International Criminal Court Open Day: Interactive presentation of the Courtroom attracts more visitors

650 persons visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Sunday, 23 September 2012, when it opened its doors for The Hague International Day. Visitors engaged with speakers representing the Judges, the Prosecution, the Defence, the Legal Representatives of Victims, and the Registry during an interactive session held in the ICC Courtroom in The Hague (Netherlands).

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ICC staff in Courtroom I presenting information about the Court, including speakers representing the Judges, the Prosecution, the Defence, the Legal Representatives of Victims, and the Registry © ICC-CPI

“The Hague International Day offered an excellent opportunity for us to interact with people from and around our host city and to raise awareness of the International Criminal Court”, said ICC President Judge Sang-Hyun Song. “The ICC is an integral part of The Hague’s landscape of international organisations, and we value our good relationship with the city of The Hague and its inhabitants. I hope that many of Sunday’s visitors will continue engaging in matters of international justice, for instance by coming to watch some of our trials, which are open to the public”, he added.

 

650 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 was organised by the Municipality of The Hague – the Court’s host city – and gave 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. There are approximately 131 international organisations in The Hague, employing around 14,000 people.

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.

For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

You can also follow the Court’s activities on YouTube and Twitter