Statement: 19 March 2024

ICC Office of the Prosecutor launches public consultation on Policy on Slavery Crimes

Grada Kilomba’s O’Barco/The Boat installation of 140 blocks of charred wood outlining a slave ship is displayed at Somerset House in London, October 2022. Photographed by Gabi de Luca, courtesy of an agreement with the artists.
Grada Kilomba’s O’Barco/The Boat installation of 140 blocks of charred wood outlining a slave ship is displayed at Somerset House in London, October 2022. Photographed by Gabi de Luca, courtesy of an agreement with the artists.

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr Karim A.A. Khan KC, is pleased to announce a call for public submissions for his Office’s new Policy on Slavery Crimes. 

Today’s call represents the first time that an international judicial institution has committed to formulating a Policy to specifically address slavery crimes. The Slavery Crimes Policy will heighten the Office’s effectiveness in the investigation and prosecution of these crimes under the Rome Statute and will align with the Office’s other relevant policies, including the 2022 Policy Paper on Gender Persecution, the 2023 Policy on Gender-Based Crimes and the 2023 Policy on Children.

To underscore the significance of a Slavery Crimes Policy, Prosecutor Khan stated: “Slavery crimes are committed against an untold number of persons and populations, including child soldiers, persons forced to migrate or be trafficked, and persons detained, disappeared, or forced into marriage or labor that devolves into slavery. I pledge to strengthen my Office’s efforts to seek justice for those enslaved in the context of armed conflict, crimes against humanity, or genocide. This is - and will remain - a key priority during my tenure as Prosecutor.”

“This new Policy on Slavery Crimes will also guide us in taking a survivor-centred, trauma-informed and gender-competent approach to slavery crimes. Once formulated, this Policy will be rigorously implemented. I hope that it will serve as a resource for others who join us in seeking justice for survivors across the world,” the Prosecutor added.

A rich and transparent consultation process is central to developing OTP Policies. The Office is currently engaging in an external consultation process that, to date, has included the experiences and voices of survivor communities and civil society, as well as the practices of national authorities, international organisations, accountability mechanisms and other justice actors. Further consultations are anticipated later this year.

To gather additional insights, the Office now also welcomes public comment on the potential substance of the Slavery Crimes Policy. External experts are invited to share proposals as to how the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) can enhance its approach to and pursuit of slavery crimes, including through complementarity efforts.

Patricia Viseur Sellers, Special Adviser to the Prosecutor on Slavery Crimes, is assisting the Prosecutor and the OTP in this policy effort.

Comments can be sent to [email protected] by midnight on Tuesday, 30 April 2024, CEST. Please include the subject line: For OTP Slavery Crimes Policy. All submissions received by the deadline will be carefully considered in the internal drafting process.

The Office is grateful for the interest and support of the Rome Statute community for its activities and initiatives.

Source: Office of the Prosecutor | Contact: [email protected]