ICC holds fourth Seminar on Cooperation in The Hague with States in which it investigates

​On 26-29 September 2016, the fourth Seminar on Cooperation with focal points of States where investigations are being conducted took place at the seat of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) in The Hague, the Netherlands. For four days, a number of officials and focal points from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, the Central African Republic, Kenya, Libya, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Georgia met with Court officials to discuss cooperation with the ICC. Representatives from five other States with experience cooperating with the Court also attended.

“The States Parties created the ICC with very clear aspirations. These include the desire to end impunity, provide justice to victims, and contribute to building a world free from the fear of violence for generations to come”, said ICC First Vice-President Judge Joyce Aluoch on the first day of the Seminar. “We, the Court and States, therefore have common objectives that we can achieve if we work hand in hand. It is with this in mind that we organized this seminar: to create space for dialogue; to give us all the opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences and develop a common understanding in order to enable us to collaborate in an effective and efficient manner”.

Other ICC Principals also spoke during the seminar. The ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, stated: “The Office of the Prosecutor continues to forge ahead in its mandate of vigorously pursuing those who commit mass atrocities that shock the conscience of humanity”. She added: “This work is all the more effective through the crucial support we receive from States. In this room today, I am joined by focal points from Situation countries who work tirelessly to ensure that justice for victims of these serious crimes becomes a reality.  On behalf of the Office, I take this opportunity to salute them for their commitment and important contributions to the cause of international criminal justice.  We look forward to our continued fruitful collaboration”.

ICC Registrar Herman von Hebel also addressed the participants, stating: “Cooperation remains one of the essential pillars of the Rome Statute system. As focal points, you play a most crucial and decisive role for the Court. … It is my hope that with your assistance, the cooperation will continue run smoother, without unnecessary delays, thus achieving a shared goal: expeditious trials, rendering timely justice”.

States play an essential role in implementing the Court’s decisions, orders and requests, and States Parties often nominate a national focal point to coordinate and channel communications between national authorities and the Court. This week, the focal points discussed topics related to cooperation, identified issues of mutual concern, shared good practices and found the best ways to move forward to ensure effective cooperation between the focal points and the Court, with a view to further improve the efficiency of the ICC’s proceedings.

This Seminar with focal points forms part of a larger continuing effort to further advance the Court’s processes, in particular in countries where investigations are ongoing. The Seminar was partially funded through the generous contributions of the European Union and the Government of the Netherlands.

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