600 persons visit International Criminal Court on Hague International Day

“Many have worked to bring the cause of justice this far, but many efforts are still needed to carry it further,” said ICC President Judge Sang-Hyun Song. “We hope that by participating in The Hague International Day and learning about the impact that the International Criminal Court is having, visitors will realize the importance of global support to our work,” he added.

600 men, women and children of different ages and nationalities, including Dutch nationals and members of the international community based in The Hague, had the opportunity to participate in a one-hour presentation in the ICC public gallery. Questions from visitors focused on the various aspects of the Court’s work, including its mandate, structure and ongoing cases.

The Hague International Day is organized on a yearly basis by the Municipality of The Hague – the Court’s host city – and gives the public the opportunity to learn more about the functioning and aims of the various international institutions and non-governmental organisations based in the city. The Hague has been hosting the ICC since 2002. The city and its surrounding area are now home to 160 international organisations.

The ICC is the first permanent, treaty-based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.