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truth commission, an official body established to investigate a series of human rights violations, war crimes, or other serious abuses that took place over many years. Truth commissions aim to identify the causes and consequences of abuses, which may have been committed by repressive regimes or by armed groups. They conclude with a final report, including recommendations for reform to prevent such abuses from being repeated. The first well-known truth commission, known as the National Commission on the Disappeared, was established in Argentina in 1983. Others were soon established in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere in Latin America. It was not