Estonia contributes to the Trust Fund for Victims at the International Criminal Court to support assistance programmes

The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is pleased to receive a contribution from Estonia, a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC. The contribution responds to the pledge by the Board of Directors of the TFV, issued last November, for resources to redress the harm suffered by victims of Rome Statute crimes. Half of the contribution is unrestricted and the other half will be used to support TFV assistance programmes.

Andres Parmas, member of the TFV Board of Directors, welcomed the contribution and stated, "Through this donation, Estonia demonstrates its unwavering commitment to alleviating the suffering of innocent victims of atrocity crimes. Thanks to the support from the Government of Estonia and all our donors, we can work tirelessly to ensure survivors regain their hope and dignity and are able to rebuild their lives."

H.E. Lauri Kuusing, Ambassador of Estonia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands said, “Estonia is proud to have been a donor to the Trust Fund for Victims for 10 years. While conviction of offenders is a central element of delivering justice by the ICC, we commend the increasing attention to victims who have suffered through these most serious crimes. We continue to support the work of the Trust Fund for Victims in offering reparations and assistance to victims, their families and communities. We envisage half of our contribution to be unrestricted and the other half to support TFV assistance programme.“

The TFV relies on financial contributions to implement its programmes and activities. A voluntary contribution, such as the one provided by Estonia, designates specific usage of the funds. Unrestricted contributions provide flexibility for the Board of Directors to allocate resources based on impact and necessity and earmarked contributions are directed towards specified activities, either for programme development or implementation. The TFV also encourages contributions from States Parties’ development cooperation funding, where possible.

Since 2004, the TFV-ICC has received contributions from 52 States Parties and individuals. This year, the TFV has increased contributions from States Parties by 35% from 2022 from at least 24 States Parties. Estonia has provided annual voluntary contributions to the TFV since 2013.

The Trust Fund for Victims at the ICC is one of the pillars of reparative justice of the Rome Statute, dedicated to realising the right of reparations for victims—encompassing restitution, compensation, and rehabilitation. Initiatives extend to victims and families within the ICC jurisdiction.

With the contributions it receives, in 2023 the Trust Fund for Victims has concluded the first judicial cycle of the ICC, with the completion of the reparation programme for victims in the Katanga case. The TFV continues implementing reparation programmes for victims of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the cases of Lubanga, Al Mahdi, and Ntaganda, while awaiting the reparations order 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, peace-building and commemoration activities with collaboration from local authorities and local communities. These programs are currently being implemented in seven situations under the jurisdiction of the ICC 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