The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Establishes a Scientific Advisory Board
The Hague – On Wednesday, 25 June 2014 at the conclusion of the inaugural meeting of a select group of renowned forensic experts representing specialised scientific organisations from around the world, the Office of the Prosecutor (Office) formally established a Scientific Advisory Board (Board).
The Board will provide recommendations to the Prosecutor on the most recent developments in new and emerging technologies and scientific methods and procedures that can reinforce the capabilities of the Office in the collection, management and analysis of scientific evidence relating to theinvestigation and prosecution of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Office often conducts its investigations in the midst of volatile on-going or post-conflict environments, with shorter windows of opportunity to collect, store and preserve evidence, due to security or other challenges. “The work of the Board will be crucial to the Office’s efforts, as reflected in its new Strategic Plan, to strengthen its investigative capabilities and enhance the quality of its deliverables when it comes to scientific evidence collection and analysis” said the Prosecutor.
“The potential for innovative input and contribution of the Board is limitless on the strength of the wealth of knowledge and expertise of its members, but also due to the richness of diversity and geographical representation of its composition,” she added. The inaugural meeting witnessed this potential already in practice as Standard Operating Procedures of the Office relating to, inter alia, human remains recovery, autopsies, forensic clinical examinations as well as crime scene examination were reviewed and certified by the Board.
In her closing remarks at the inaugural meeting, the Prosecutor expressed her appreciation to the Board members for their commitment to the quest for the truth and the crucial mandate of the International Criminal Court, stating that “the law and scientific innovation is not a marriage of convenience, but one of necessity, and together, they make a powerful couple indeed.”
The 16 member Board will meet once a year, and will be presided by its newly elected Chair, Prof Dr Duarte Nuno VIEIRA of Portugal.
For a complete list of members of the Board, please click here.