Press Release: 20 September 2010

Open Day success: Over 500 people welcomed at the ICC

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Visitors viewing the Courtroom on a guided tour of the ICC ©ICC-CPI

Over five-hundred people visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Sunday, 19 September, when it opened its doors for The Hague International Day. The ICC also had nearly three-hundred visitors to its information booth at the International Community Fair at the City Hall. The Hague International Day was organised by the Municipality of The Hague and gave the public the opportunity to learn more about the functioning and aims of the international institutions and non-governmental organisations based in the city.

Judge Sang-Hyun Song, the ICC President, remarked: “We were very pleased to welcome so many visitors to the International Criminal Court and share information on the important mission of the Court in preventing impunity for atrocious crimes against innocent children, women and men. By opening our doors on The Hague International Day, we were able to reach out to the people in and around the city that hosts the ICC, and raise awareness and understanding of the Court and its activities. The support of the public is essential for the ICC and its staff members, and it is our hope that the visitors will share their knowledge of the ICC to generate a broader interest in the mandate of the Court”.

At the ICC, visitors took guided, one-hour interactive tours, and ICC officials offered visitors briefings in English on the various aspects of the Court’s work. With the support of videos and photos, visitors learned about:

  • The ICC and its mandate, structure, judges, States Parties, and premises;
  • Investigations and how they are conducted by the Office of the Prosecutor;
  • The Detention Centre and suspects’ rights;
  • The Courtroom, as viewed from the Public Gallery;
  • The Court’s Outreach activities to connect with communities affected by the crimes under investigation; and
  • The ICC’s Internship and Visiting Professional Programme and other recruitment opportunities.

Visitors to the ICC consisted of men, women and children of different ages and nationalities, including Dutch nationals and members of the international community based in The Hague.

At City Hall, the ICC and over 20 other international organisations active in the areas of peace, justice, or security participated in the International Community Fair. Nearly three-hundred people received informational brochures and spoke with ICC representatives at the Court’s information booth.

The International Criminal Court is the only permanent international court established with the mission to help put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, namely the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and thus to contribute to the prevention of such crimes.

 

For further information please contact Sonia Robla, Chief of Public Information and Documentation Section, at +31 (0)70 515-8089 or +31 (0) 6 46 44 87 26 or at [email protected]

The ICC’s activities can also be followed through YouTube and Twitter.

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