International Criminal Justice

NPWJ’s International Criminal Justice program focuses both on international and national efforts to restore the rule of law and provide accountability and redress for the victims of crimes under international law, be they through the International Criminal Court, or through ad hoc Courts or Tribunals, national prosecutions or other accountability processes. The overall objective of the International Criminal Justice Program is to ensure that whatever solution is adopted, it is shaped and implemented so that it can contribute to the restoration of the rule of law, it is responsive to the needs of stakeholders and it adheres to the strictest human rights standards. While NPWJ continues to work towards the universality of the Rome ICC Statute by promoting its ratification and effective implementing legislation, much of its current focus is on ensuring that those crimes are properly addressed through national and international judicial processes or accountability mechanisms, with the ICC acting as a catalyst, as a guardian and as a last resort.

 

In 2009-2010, NPWJ will focus on strengthening the international criminal justice system and particularly the legitimacy, credibility, effectiveness and relevance of the International Criminal Court. NPWJ’s in-country activities on capacity building and promoting awareness of international criminal justice issues will be conducted primarily in Lebanon, with local partner Justice Without Frontiers, and with a focus on the MENA region, with regional partner KADEM. NPWJ will continue to monitor and undertake advocacy initiatives on important issues relating to international criminal justice, such as outreach and the ICC’s field presence, with States, civil society and with the ICC itself. NPWJ will also continue to focus on the ongoing development of important policy issues and initiatives in international criminal justice, including the issue of international criminal justice and children and the Justice Rapid Response mechanism, an inter-governmental mechanism to provide rapid assistance for the identification, collection and preservation of information relating to crimes under international law.