University students in Bunia, Ituri learn about the latest judicial developments at the ICC

As part of its field outreach programme, the ICC Outreach Unit ran an information day on Friday 25 September for university students in Bunia, capital of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The day began with a talk on the creation, organisation, mandate and activities of the Court. After the talk, two videos produced by the Court were screened to the students: one about the Lubanga trial and the end of the stage of the Prosecutor’s presentation of the evidence, and the other about the Bemba trial showing a question and answer session between people from the Central African Republic and senior Court officials (the “Ask the Court” programme). A lively discussion followed, demonstrating the students’ interest in the Court’s activities.

The purpose of the information day, which was designed and run jointly with the students, was to give information about the progress of the various cases before the ICC. The participants showed great interest, and the concerns they raised were responded to appropriately and in line with their expectations.

In addition, the participants suggested setting up a specialised documentation unit at their university to facilitate the work of researchers interested in the ICC’s activities.

With the aim of strengthening this partnership with the academic community, a committee called “Les Amis de la CPI” (Friends of the ICC) was set up as an interface between the Outreach Unit and the academic community in Ituri. The committee, working closely with the Outreach Unit, will organise information sessions for the academic community on any issue of shared interest.

For further information, please contact the International Criminal Court’s Outreach Unit in Ituri at: + 243 99 80 11 418 or by e-mail at the following address: [email protected].