Created two years ago, the Court entered in an operational phase in 2004: following the Uganda and DRC decision to submit the Prosecutor, this one officially announced the opening of investigations in those two countries.
Even though the Rome Statute includes a series of major innovations allowing the participation of the victims in the proceedings and providing for their right to compensation, the FIDH wonders if, in the present circumstances, the Court has the capacity to implement it. Indeed, the financial difficulties the jurisdiction is likely to face are so important that they don’t guarantee the effective participation and protection of the victims. Obviously, the planned provisions in the draft budget-program for 2005 are insufficient to take up this crucial challenge.
The FIDH will participate to the ASP with its member organisations and partners from the following countries: Bahrein, Bangladesh, Colombia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mali, Morocco, Mexico, Moldova, Uganda, Peru, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Yemen.
Contacts :
Paris : Gaël GRILHOT, in charge of the Press department +33 1 43 55 25 18
The Hague :
Karine BONNEAU, Permanent Representative of the FIDH to the ICC Tel + 31 (0) 70 356 02 59 Fax + 31 (0) 70 356 02 71
Jeanne SULZER, in charge of the International Justice program of the FIDH +33 6 12 18 06 41
Press point of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)
Friday 3rd September, 2004
from 11:00 am to 11:30 am at the ICC head office
Room C0173, Maanweg 174, The Hague, Netherlands.
FIDH ACTIVITIES
1. Press point
The FIDH will participate int the press point of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) held on Friday 3 September 2004 from 11:00 am to 11:30 am
at the ICC office
Room C0173, Maanweg 174, La Hague, Netherlands.
William Pace, Coordinator of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, CICC
Jeanne Sulzer, in charge of the International Justice program, FIDH
Géraldine Mattioli, International Justice program, Human Rights Watch
The journalists who want to attend it must have a media accreditation for the ASP. For more information, please contact Sally Eberhardt, Media Liaison CICC Office in The Hague: +31 (0)70 363 4484 Temporary mobile: +31 (0)6-22882049 E-mail: eberhardt@iccnow.org
2. Position Report
In its Position report « Garantir l’effectivité des droits des victimes » published today, the FIDH takes stock on :
– the ratification process and implementation of the Statute ;
– the ICC activities during the past year ;
– the issues on the agenda of the Assembly of States Parties, especially the deficiency of the planned budget for the activities linked to the victims (participation, protection, victims trust fund ...).
– the FIDH activities
3. Panel
Wednesday 8 September, the FIDH in collaboration with the Centre Grotius and the Working group for the victims of the CICC will organise a Panel open to the public on 6:15 pm at the Netherlands Congress Center :
Access of the victims and their participation to the proceedings in progress before the ICC
Sidiki KABA, President of the FIDH
Carla FERSTMAN, manager of legal department for Redress, coordinator of the VRWG
Vedrana MLADINA DAMJANOVIC, Associated expert for the victims, Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC
Fiona MCKAY, in charge of the Participation and Reparation Section, Registry of the ICC
Flavien MISONI, lawyer, Association of victims of the Ituri in DRC
Barney AFAKO, lawyer, Justice resources, Uganda
Dr Yael DANIELI, Trauma Specialist, Past President, Senior Representative to the UN, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
This panel will be the occasion to take stock on the contribution and the participation of the victims before the Court especially in the context of the investigations in progress with the representatives of victims organisations and of Human rights defense in DRC and Uganda, of the Registry and the Office of the Prosecutor.