12th ASP to the ICC: Panel discussion on “Accountability for Syria”

The Hague, 23 November 2013


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On the occasion of the 12th session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, No Peace Without Justice is convening a side event on “Accountability for Syria”, co-hosted by the Delegation of Italy, on 23 November 2013 (from 13h15 to 14h45), at the World Forum (Oceania 2). 
 
Two years after the Syrian people joined the Arab Spring and Syria’s uprising was violently and brutally suppressed by the Assad regime, the crisis continues to deteriorate at a rapid pace. The warring parties are arming themselves with accelerated speed and unleashing increased levels of violence and violations of humanitarian and international law upon the civilian population. Syria is currently divided and partitioned into several shifting zones-of-control, each of which are under different levels of administration by the Assad forces on the one side, and various groups and factions fighting against them and, more recently, also among themselves.
 
Whether these dynamics can be changed depends on breaking the expectation of impunity and rewards for violence, by building the strength of Syrian human rights activists and political actors to demand justice and accountability, and building the capacity of the judiciary and legal profession to play their part as justice-providers.
 
This panel aims to discuss the prospects for accountability in Syria, with a particular focus on the Syria perspective and what support can be provided from the international community. Speakers will include Suheir Atassi, Vice President of the Syrian National Coalition and Head of the Assistance Coordination Unit, Haytham al-Maleh, Syrian human rights leader and former “Minister of Justice” of the Syrian National Coalition, in charge of accountability and transitional justice, Abdul Hadi Habal, Syrian human rights activist and NPWJ Syria Team Leader.
 
 
Documentation

 
NPWJ and the ICC

No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) is an international non-profit advocacy organisation working for the protection and promotion of human rights, democracy, the rule of law, accountability and justice, born of a campaign of the Transnational Radical Party. NPWJ has unique field experience in wide-scale documentation of violations of international humanitarian law, conflict mapping and analysis, and in implementing outreach programs on international criminal justice that engage communities in conflict and post-conflict and in complex political environments. NPWJ, which is a founding member of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court(CICC) and which has been one of the organisations at the forefront of promoting the establishment and entry into force of the permanent International Criminal Court (ICC), has participated in every session of the ASP since its first session in 2002, the year the ICC was established.
 
 
NPWJ program on Syria aims at reducing the expectation and the rewards of impunity for crimes under international law by working with Syrian judges, lawyers and civil society activists to build a culture of accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

 
For further information, contact Alison Smith on asmith@npwj.org or +32-2-548-3912 or Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32-2-548-3915.