ICC Forum — Human Rights & International Criminal Law

The Human Rights & International Criminal Law Online Forum is run by Professor Richard H. Steinberg of the Sanela Diana Jenkins Human Rights Project at the UCLA School of Law with the support of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The purpose of the Forum is to allow members of the legal community, governments, academics, and others to debate complex issues of international criminal law faced by the Office of the Prosecutor in the course of its work at the ICC.

The ICC Forum deals with one substantive legal issue at a time in the form of a question. The questions are developed jointly by the ICC OTP and the UCLA School of Law. The world’s preeminent legal experts on the issue raised by the questions are invited to give their opinions. Those opinions, in turn, provide a strong foundation for further online discussion. The relevant decisions of the Court itself together with statutes, articles, and other background material are also be available through theICC Forum.

The first major question was:: <blockquote>“Does the Prosecutor of the ICC have the authority to open an investigation into alleged crimes committed in the 2008-2009 Gaza conflict?”</blockquote>
The second major question was:: “What are the obligations of Contracting Parties to the Genocide Convention to implement arrest warrants for genocide issued by the ICC, and of African Union State Parties to implement ICC arrest warrants generally?”
The third major question was:: “What is the proper balance between the independence of the International Criminal Court and the oversight role of the Assembly of States Parties regarding the Court’s administration under Article 112 of the Rome Statute?”
The fourth major question was:: “What measures should be taken to maximize the crime prevention impact of the International Criminal Court?”
The fifth major question was:: “What International Criminal Court reparations regime would be most appropriate for addressing mass atrocities and war crimes?”
The sixth major question was:: “Can the International Criminal Court sustain a conviction for the underlying crime of mass rape without testimony from victims?”
The seventh major question was:: “Is the International Criminal Court targeting Africa inappropriately?”
The eighth major question was:: “What more can be done to secure the arrest and surrender of persons subject to arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court?”
The current ninth major question is:: “How can the ICC and its stakeholders more fully address challenges to outreach and public information, better utilize technology and other methods to enhance understanding of the Court’s mandate and activities, and promote support for its work?”