Information: 13 October 2015

UN USG for Safety and Security meets ICC Registrar and highlights the importance of strengthened field operations, including outreach

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On 12 October 2015, United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary General for Safety and Security, Mr Peter Thomas Drennan visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) and met Registrar Herman von Hebel. They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and the ICC in the area of safety and security, particularly in regions where both the UN and the ICC operate.

The Registrar stated that the Court's work in the field would be impossible without the strong support from the United Nations, while the Under-Secretary General reaffirmed the UN's commitment to continuing to provide such support.  They agreed that today's security threats are varied and are both increasing and evolving, necessitating a strengthened, thoroughly analysed and more holistic approach.

In this regard, Registrar von Hebel briefed the Under-Secretary General on the Registry's reorganisation, which is in its final implementation stage. One of the main aims of the reorganisation is precisely the strengthening of Registry's field operations through, among others, the creation of an external relations division and strengthened leadership in the Court's field offices.

Mr Drennan highlighted the inter-connected nature of various components of field operations and, in particular, between outreach and security in the field. If communities are aware and supportive of an organisation's mandate and activities, security threats significantly diminish. The Registrar was pleased to inform the Under-Secretary General that in the new Registry structure, outreach will be reinforced through more senior and multidisciplinary professional staff in the field. 

Under-Secretary General Drennan and Registrar von Hebel also agreed to work towards finalising a new Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations Department of Safety and Security and the ICC which would facilitate smoother cooperation between the two organisations.


For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

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