The Registrar of the ICC and delegates from States Parties to the Rome Statute face to face with the challenges of the Court on the ground
The Registrar of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Silvana Arbia, together with representatives of States Parties to the Rome Statute, travelled to Bunia, the capital of Ituri, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 5 June, 2010, to interact with affected communities and hear their views and concerns in relation to the work of the Court. The delegation consisted of representatives from 13 States Parties (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), interested in learning more about the activities of the ICC field office in Bunia; they were able to see for themselves the progress achieved and the daily challenges which need to be overcome in the field in order to fulfil the mandate of the Court.
The concerns raised related not only to the two trials in progress in the cases of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo and Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, all accused of committing crimes in Ituri, but also to issues of State co-operation with the Court, in particular in regard to the execution of arrest warrants and the commitment of States Parties to providing support for the work of the Court in the field.
"This visit is an important step to bridge the distance between the Court and States Parties to the Rome Statute and affected communities. The ICC aims to deliver justice to affected communities, but they also play a key role thereby allowing the Court to fulfil its mandate, through the participation of victims to the proceedings as well as through witness testimony”, said the Registrar.
During the visit, the delegation met key players working alongside the Court in the field. It then took part in an interactive outreach session for the public on the work of the Court, which was attended by more than 100 representatives from local NGOs and media organisations, women’s, youth and student groups and also local leaders.
The Registrar and States’ representatives also took the opportunity to discuss with ICC field office employees in Bunia issues on witness protection, victims’ participation and the implementation of outreach activities, especially at trial stage. These are challenges that ICC staff have to overcome on a daily basis.
The visit by the delegation took place in the context of the Review Conference of the Rome Statute, which is being held in Kampala (Uganda), from 31 May to 11 June, 2010.
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].