Monthly News Updates: International Criminal Court News Updates – May 2022
By: Claire Kaula, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL
Throughout May the ICC continued strengthening cooperation. The Office of the Prosecutor announced a new initiative to strengthen engagement with civil society, and with the support of the Netherlands sent its largest field deployment to Ukraine. The ICC along with Senegal held a conference promoting international criminal justice.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
New Members in the ICC Advisory Committee on Legal Texts
The ICC Advisory Committee on Legal Texts has six members and its three judicial members are elected every three years. The ICC President announced the newly elected judicial members are Judge Chang-ho Chung, Judge Tomoko Akane, and Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze. The Committee is responsible for making and reporting on amendment proposals to the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the Elements of Crimes, and the Regulations of the Court. [May 20, 2022].
New initiative to strengthen the ICC’s civil society engagement
ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan announced that the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) is launching a new initiative to increase civil society’s role in the Office’s work. This is in response to civil society asking the OTP for further opportunities to work in collaboration with the ICC. The initiative includes roundtables with NGOs, guidance materials for engaging with victims, and increased field engagement with local civil society organizations. The first roundtable is planned for this June. [May 13, 2022]
ICC holds training for ICC Counsel
On April 25 and 26, the ICC held training sessions over two days for over 200 lawyers registered on the ICC List of Counsel. The sessions included training on team management, legal team technical support, ethics and disciplinary proceedings, and participation of witnesses and victims. Participants also received updates on current ICC cases and key legal issues. [May 5, 2022]
AFRICA
Republic of Senegal | ICC holds Regional Conference in Senegal
On May 23 to 25, the ICC, with cooperation of Senegal, hosted a regional conference with 190 attendees. Attendees included high level officials from both the ICC and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as Senegal, Chad, and the Central African Republic. The conference discussed building a stronger international criminal justice system and increasing cooperation between the ICC and states particularly from ECOWAS. [May 25, 2022]
Central African Republic | Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang
Attends opening of the Special Criminal Court of the Central African Republic
ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan announced the Office of the Prosecutor’s support of the Special Criminal Court of the Central African Republic after the opening of the first trial. Prosecutor Khan emphasized the need for complementarity and cooperation between the ICC and national court systems. Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang attended the opening trial and expressed the importance of building rule of law and that the ICC is a court of last resort. [May 11, 2022]
EUROPE
Ukraine | ICC deploys 42 investigators and forensic experts to Ukraine
On May 17, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) deployed a 42 person investigation and forensics team to Ukraine. The team will investigate crimes under the ICC’s jurisdiction and also help Ukrainian authorities. This is the OTP’s largest field deployment, and was made possible through cooperation with the Netherlands. [May 17, 2022]