ICC President and Trust Fund for Victims conclude joint visit to Uganda
The President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, has concluded an official visit to Uganda, at the invitation of the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV), Mr Motoo Noguchi. The delegation consisted of the ICC President alongside the TFV Chair, who was accompanied by TFV Board member Mama Koité Doumbia and TFV Executive Director Pieter de Baan.
The purpose of the joint mission was to visit victim assistance projects supported by the TFV and implemented by local service delivery partners and to conduct outreach activities. During the mission, the delegation met with representatives of all implementing partners of the TFV, members of civil society, the UNDP Resident Representative and members of the diplomatic community. The President and the TFV Chair also met the President of Uganda, as well as the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Attorney General, and the State Minister for International Affairs and reiterated the Court's commitment to victims.
The President stated: "The opportunity to engage with victims was extremely important to me. Many shared their stories and expressed their appreciation for the assistance they have received and why justice matters for their lives. I was honoured to meet them. I am also encouraged that even with modest means, the Trust Fund for Victims and its partners are achieving impressive results."
The TFV Chair indicated: "This is my second visit to northern Uganda. I heard the voices of many victims directly and I could reconfirm that the TFV's assistance programme is contributing greatly to help a large number of victims regain their dignity and hope."
TFV Board member Koité Doumbia felt "greatly encouraged by the resilience of victims to overcome their harm with the support of the TFV and its partners."
The President and the TFV Board recognise that there remain many victims in need and committed to advocate for increased international awareness and more funding in order to allow the TFV to continue and enhance its programmes.
During the joint mission, the delegation travelled to project locations in Gulu, Awach, and Lukodi, three of the many facilities supported by the TFV's assistance projects offering psychological and physical rehabilitation to those who suffered harm during the conflict in northern Uganda.
Through the media and during an outreach session with local communities, the President and the TFV Chair engaged in dialogue and listened to the views and concerns of those who had suffered from crimes.
They jointly recognise that the delivery of reparative justice to victims is at the core of the Rome Statute system, in which the ICC and TFV have strongly complementary mandates, calling for close cooperation and mutual assistance.
Background
Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi (Argentina) has been the ICC President since 11 March 2015 and was elected for a term of three years. The ICC is the first permanent international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
ICC investigations opened in 2004 with regard to alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity mainly in Northern Uganda since 1 July 2002, the date on which the Court's jurisdiction begins. The ICC issued its first ever arrest warrant in this situation, against Joseph Kony and other alleged LRA commanders, and currently has one ongoing trial related to this situation, in the case The Prosecutor vs. Dominic Ongwen.
Though the TFV is separate from the Court, it was created under the Rome Statute system and is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the Assembly of States Parties. The TFV supports and implements programmes that address harm resulting from genocide, crimes of humanity and war crimes. To achieve this mission, the TFV has a two-fold mandate: (i) to implement Court-Ordered reparations and (ii) to provide assistance through physical, psychological, and material support to victims and their families. The TFV's current activities in Uganda involve this second mandate: assistance.
Follow the ICC/TFV joint mission on Twitter via @IntlCrimCourt and @TFV_FPV or sign up to receive press releases and further information by emailing [email protected]
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]
Press in Uganda are invited to contact the ICC's Outreach Officer, Maria Kamara, at +25 677 270 0655 or by e-mail at: [email protected]
More information about the Trust Fund for Victims' activities at trustfundforvictims.org, or write to [email protected].
You can also follow the Court's activities on Tumblr, YouTube and Flickr