The Hague, 8 December 2021 (TDI): Liz Evenson, the Associate International Justice Director at Human Rights Watch, announced the commencement of an annual meeting of state parties in the session of the Assembly of State Parties (ASP) in a tweet. She celebrated the commencement of the event.
Addressing the audience on Twitter, she appreciated the struggle of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for increased accountability. She supported her stances with the successes of the ICC in removing the US sanctions earlier in the year 2021.
She further urged the international community to cooperate in addressing the increasing levels of criminal injustice. Liz Evenson also voiced the importance of an international forum for governments and civil society alike to address important topics of justice.
#ASP20 starts today and #ICC is needed even more than imagined two decades ago. We look to gov’ts to summon highest aspirations of fight against impunity & provide a forum in which all voices for justice will be heard.
So, what’s on the agenda? A 🧵 …https://t.co/m49stYIe8u pic.twitter.com/1edU2U0NC1
— Liz Evenson (@liz_evenson) December 6, 2021
Before diving into the contents of the present meeting. It is pertinent, to understand what exactly is the ICC?
International Criminal Court: An Overview
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an independent body that investigates and prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes. The Court was set up in 2002 to try perpetrators of these crimes in areas where national courts are unable or unwilling to do so. The ICC seeks justice for the many victims of these terrible crimes.
The Court was also formed in response to international pressure after mass atrocities in places like Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s. It aims to bring accountability to those who commit these horrific crimes.
Being an international court with jurisdiction over 124 states around the world, both when national courts are unable or unwilling to carry out investigations themselves. It seeks justice for victims by investigating alleged perpetrators of these crimes.
Human Rights Watch Concerns over the ICC meeting
Before the advent of the current meeting by the ICC, Human Rights Watch submitted an 18 pages report pertaining to recommendations for the ICC member states. This report mostly included recommendations for certain sections within the court, such as unified governance, political support towards the work of the ICC by member states among other sections.
Several significant topics are to be discussed in the current meeting of the ICC, from the election of the new deputy prosecutor to the detailed review of the organizations’ progress within the year.
According to the International Justice Director of Human Rights Watch, Richard Dicker, there could be no greater time for the need of the ICC than it is now. He further described the significance of practical and political support provided by world states.
On account of the 2020 revisions made in the previous meeting of the ICC, the organization has taken into consideration the assessment of 400 recommendations within the report, and will now discuss the progress made with said assessments.
Human Rights Watch believes to further improve the practical output of the aims of the organization, the member nations should concentrate on the recommendations set forth on the basis of the review of their governments’ responsibilities within the ICC. Particularly, it was highlighted that they should focus on the expert recommendations provided to them on account of this review.
The Humans Rights Watch also expressed the importance of an increased need for financial assistance provided by the states to the ICC, stating the budget had not been able to grow since the year 2017. Taking into consideration, many investigations being conducted by the ICC, it was only imperative for them the gap left in between the level of workload along with the resources available to the organization should be shortened.
Furthermore, there was also a need for an increased number of inclusive cases taken on by the ICC. In this regard, it was encouraged by the ICC that there should be plans for a conference of stakeholders that would discuss the level of optimal activity along with the necessary resources needed to carry forwards further investigations.
They further laid emphasis on the need for addressing the issue of the appointment of the office of the prosecutor and encouraged member states to take into consideration an individual with high merit and high morals for this important position.
