COALITION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
EUROPE UPDATE
TOGETHER
NOVEMBER 2010
Letter from the
Director of Regional Programs
- Europe Update In Brief
2
Questions for Gérard Dive,
Belgian Chair of COJUR-ICC
3
Switzerland Implements the
Rome Statute
4
France Enacts Long-Awaited
ICC Law
5
- Georgian Civil Society meets
with the OTP delegation
- Questions for Emeric
Rogier, Senior Analyst and
Head of Situation Analysis
Section of JCCD, OTP- ICC
6
- Schedule of Events
- ICC Officials meet EU and
EU Member States Officials
7
17 July 2010: International
Justice Day in Europe
8
Follow us on the web:
www.facebook.com/
CoalitionfortheInternationalCriminalCourt
www.flickr.com/photos/coalitionforicc/
For inquiries or comments on
Europe Update, send an email to
[email protected]
ISSUE 4
Moldova becomes the 114th State Party to
the Rome Statute
Inside:
www.twitter.com/_CICC
FOR JUSTICE
On 12 October 2010, the Republic of Moldova deposited its
instrument of ratification of the
Rome Statute of the ICC at the
UN Headquarters, becoming the
114th state party to the founding
treaty of the ICC. While
Moldova’s ratification is a strong
demonstration of its commitment to justice and to the global
fight against impunity, the
achievement took many years of
advocacy and campaigning from
domestic, regional, and international civil society organizations.
brought
together
national and international
stakeholders in Chisinau,
bilateral
meetings
with top officials
from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the
Ministry of Justice,
the Constitutional
Court and relevant
members of the
Parliament.
On 2 October 2007,
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE DAY 2010 IN
the Moldovan ConMOLDOVA. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
stitutional
Court
MOLDOVA AND THE MOLDOVAN COALIruled positively on
TION FOR THE ICC HELD A NUMBER OF
EVENTS IN COMRAT, BALTI AND CHISINAU.
the compatibility of
CREDIT: AI MOLDOVA
the Rome Statute
with the national
National Coalition for the ICC.
Constitution, which was a key In its first months of existence,
step forward. This prompted the the newly formed Moldovan
Moldovan government to finally Coalition held press conferences
approve the Rome Statute ratifica- and several public demonstration bill and, in an official letter to tions in and outside Chisinau,
the CICC dated 25 February 2010, organized roundtables with
it further reiterated the priority parliamentarians and other key
given to the ICC dossier.
national authorities, and cam-
Moldova was an early signatory of
the Rome Statute, having signed
on 8 September 2000, but it took a
decade to dispel misunderstandings about the ICC and to address
the political and constitutional
constraints to which different
authorities pointed as arguments
to justify the delay of Moldova’s
ratification of the Rome Statute.
The finalisation of the ratification
process was also helped by intense
external efforts and pressure by
NGOs and the European Union
Despite this expressed commitin particular.
ment, the ICC bill remained in
The CICC campaign in Moldova Parliament for some time.
started as early as 2002. With the NGOs’ initiatives multiplied
support of local civil society, and in March 2010, on the occaincluding Amnesty Interna- sion of the CICC Universal
tional-Moldovan
section, Ratification Campaign focusing
LADOM (the League for Defence on Moldova, 5 Moldovan huof Human Rights) and the man rights NGOs (AI Moldova,
Moldovan Helsinki Committee, the Resource Centre for Human
the Coalition worked to raise Rights (CReDO), PROMOLEX
awareness on the ICC and the Association, the Centre for
Rome Statute among state au- Rehabilitation of Torture Victhorities, civil society, and the tims (MEMORIA), and the
media. The campaign incorpo- Moldovan Institute for Human
rated several ICC seminars that Rights) formally established a
paigned intensely for Moldova’s
ratification of the Rome Statute.
(See pictures at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
coalitionforicc/sets/72157624527
440483/)
These efforts, along with the
critical external pressure and the
demarches carried out by the
European Union, were crucial in
enabling the Moldovan Parliament to finally approve the
Rome Statute ratification bill on
9 September 2010, thus increasing the Eastern European presence in the Rome Statute system.
PAGE 2
COALITION
FOR THE
ICC
EUROPE UPDATE
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF REGIONAL PROGRAMS
Brigitte Suhr, CICC Director of Regional Programs
A few months following the conclusion of the first-ever Review Conference of the Rome Statute of the ICC, which took
place in Kampala, Uganda, from 31 May to 11 June 2010 and
was a critical milestone in the evolution of the Rome Statute
system, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) will meet for its
ninth session from 6-10 December 2010 in New York. More
than 150 NGO representatives from all regions of the world
will attend the session. NGOs will coordinate their activities
through the CICC Secretariat and have been consulting
widely to prepare for the various discussions, and to develop
advocacy goals for the key issues at stake, including: followup of the Review Conference, the ICC’s budget, the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), the upcoming judicial
and prosecutorial elections, among others.
The Honorable Kofi Annan, Chair of the CICC Advisory Board , Former Secretary-General of the United Nations and Nobel Laureate, and
CICC Staff at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute of the ICC,
Kampala, Uganda, 31 May-11 June 2010. Credit: CICC
EUROPE IN BRIEF
European Union: Reactions to Sudanese
President Omar al-Bashir visits to Chad and
Kenya
At the ASP, states should seize the significant momentum
generated in Kampala to firmly support the Rome Statute
system, in particular by declaring their commitment to justice and the ICC and announcing progress toward ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute and the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities. Demonstrated commitments will encourage other states to follow such examples,
thereby reinforcing the Rome Statute system and ensuring an
end to impunity.
“The European Union and the ICC,”
May 2010, available at:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/
ICC_may%2010_internet.pdf
The European Union (EU) has reiterated its support for the ICC as a mechanism to combat impunity for some of the gravest crimes of concern to the
international community. In this vein, Chad and Kenya have been urged to
respect their obligations under international law, following their failure to
arrest President Omar al-Bashir during his visits to the countries on 22 July and
27 August respectively. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton expressed concern about President al-Bashir’s
visit to state parties and urged both Chad and Kenya to respect their obligations to arrest and surrender individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants.
Prior to President al-Bashir’s visit to Kenya on the occasion of the promulgation of the new Kenyan Constitution, Heidi Hautala, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of its Subcommittee on Human Rights, also
called on Kenya to either block his entry or arrest him on arrival. The European Parliament similarly adopted a resolution on 9 September expressing
its regret at Kenya’s decision to invite President al-Bashir and called on the
Kenyan authorities to reaffirm their commitment and cooperation with the
ICC, including with regard to the 2007 – 2008 post-election violence.
This brochure is produced by the general secretariat of the Council
and is intended for information purposes only.
TOGETHER
ISSUE 4
FOR JUSTICE
PAGE 3
4 QUESTIONS FOR GéRARD DIVE,
Belgian Chair of the Council of the European Union (EU) Working party on Public
International Law Sub Area ICC (COJUR-ICC) and Federal Coordinator for Belgium-ICC
Cooperation, Belgian Ministry of Justice
What is your assessment of the
Review Conference? Were there
any noteworthy successes or failures in your opinion?
EU Member States perceived the
historical Review Conference as a
clear success; ICC states parties
and observer states, international
organizations, NGOs, and other
participants assembled to discuss
ending impunity for the gravest
crimes. I was impressed to hear all
states parties express their systematic support for the Court and its
independence, and recommit to
the Rome Statute principles. The
so-called Belgian amendment to
extend the use of certain weapons
as war crimes in non-international
conflicts was easily adopted by
consensus. The solution adopted
for the crime of aggression was the
result of a difficult compromise,
but it permitted states parties to
fulfill the mandate provided for in
article 5(2) of the Statute. In addition, the stocktaking exercise was
key to analysing ways to improve
cooperation among and between
states and international courts in
order to strengthen the principle
of complementarity and to ensure
that perpetrators of egregious
international crimes do not go
unpunished. In this context, the
pledges mechanism represents a
great advancement. The EU and
its Member States are satisfied to
be the authors of half of the
pledges and to see many concrete
and measurable pledges made by
other states. My only regret is the
poor media coverage of this very
crucial event.
Does the EU envisage any coordinated follow-up effort of the commitments made at the RC?
EU states want to
ensure commitments
made in Kampala
result in concrete
actions. They have
decided to set up an
internal
voluntary
follow-up mechanism
of the implementation of the pledges
and to support the
creation of such a
mechanism at the
Assembly of States
Parties (ASP). To
facilitate
prompt
compliance, all EU
Member States will
have the possibility to
Gerard Dive speaking at “The EU and The ICC: beyond the Review Conferexchange information
ence “ seminar organized by the Spanish Presidency of the EU and the
and report on the
CICC with the cooperation of General Secretariat of the Council of the
EU and the EU Commission, Brussels, 19 May 2010. Credit: CICC
implementation
of
their pledges and on
the status of the ratification of the amendments in every basis of its action in order to
state at the COJUR-ICC once strengthen the universality and
Following the entry into force
every semester, which will also be integrity of the RS and address
of the Treaty of Lisbon, the
available to any interested third- the needs and challenges the
High Representative of the
party state. It may be too early to Court is facing. In addition, this
semester
the
EU
will
target
European
Union (EU) represents
indicate a course of action for the
around
15
states,
as
it
usually
the
Union
for matters relating
next ASP, but we welcome the
Bureau’s initiative to ask states that
acted as focal points on stocktaking issues to report on progress in
this regard and to present followup initiatives.
What specific initiatives will the
Belgian Chair promote this
semester to support the integrity and universality of the
Rome Statute (RS)?
One of the key elements will be to
revise and update the EU Common Position and Action Plan on
the ICC, which were adopted in
2003 and 2004 respectively. Now
that the Court has started working, the EU needs to review the
does, through demarches; mainly
to promote ratification of the
Statute, but also to provide technical assistance to states parties
that have requested it. Moreover,
we will promote interstate or
NGO initiatives relevant to the
work of the Court or more
broadly aimed at developing and
building capacities in relation to
the repression of grave violations
of international law, such as the
Justice Rapid Response - an
interstate initiative aimed at
promoting information sharing
and best practices to improve
states’ abilities to react to violations on the ground.
Continued on page 4
to its Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy, conducts
political dialogue with thirdparty countries and expresses
the EU position in international
organizations and conferences.
As Chair of the Foreign Affairs
Council, the High
Representative takes over all the
tasks that were fulfilled by the
rotating presidency. The Belgian
Chair of the Council’s
preparatory body dealing with
ICC matters ( COJUR-ICC) is
acting on behalf of the High
Representative.
PAGE 4
COALITION
FOR THE
ICC
EUROPE UPDATE
4 QUESTIONS FOR GéRARD DIVE
“EU Member States
Continued from page 3
perceived the historical
Review Conference as a
clear success; ICC states
parties and observer
states, international
organizations, NGOs,
and other participants
assembled to discuss
ending impunity for the
gravest crimes.”
In light of the current climate regarding the ICC international obligations without antagonism. For
in some regions, how does the EU envisage to example, when confronted with the possibility of an
ICC indictee visiting its territory, South Africa
further promote the ICC in these regions?
The Court’s actions and the reaction of some states publicly announced that it would be obliged to
or regional organisations are not necessarily dualis- execute the ICC warrant should that person be
tic. Each situation presents its own specific chal- found on its soil. This highlights the strong will
lenges. Despite some recent difficulties related to among most, if not all states parties, to respect
situations in Africa, it is worth noting that the states international justice obligations. We need to reconcerned recalled their attachment to the Court member that the ICC is still young and can someand their obligation to cooperate with it. Other times raise new and sensitive questions. It is essenstates demonstrated that despite the sensitivity of tial to focus on strengthening support for the Court
certain issues, it is possible to respect regional and and its judicial activities.
SWITZERLAND IMPLEMENTS THE ROME STATUTE
Richard Greiner, TRIAL, Coordinator of the Swiss Coalition for the ICC (CSCPI)
After several years of campaigning by the Swiss Coalition for
land as amendments aimed at allowing the Swiss authorities
the ICC led by TRIAL, the law incorporating the Rome Stat-
to retroactively prosecute crimes committed since 1991 were
ute into Swiss law was finally adopted by the Swiss Parliament
not adopted. Thus, in order to ensure the future effectiveness
on 18 June 2010, on the heels of the Review Conference. It
of the system, the Confederation should immediately equip
will enter into force in January 2011 along with the new
itself with concrete means to identify perpetrators of such
criminal procedure code.
crimes who enter Switzerland, in particular by creating a
The adopted text signals clear progress towards establishing
jurisdiction for Swiss courts to prosecute perpetrators of the
specialised unit. The CSCPI will advocate for the prompt set
up of such a unit and follow the process carefully.
most serious crimes. They will have authority over crimes
Authorities have also heard repeated requests from the CICC
against humanity; detailed acts amounting to war crimes; and
and the CSCPI for Switzerland to ratify the APIC, as it is the
genocide, whose definition has been expanded to include acts
only European state party to the Court that has signed but not
committed against a ‘social or political’ group. Many of the
yet ratified the agreement. On the occasion of the Review
cases related to such crimes will now fall under the jurisdic-
Conference, Switzerland pledged that the internal procedure
tion of ordinary tribunal (civil) rather than under military
to ratify the APIC will be initiated by the end of 2011.
courts. Moreover, the members of the Swiss Coalition for the
ICC (CSCPI) are relieved that the condition of ‘close link’
between the alleged perpetrator of a crime and Switzerland –
currently applied to war crimes and was envisaged for the
other crimes – has been excluded.
Switzerland also pledged to provide technical and financial
support to states and NGOs that support universal ratification and the effective implementation of the Rome Statute,
and to contribute on a voluntary basis to the Special Trust
Fund for Victims. The CSCPI, with the support of the CICC,
Nevertheless, it is regrettable that those responsible for geno-
will continue to engage in advocacy to encourage Switzerland
cide in the last century, as well as more recent perpetrators of
to implement its pledges.
serious international crimes, cannot be prosecuted in Switzer-
ISSUE 4
TOGETHER
FOR JUSTICE
PAGE 5
FRANCE ENACTS LONG-AWAITED ICC Law
Simon Foreman, President of the French Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CFCPI)
A 10-year struggle by the French Coalition
for the ICC ended on 9 August 2010, when
President Sarkozy enacted a law incorporating most of the Rome Statute principles
into French law.
The new law introduces definitions of war
crimes into the criminal code, while slightly
complementing already-existing definitions
of crimes against humanity and genocide
and setting criteria for the exercise of jurisdiction over those crimes by French courts.
Although France was one of the first countries
to ratify the Statute in 2000 and to adopt a law
on cooperation – even before the ICC started
operations in 2002 – NGOs had to lead a
relentless ten-year campaign to ensure that
implementation remained on the agenda of
decision-makers.
The final law adopted in August has several
flaws that civil society, under the umbrella
of the French Coalition for the ICC, highlighted throughout its campaign. In particular, although the law provides for extraterritorial jurisdiction of French tribunals
over crimes under the Court’s jurisdiction,
it provides for excessively restrictive conditions that could (or will, but not would) in
practice hinder national investigations and
prosecutions of ICC crimes. For instance,
any alleged perpetrator of ICC crimes
could come to France without fear of being
prosecuted unless he/she establishes his/her
permanent residence here. Even then,
prosecutions would be left to the discretion
of the public prosecutor, a condition in full
contradiction with the French legal tradition, which allows victims to initiate a
criminal action.
Press conference organised by the Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de
l’Homme and the French Coalition for the ICC on 6 July 2010, Paris, France. From left
to right: Patrick Baudouin, FIDH honorary president; Nicole Ameline, Member of the
French Parliament; Jean Pierre Cabouat, Representative of the French Red Cross to
the CNCDH; Emmanuel Decaux, Law professor and Vice President of the CNCDH;
Geneviève Garrigos, President of Amnesty International France; Jean Jacques Urvoas,
Member of the French Parliament. Credit : Jean-René Tancrède. Les Annonces de la Seine
Moreover, the law oddly reverses the principle of complementarity and establishes
that before undertaking any proceeding,
the public prosecutor will need to consult
the ICC to make sure it expressly defers its
competence in a particular case. Finally, the
jurisdiction of French courts can only be
triggered when the crimes in question are
punishable both in France and in the country where they were committed, the socalled “double incrimination” principle.
With the adoption of this law, France is
failing to address a core principle enshrined
in the Rome Statute: the duty of every state
to exercise its jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes.
The national Coalition and other NGOs have
actively pressed the French government and
both chambers of Parliament for these obsta-
cles to be removed so that crimes under the
Rome Statute can be subject to the same procedural regime as other international crimes
for which national courts already have jurisdiction, namely crimes of torture or terrorist
acts, as well as crimes of genocide, crimes
against humanity and war crimes committed
during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia
and during the Rwandan genocide.
Given these legal obstacles, it is unlikely
that the new provisions will ever lead to
prosecutions of the authors of serious
international crimes in France. How this
unfolds in coming months will be a true
test of France’s position on international
criminal justice. The French Coalition and
other NGOs will monitor the legal and
judicial developments related to the application of the law and take further action
accordingly.
Press Release of the French Coalition for the ICC after the adoption of the law by the Parliament: “La CFCPI consternée par le vote de
l’Assemblée nationale’’: http://www.cfcpi.fr/spip.php?article624
French Constitutional Court Decision: http://www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr/conseil-constitutionnel/francais/les-decisions/acces-par-date/
decisions-depuis-1959/2010/2010-612-dc/communique-de-presse.49016.html
Text of the ICC law (LOI n° 2010-930 du 9 août 2010 portant adaptation du droit pénal à l'institution de la Cour pénale internationale):
http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000022681235&dateTexte=
PAGE 6
COALITION
FOR THE
ICC
EUROPE UPDATE
GEORGIAN CIVIL SOCIETY MEETS WITH THE OTP DELEGATION:
HIGH HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS
Natia Katsitadze Strategic litigation project coordinator, Georgian young lawers’ association (GYLA)
On 24 June 2010, GYLA and other members of the Georgian Coalition for
the ICC (GCICC), which includes prominent Georgian human rights
NGOs that have been active in documenting alleged humanitarian law
violations committed during the 2008 conflict, met with the delegation
from the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the ICC. It was the second time
the OTP visited Georgia to gather information in relation to the ongoing
investigation into crimes allegedly committed during the war between
Georgia and Russia of August 2008.
During the meeting, members of the GICC shared with the delegation their
thoughts and concerns regarding national investigations initiated by the
Georgian and Russian governments. As a representative of around 400
individuals affected by the August war before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), GYLA has also extensively communicated with the
Georgian and Russian authorities providing them with information and
evidence on specific cases revealing violations amounting to crimes falling
under the jurisdiction of the ICC. GYLA has officially requested both Georgian and Russian authorities to initiate criminal investigations in 55 cases
as they have the primary responsibility to investigate and prosecute those
alleged crimes. GYLA informed the OTP delegation that, as a common
practice, Georgian authorities tend to consolidate all cases of serious crimes
against civilians during hostilities (genocide, deliberate breaches of international humanitarian law during armed conflict and other breaches of inter-
national humanitarian law under the Georgian Criminal Code) within one
criminal case. Furthermore, the Georgian authorities allege that they have
no access to the conflict area in order to conduct a fair and independent
investigation.
GYLA also reported to the OTP delegation that the Investigative Committee at the Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation has repeatedly refused GYLA’s requests to start investigating the crimes allegedly committed
by the Russian military and/or Ossetian militias. They stated that the pending criminal cases before Russian courts concern allegations of genocide
and massive killings of Russian citizens residing in the Republic of South
Ossetia, and of Russian peacekeepers. Russian authorities mentioned they
have no jurisdiction to investigate violations against non-Russian nationals
committed outside its national territory.
GYLA and other members of the Georgian Coalition for the ICC have
repeatedly expressed concern over this situation and recalled the urgent
need for accountability and reparations for both Georgian and Russian
victims.
They urged the OTP and local civil society organizations to monitor the
proceedings and initiatives to ensure genuine and effective investigations
and prosecutions of all alleged perpetrators.
2 Questions to Emeric ROGIER,
Senior Analyst, Head of Situation Analysis Section of Jurisdiction, Complementarity
and Co-Operation Division (JCCD) of the office of the prosecutor (OTP) of the ICC
How is the OTP addressing the expectations of victims and affected
What is your assessment of the level of cooperation received by the
communities at the current stage of the analysis on the situation in
OTP from authorities in Georgia and Russia ?
Georgia?
Both governments have been cooperating with the OTP since the
Article 53 of the Rome Statute imposes a specific obligation on the
Prosecutor confirmed that his Office had started the examination of
Prosecutor to take into account the interests of victims before starting
the situation in Georgia in 2008. The OTP requested and obtained
an investigation or prosecution. Therefore, in the preliminary analysis
volumes of information from both governments. The OTP also per-
phase we assess the interests of victims, including the views expressed
formed official visits to Moscow in February 2010 and to Tbilissi in
by the victims themselves as well as through respected intermediaries
June 2010, and each time enjoyed the full support of the host govern-
and representatives and other relevant actors. During its mission to
ment. These missions offered the opportunity to obtain more infor-
Tbilisi in June 2010, the OTP delegation met with various NGOs and
mation on the national investigations carried out by the Office of the
gathered information on views, interests and living conditions of
General Prosecutor of the Russian Federation and the Office of the
victims. The OTP also consistently explained that in accordance with
Prosecutor General of Georgia respectively. Both investigations focus
the Rome Statute and the principle of complementarity, an ICC in-
on the alleged crimes committed during the August 2008 conflict,
vestigation may be opened only to the extent that the competent au-
although they might differ in scope and in their respective outcome.
thorities prove unwilling or unable to fulfil their primary responsibil-
In any event, the goal is to ensure that the most serious crimes do not
ity to investigate and prosecute ICC crimes.
remain unpunished.
ISSUE 4
TOGETHER
FOR JUSTICE
PAGE 7
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS NOVEMBER– DECEMBER 2010
Highlight: 9th Session of the Assembly of States Parties: 6-10 December, New York
November
December
8-12 Nov, The Hague, The Netherlands, Training Course: Advocacy
1 Dec, Brussels, Belgium, Extraterritorial Jurisdiction in Europe:
and Litigation before International Criminal Courts and Tribunals.
For more information contact the Grotius Centre for International
Legal Studies http://www.grotiuscentre.org/com/doc.asp?DocID=304.
Presentation of a draft report and discussions about the role of the
15 Nov, Paris, France, Preventing Genocide and Mass Atrocities:
Goals and Challenges of International Cooperation. For more information contact Nadia Ficara at [email protected]
23-25 Nov, The Hague, The Netherlands, Third Analysis Skills
Course. For more information contact Institute for International
Criminal Investigations (IICI) www.iici.info
29 Nov- 10 Dec, The Hague, The Netherlands, Fourteenth International Investigator Course. For more information contact Institute for
International Criminal Investigations (IICI) www.iici.info
30 Nov, The Hague, The Netherlands, International Bar Association
Experts' Roundtable: Great Expectations: exploring individual and
mutual responsibilities of states and the International Criminal
Court. For more information: http://www.haguejusticeportal.net/
Docs/Miscellaneous/IBA%20Roundtable%20November%202010.pdf
European Union. Joint initiative of FIDH and REDRESS to bring
together universal jurisdiction experts within Europe and beyond. For
more information and to register send an email to Cecile Jeffries: [email protected]
2 Dec, Luxembourg, Screening of the Reckoning. The screening organised by Amnesty International Luxembourg will be followed by a
discussion with Essa Faal, ICC Office of the Prosecutor. For more information: http://www.amnesty.lu/spip/spip.php?article4149
6 - 10 Dec, United Nations, New York, USA, Ninth session of the
Assembly of States Parties. For more information go to http://
www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ASP/Sessions/Documentation/9th+Session/
Ninth+session+of+the+Assembly+of+States+Parties.htm and http://
www.coalitionfortheicc.org/?mod=aspsessions
7 Dec, The Hague, The Netherlands, ICLN Annual Conference:
Making European Criminal Justice work: Assessments and Perspectives one year after the Lisbon Treaty. For more information: http://
www.icln.net/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=1
ICC OFFICIALS MEET EU AND EU MEMBER STATES OFFICIALS
On 10 September 2010, ICC President Judge Song met with Mr. Herman
Van Rompuy, President of the European Council. Mr. Rompuy reaffirmed
the European Union’s full support to the work of the ICC, which he
deemed as a “symbolic anchor of the EU’s external policies, fully in line
with [its] defining values.” From 3 to 4 October 2010, ICC Prosecutor
Luis Moreno-Ocampo met with several high-level members of the Danish
government. The visit to Copenhagen focused on the need to better integrate the OTP’s efforts with different areas of national governments, including justice, international law, development, and foreign affairs. Danish
Minister of Development Mr. Søren Pind indicated that many development plans could be part of a positive complementarity approach. On 13
October 2010, ICC President Judge Song met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Justice and Cultural Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Her Excellency Aurelia Frick, at the seat of the Court, in The Hague.
The ICC President thanked the Foreign Minister for Liechtenstein’s longstanding and consistent support and assistance to the Court and conveyed
Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of the European Council, and Judge SONG, ICC. Credit: The Council of the
European Union
his gratitude for Liechtenstein’s pledge at the Review Conference to take
further steps to fully implement the Rome Statute. Judge Song and Ms.
system. Ms. Frick expressed her “personal commitment to ensure Liech-
Frick agreed on the importance of continued attention on the key areas of
tenstein’s continued support to the ICC.”
universality, cooperation and complementarity within the Rome Statute
PAGE 8
COALITION FOR THE
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
WWW.COALITIONFORTHEICC.ORG
TOGETHER FOR JUSTICE
EUROPE UPDATE
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court includes 2,500 organizations around the
world working in partnership to strengthen international cooperation with the ICC; ensure
that the Court is fair, effective and independent; make justice both visible and universal; and
advance stronger national laws that deliver justice to victims of war crimes, crimes against
humanity and genocide.
CICC SECRETARIAT CONTACTS
Europe Programme Officer: Virginie Amato, [email protected]
New York
c/o WFM, 708 3rd Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017 USA
Tel: +1 212 687 2863
Fax: +1 212 599 1332
CICC Europe Office • 7 Avenue des Gaulois, c/o HRW, 1040 Brussels, Belgium •
The Hague
Bezuidenhoutseweg 99A, 2594 AC
The Hague, Netherlands
Phone: +31-70-363-4484
Fax: +31-70-364-0259
Director of Regional Programs: Brigitte Suhr, [email protected]
Tel: +32 2 502 62 15 • Fax: +32 2 502 62 38
Contributions to Europe Update may be sent to [email protected]
Outreach liaison for Europe and MENA: Ata Hindi, [email protected]
Head of Communications: Oriane Maillet, [email protected]
Design Manager: Peony Trinh, [email protected]
Together for Justice: Civil society in
150 countries advocating for a fair,
CICC Secretariat • 708 3rd Avenue, 24th Fl., New York, NY 10017
The Coalition is deeply appreciative of the generous support provided by all of our many partners and donors from around the globe.
Major funding has been provided by the European Union, the Ford Foundation, Humanity United, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Open Society Institute, and the Sigrid Rausing Trust, as well as by the governments of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and a number of individual
donors. Such support is essential to the Coalition's effort to secure a future in which justice is accessible to all. If you would like more information about
how you can join in this effort, please visit our website at www.coalitionfortheicc.org or contact the Coalition’s Development office by phone at
+1.646.465.8527 or via email at [email protected].
The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court and can in no way be taken to reflect the
views of the European Union, Irish Aid, or any other donor.
17 JULY 2010: INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE DAY IN EUROPE
Ana Natsvlishvili from the Georgian Human Rights Centre (HRIDC) and
the Georgian Coalition was invited to participate in a number of radio programs to discuss IJD, the ICC and the Tagliavini Report. On 23 July, HRIDC
and the Institute for War and Peace Report­ing (IWPR) organized a training
session for journalists on how to cover issues related to the ICC as well as a
roundtable titled “Justice in my eyes” in Karaleti, Georgia, an IDP settlement. Amnesty International-Luxembourg organized an information stand
in Luxembourg’s Place Piquet to raise awareness on the importance of international justice and the fight against impunity, with a focus on the Balkans.
The Turkish Coalition for the ICC organized a meeting on victims’ rights
and Rome Statute ratification campaigns in Turkey and issued a related press
release. Amnesty International Moldova and the Moldovan Coalition for the
ICC held a number of IJD events in Comrat, Balti and Chisinau, including
public demonstrations and collection of signatures for a petition calling on
Moldovan authorities to ratify the Rome Statute; presentations on the ICC
campaign in Comrat and Balti; and a screening of the movie “Hotel
Rwanda,” followed by a discussion on the ICC and Moldova.
IJD in Turkey. Ozturk Türkdoğan, Spokesperson of the
Turkish Coalition for the ICC (TCICC) and President
Human Rights Association (IHD) at a Press Conference.
Credit: TCICC