International Conference 'The International Criminal Justice Cascade: From the ICC to the National Courts and Back'

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13.09.2019

The conference, ‘The International Criminal Justice Cascade: From the ICC to the National Courts and Back' held on May 17, 2019, sought to answer difficult questions in the realm of human rights policy and justice for survivors.

Establishing peace is impossible without the effective establishment of justice. What can the state and civil society organizations do to ensure justice for the survivors of human rights violations?

“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on,” once wittily commented Winston Churchill. So how can international law help to establish the truth and protect survivors? What are the mechanisms for documenting crimes and serious human rights violations? How can the more effective investigation of international crimes be ensured? What is lawfare? How can the risks posed by the possibility of bending and twisting international law be reduced? Why does Ukraine need to ratify the Rome Statute?

These and many other practicalities of the administration of law are being discussed this week at an international conference called 'The International Criminal Justice Cascade: From the ICC to the National Courts and Back' (Конференція "Міжнародний кримінальний суд та національні суди"). The event has been organized by NGO Truth Hounds with the support of UNDP in Ukraine and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Civil society has a crucial role to play in monitoring and documenting human rights violations and spreading knowledge about international humanitarian law and international criminal law,” said Marcus Brand, Senior Democratic Governance Advisor at UNDP Ukraine. “Human rights NGOs can also facilitate investigations, helping to protect and restore the rights of those affected. We support this initiative in order to improve the capacity of Ukrainian justice sector and other actors who follow up on violations." 

Brand noted that in the past UNDP has done a lot of similar work in the Western Balkans. He also noted that the public sector played a significant role in the establishment of the ICC, and that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the four Geneva Conventions.

The results of the expert discussions at the conference will be used as a basis of a training course for law enforcement agencies and the prosecutor's office. The course will familiarize them with the principles of international humanitarian and criminal law. It will be developed by the NGO Truth Hounds.

The event was organized by the NGO Truth Hounds and held on May 17, 2019 in Kyiv, Ukraine.