NPWJ submission on the ICC Office of the Prosecutor draft Policy on Children

The Hague, 5 August 2016


 
No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) welcomes the consultations undertaken by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) on its draft Policy on Children, both prior to and after the production of the draft, and the opportunity to provide written comments on the draft policy. We have participated in these consultations and others relating to different OTP policies and continue to believe such consultations are important not just in terms of the content of submissions the OTP may receive, but also in terms of a concrete expression of the OTP’s commitment to transparency and cooperation, including with civil society.
 
NPWJ Submission is divided into three parts. The first part concerns elements of the draft that NPWJ particularly welcomes and supports (“Positive elements”). This part highlights those elements and concepts that NPWJ believes should be retained and for which reasons. The second part concerns elements of the draft that NPWJ believes could usefully be clarified, amended or expanded (“Suggestions on specific elements”). This part focuses both on language and concepts, including some aspects that may seem less significant, but which could cause confusion. The third part concerns elements that NPWJ believes should be included in the draft policy that are currently absent (“Suggestions for additions”). This part contains specific recommendations and the reasoning behind the suggestions.
 
These points reflect NPWJ's policies on these issues, including our policy paper on prosecutorial policy and on outreach as well as the intervention made during the First Public Hearing of the OTP in 2003. 
 

 
 
For further information, please contact Alison Smith, NPWJ Director for International Criminal Justice, on asmith@npwj.org