Promoting a Fair, Effective and
Independent International Criminal Court
Presentation Overview
Part One: About the International Criminal Court (ICC)
 Overview - History
 Structure of the Court
 Bringing a Case to the ICC
 Current Investigations
 Why Support the ICC?
 Which Countries Have Ratified the Rome Statute?
 The Role of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP)
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court
 Mission – History – Objectives
 What We Do – Issues and Campaigns
 Regional Coordination
 Our Network – Steering Committee Members
 Our Supporters
Part Three: How NGOs and Individuals Can Support the ICC
 What Can NGOs Do?
 What Can NGOs and/or Individuals Do?
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Photo Credit: ICC/CPI Wim Van Capellen
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Overview
 Based in the Hague, the Netherlands
 First permanent court capable of trying individuals accused of:
o Genocide
o Crimes against humanity
o War crimes
o Aggression (once defined)
 Known as the “court of last resort”
 Acts when national courts are unwilling or unable to do so
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
History
 July 17, 1998: 120 nations
voted in favor of the adoption
of the Rome Statute during the
Rome Diplomatic Conference
 CICC members actively
participated at conference
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, government
officials and NGO representatives at the
adoption of the Rome Statute
Photo Credit: UN
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Making the Court A Reality
 A special UN treaty
ceremony marked the 60th
ratification on April 11,
2002
 The 60th ratification
triggered the Rome Statute’s
entry into force on July 1,
2002
Present at the treaty ceremony were (l-r) Prof. Ben
Ferencz, CICC Convenor Bill Pace, President A.N.R
Robinson, Prof. Cherif Bassiouni, H.E. Philippe
Kirsch and UN Legal Counsel Hans Corell
Photo Credit:UN
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Structure of the Court: The Presidency
 President: Judge Philippe
Kirsch of Canada
 Manages the Court, with
the exception of the Office
of the Prosecutor
 Coordinates with the
Prosecutor on all matters of
mutual concern
Photo Credit: ICC/CPI Wim Van Capellen
ICC President Philippe Kirsch
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Structure of the Court: The Judges
ICC Judges
Photo Credit: ICC/CPI Wim Van Capellen
 18 judges, seven of whom
are women
 Staggered terms of three,
six, and nine years
 Represent all regions of
the world and principal
legal systems from around
the world
 As judges, they do not
represent their states or any
political parties
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Structure of the Court: The Registry
 ICC Registrar: Bruno Cathala
 Principal administrative
officer of the Court
 Registry is responsible for
non-judicial aspects of the
administration and servicing of
the Court
ICC Registrar Bruno Cathala
Photo Credit: ICC/CPI Wim Van Capellen
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Structure of the Court: The Office of the
Prosecutor (OTP)
 Chief Prosecutor: Luis
Moreno-Ocampo
 Conducts investigations
and prosecutions of crimes
that fall within the
jurisdiction of the Court
(l-r) Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo with Deputy Prosecutors
Ms. Fatou Bensouda and Mr. Serge Brammertz
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Bringing a Case to the ICC:
Preconditions to the Exercise of ICC Jurisdiction
 Non-retroactive jurisdiction began July 1, 2002
 Jurisdiction over crimes committed:
o By nationals of States that have ratified the ICC Statute
o On the territory of States Parties
o Matters referred by the UN Security Council
 Under the principle of complementarity, states have the primary
responsibility and duty to investigate (and prosecute) alleged
crimes
 The Court will only act when national courts are unwilling or
unable to do so (as defined in Article 17(2) and Article 17(3))
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Bringing a Case to the ICC:
Who Can Initiate Investigations Leading to
Possible ICC Prosecutions?
1. A State Party can refer a situation to the Court
2. The UN Security Council (under Chapter VII of the UN Charter)
can refer a situation to the Court
3. The ICC Prosecutor can begin an investigation on his or her own
initiative and authority (propio motu)
 However, a Pre-Trial Chamber must approve any
investigation initiated by the Prosecutor
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Current Investigations
1.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
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2.
March 2004: DRC Government referred the situation to the
ICC
June 23, 2004: ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo
announced the Court's first formal investigation into alleged
atrocities committed in the DRC
Uganda
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December 2003: Ugandan Government referred situation in
Northern Uganda to the Court
July 29, 2004: ICC Prosecutor announced the launch of a full
investigation
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Current Investigations
3. Darfur (Sudan)

January 2005: The International Commission of Inquiry on
Darfur, established by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan,
reported that there was reason to believe crimes of humanity
and war crimes had been committed in Darfur

March 31, 2005: UN Security Council passed SC Resolution
1593, referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC

June 6, 2005: After interviewing over 50 independent experts
and reviewing relevant documents, the ICC Prosecutor
announced the opening of a formal investigation into Darfur
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Why Support the ICC?
 Represents a major step forward in the fight against impunity
 Empowers the international community to react more rapidly
through an impartial, permanent, international judicial mechanism
 Strengthens the ability of national judicial systems to address
crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity
 Acts as an impartial body by preventing “victor’s justice”
 Addresses the needs and contributions of victims and witnesses
 Provides the opportunity for victims to receive financial
reparations through the Victims’ Trust Fund
 Stands as a deterrent against future atrocities
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
Which 99 Countries Have Ratified the Rome Statute?
14
26
12
27
20
Part One: About the International Criminal Court
(ICC)
The Assembly of States Parties (ASP)
 President of ASP: HRH Prince
Zeid Ra'ad Zeid of Jordan
 The management oversight and
legislative body of the ICC
 Composed of representatives of the
States that have ratified or acceded
to the Rome Statute
 Meets once a year to discuss and
vote on issues before the Court
The ASP During its Third Session
Photo Credit: ICC/CPI Wim Van Capellen
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
Mission
The Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
(CICC) is a network of over
2,000 non-governmental
organizations (NGOs)
advocating for a fair, effective
and independent International
Criminal Court (ICC).
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
History of the Coalition
 February 10, 1995: Formation of
the CICC in New York City
 Convened under William Pace,
Executive Director of the World
Federalist Movement-Institute for
Global Policy
 Now includes over 2,000 NGOs
from many sectors of global civil
society
CICC Program Director, Tanya Karanasios and CICC Convenor,
William Pace
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
Regional Coordination
Brussels, Belgium** The Hague Secretariat
* New York
Secretariat
*Mexico City, Mexico
*Sana’a, Yemen
Benin City,**Lagos, Nigeria
*Buenos Aires,
Argentina
*Quezon City,
Phillipines
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Promoting awareness of the ICC and Rome Statute
Facilitating the effective participation of civil society in the
sessions of the Assembly of States Parties
Promoting universal acceptance and ratification of accession
to the Rome Statute and the full implementation of the treaty’s
obligations into national law
Monitoring and supporting the Court’s work
Promoting international support for the Court
Strengthening CICC networks around the world
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
Our Network
 30 members at its founding - now more than 2,000 NGOs
 NGO members from all regions of the world, representing a vast array of
interests and expertise
 Together, the Coalition and its members organize themselves and
coordinate activities in order to support the establishment of the ICC
 CICC Steering Committee – founding NGOs which guide the work of the
Coalition
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
Steering Committee Members
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Amnesty International
Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos
European Law Students Association
Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme
Human Rights First
Human Rights Watch
No Peace Without Justice
Parliamentarians for Global Action
Rights & Democracy
Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice
World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy (WFMIGP)
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
What We Do
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court…
 Campaigns, using its global network of members to coordinate
campaigns around the world
 Raises Awareness, providing crucial information on the Court
through publicly available print and electronic resources
 Provides Expertise, publishing research and advocacy papers on
issues important to the Court
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
What We Do
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court…
 Coordinates NGOs, providing logistical and financial support to its
members as well as analysis and background information
 Works closely with Governments, organizing meetings between NGOs
and governments and observing meetings of “The Friends of the
ICC,” an informal group of government representatives who support
the ICC
 Monitors the Issues, actively monitoring the ASP and presenting
recommendations to the ASP, often at the request of governments
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
Issues and Campaigns
CICC members campaign on specific issues in a number of ways
including (among others)…
 National, regional and international campaigns
o Ratification and Implementation
o Election of ICC officials
o Defending the integrity of the Rome Statute and the ICC
 Thematic caucuses
o Victims Rights Working Group
o Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice
o Faith and Ethics-based Network for the ICC
 Issue-based teams
o Budget and Finance Team
o Communications and Outreach
o Legal Representation (for victims and defense)
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
Our Supporters
The primary contributions to the Coalition’s work come from member
organizations who carry out the hard work necessary to achieve the
CICC’s goals, and commit thousands of staff and millions of dollars
from their own programs.
CICC has received major financial contributions from:
 The Ford Foundation
 The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
 The European Commission
Part Two: About the NGO Coalition for the
International Criminal Court
Our Supporters
Over the years, grants have been received from:

Open Society Institute

Paul and Daisy Soros Foundation

Planethood Foundation

Reebok Foundation

Third Millennium Foundation

The governments of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece,
Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Portugal, Sweden, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK
Part Three: How NGOs and Individuals Can
Support the ICC
What Can NGOs
Do?
 Become an NGO member or join a
national or regional network
 Urge your national and regional
governments to ratify and implement the
ICC Statute
 Follow developments at the meetings of
the Assembly of States Parties to the
Rome Statute of the ICC
Part Three: How NGOs and Individuals Can
Support the ICC
What Can NGOs and/or
Individuals Do?
 Participate actively in a CICC campaign,
thematic caucus or issue-based team
 Hold briefings for civil society organizations and
for the press to inform them about the ICC
 Contact the Coalition to do translations of key
information materials to the languages in your
region
 Write a letter to the local editor of your
newspaper in support of the ICC
Part Three: How NGOs and Individuals
Can Support the ICC
What Can NGOs and/or
Individuals Do?
 Visit the CICC’s website at: www.iccnow.org (and link to your
website)
 Subscribe to the CICC’s listservs:
o for English, email: icc-info-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
o for French, email: reseau-cpi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
o for Spanish, email: noticias-cpi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
o for Portuguese, email: tpi-cpi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
 Request print, electronic and audiovisual ICC Resources available
from the CICC (public education tools)
The NGO Coalition for the International Criminal
Court
Questions &
Comments
Visit us online: www.iccnow.org or
Contact us: cicc@iccnow.org