Belgium provides significant increase of EUR 500,000 in voluntary contribution to the Trust Fund for Victims at the International Criminal Court
The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) takes great pleasure in announcing that the Government of Kingdom of Belgium provides a significant increase of EUR 500,000 in its voluntary contribution in 2023. This fund will be used to redress the harm suffered by victims of Rome Statute crimes, through reparations awards ordered by the ICC and other programmes for their benefit.
Speaking on Belgium’s contribution to the TFV at a meeting with the TFV Executive Director, Deborah Ruiz Verduzco, H.E. William Roelants de Stappers, Permanent Representative to the International Institutions in The Hague said, “Belgium is proud to be able to announce its decision to make an additional voluntary contribution of €500,000 to the Trust Fund for Victims this year. Belgium has always been particularly sensitive to the fate reserved for victims of the most serious crimes and has made this one of its priorities. The Trust Fund for Victims does a unique job of providing reparation to victims and their families, including through , medical, psychological and material support. Supporting the TFV is directly in line with this.”
Mr Ibrahim Yillah, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the TFV welcomed this contribution by saying, “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our appreciation to Belgium, in particular for the substantive increase in their contribution this year. Supporting the TFV is a testament of the country’s commitment to uphold one of the core mandates of the Court namely redressing harm suffered by victims of Rome Statute crimes.”
The TFV relies on financial contributions to implement its programmes. Belgium has been supporting the TFV through voluntary contributions since 2005. The TFV also welcomes contributions from States Parties’ development and cooperation funding, where possible.
Since 2004, the TFV has received over EUR 47 million from 52 States Parties and individuals. In 2022, the TFV received over EUR 3,8 million in voluntary contributions. For 2023, the TFV has received or is in the process of receiving contributions from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
With the contributions it receives, the Trust Fund for Victims is currently implementing reparation programmes for victims of crimes against humanity and war crimes in in the cases of Katanga, Lubanga, Al Mahdi, and victims in urgent need in the Ntaganda case, while being involved in reparation proceedings in the Ongwen case. The TFV is also implementing other programmes for the benefit of victims through the provision of medical treatment, psychological rehabilitation, socio-economic support, education and peace building activities in collaboration with local authorities and close involvement of local communities. These programmes are currently being implemented in seven situations under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court: in the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Kenya, Mali and Uganda.
For more information about the Trust Fund for Victims, please contact: [email protected] or visit: www.trustfundforvictims.org