Foreign Policy Blogs

FPA War Crimes honors International Justice Day

The writers and supporters of the War Crimes series for the Foreign Policy Association honor July 17 as International Justice Day.

July 17 marks the anniversary of the drafting of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The U.N. General Assembly launched a five-week diplomatic conference in Rome in June 1999 to establish an international criminal court.

The ICC is the first permanent tribunal established by the world body to prosecute suspects accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

The ICC in February approved the indictment of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, the first against a sitting head of state.

In March 2006, the court launched its first war crimes trial for former Congolese militia chief Thomas Lubanga.

Lubanga is accused of conscripting children under the age of 15 into the armed wing of his political Union of Congolese Patriots during wars that ravaged the Democratic Republic of Congo.

TRIAL, a judicial non-governmental organization examining international justice and human rights, unveiled a new feature and joins FPA War Crimes in commemorating the day.

TRIAL, based in Geneva, lends its name to a community seeking to increase awareness of the atrocities challenging the international community.

In commemoration of International Justice Day, TRIAL, a strong partner with the FPA War Crimes blog, is launching a short-film series and a brief examination of the international war crimes regime.

 

Author

Daniel Graeber

Daniel Graeber is a writer for United Press International covering Iraq, Afghanistan and the broader Levant. He has published works on international and constitutional law pertaining to US terrorism cases and on child soldiers. His first major work, entitled The United States and Israel: The Implications of Alignment, is featured in the text, Strategic Interests in the Middle East: Opposition or Support for US Foreign Policy. He holds a MA in Diplomacy and International Conflict Management from Norwich University, where his focus was international relations theory, international law, and the role of non-state actors.

Areas of Focus:International law; Middle East; Government and Politics; non-state actors

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