongside the existing International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY), as well as the resistance to such initiatives both internationally and domestically. It argues that, despite the considerable efforts of external actors to create a TRC for Bosnia, the project foundered for three principal reasons: political resistance, institutional rivalry between the ICTY and the TRC project, and the proposed TRC project’s lack of legitimacy, notably among Bosnia’s victim associations. The history of the failed TRC project in Bosnia holds important lessons for ongoing truth-seeking attempts in the region and beyond, and highlights problems that arise in post-conflict societies with a high level of international involvement.

中文翻译：

---

失败的历史：1997-2006 年在波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那建立全国真相与和解委员会的尝试

在 1997 年至 2006 年间发起了为波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那建立国家真相与和解委员会（TRC）的几项举措，但都没有取得成果。本文解释了在现有国际刑事法庭 (ICTY) 的基础上寻求真相机制背后的基本原理，以及国际和国内对此类举措的抵制。它争辩说，尽管外部行为者为为波斯尼亚创建 TRC 做出了巨大努力，但该项目因三个主要原因而失败：政治阻力、前南问题国际法庭和 TRC 项目之间的制度竞争以及拟议的 TRC 项目缺乏合法性，特别是在波斯尼亚的受害者协会。