ICC Registrar to host seminar of the protection of victims and witnesses

On 24 November, the Registrar of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ms Silvana Arbia, is hosting a seminar at the seat of the Court in The Hague, to address the topic of the protection of victims and witnesses. The seminar is held with the support of the Republic of Finland.

The seminar will be attended by representatives of States Parties to the Rome Statute, as well as interested non-State Parties. During the seminar, States Parties and other participants will be informed of the systems of protection currently in place at the ICC and before national and international jurisdictions. Seminar participants will have the opportunity to discuss topics such as the challenges faced with regard to the protection of victims and witnesses, relocation agreements, and cooperation and complementarity issues.

Discussions

Following the ICC Registrar’s opening address, the first session on “Systems of Protection” will begin. This session will focus on systems before both international and national jurisdictions. It will offer specific details on the ICC’s system, procedures used and challenges faced, and how it differs from that of other jurisdictions. Speakers at this session will include representatives from the ICC Office of the Prosecutor and Registry, ICTY, STL and three different national jurisdictions.

The second session, on “Cooperation with States”, will start with a discussion on the agreements to relocate witnesses internationally and on practical issues in this regard for both the ICC and receiving countries. Discussions will cover the strengthening of national capacity and the handover of witnesses to their countries, with a view to sustainable systems of protection. Speakers will include ICC officers from the Victims and Witnesses Unit, and representatives of the competent authorities of both situation-related countries as well as of states receiving protected witnesses.

For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Associate Legal Outreach Officer, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

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