The overall objective of NPWJ’s International Criminal Justice program focuses on international and national efforts to (re-)establish the rule of law and provide criminal accountability and redress for the victims of the most serious crimes under international law, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, through focusing on the effective design and functioning of various options available for addressing accountability needs in periods of transition, including at the international level. Throughout its work, NPWJ aims to improve the situation of populations affected by conflict, particularly in areas where the ICC is investigating a situation or has indicated an interest in doing so, through increasing the political will of States to cooperate with international justice institutions, through increased capacity and awareness of civil society and others on international criminal justice issues and through direct work with international justice institutions themselves.
Specific policy objectives of the Program include the effective functioning of the International Criminal Court, promotion of the universality of the Rome Statute and the adoption of national legislation implementing international criminal justice obligations. NPWJ also works to assess and support the practical operation of the principle of complementarity, through national judicial processes and other accountability mechanisms that can bring an end to impunity, help re-establish the rule of law, provide justice for victims and protect vulnerable groups from abuse, with the ICC acting as a catalyst, as a guardian and as a last resort. This includes the promotion of local efforts to narrow the impunity gap, including through more effectively designed and operated non‑judicial, quasi-judicial and neo-traditional accountability mechanisms. In addressing and promoting these developments, NPWJ’s international criminal justice program aims at increasing awareness and building capacity of local actors on international criminal justice issues in which NPWJ has specialist expertise, including conflict mapping, outreach and the needs of children in accountability mechanisms; and promoting public perception and awareness on international criminal justice, particularly in conflict and post-conflict situations.
NPWJ is also involved in the development of the Justice Rapid Response (JRR) mechanism, which is intended to be an international cooperative mechanism for the supply of voluntary assistance at the request of a State or international institution, where the identification, collection and preservation of information would assist a wide range of international and transitional justice options. The initiative aims at filling some of the serious gaps in the international community’s ability to provide accountability for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and to ensure that international justice plays an integral role in post-conflict peace building. NPWJ is currently acting as the interim secretariat for the JRR mechanism to facilitate cooperation until modalities for coordination are further developed among the JRR participants or an international organisation may be in a position to take over the coordination and implementation of the JRR mechanism.
NPWJ’s International Criminal Justice Program targets a range of institutions and individuals, including: high level policy- and decision-makers; legislators; Parliamentarians; government officials; diplomats involved in international criminal justice negotiations; civil society, including NGOs, traditional, religious and other opinion leaders; and professional groups, including legal, academic and media professionals.
