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Developing an Understanding of the ICC

Over the past month, my understanding of the International Criminal Court and global community has developed, especially by learning from professionals working within the ICC.  My ignorance and incorrect assumptions about the role and functions of the ICC left me open to a flood of information on the court, along with a look into the individuals employed at each level.  When imagining the Court in anticipation, I pictured justices in flowing black robes, pristine court rooms, and a small lot of spectators watching in silence.  These ideas, to my interest, do reflect what occurs on the day of trial.  What I failed to understand was how many people are working everyday to allow the ICC to function.  Although the ICC building is full of legal professionals, I realized how little I acknowledged a vast array of professionals working around the world on behalf of international criminal legal institutions.

According to the ICC website, the Court employs over 900 staff members from approximately 100 States (1).  While English and French are the two working languages, the court also includes Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish as official languages (1).  From the perspective of the international community, The Hague is the epicenter for international criminal justice.  This experience, especially my time spent in the ICC building allowed me to realize how The Hague’s role is much greater than I ever knew in the US.  Even outside of The Hague, the ICC operates six field offices in the following nations: DRC, Uganda, CAR, Kenya, and Côte d'Ivoire (1).  The cooperation between these advocates for international justice over many years is what ultimately produces positive results.

This cooperation of the thoughtful, concerned individuals in the ICC building alongside people gathering evidence and taking testimony from victims leads to a court that can change the world.  The court’s first verdict in 2012, against Thomas Lubanga of the DRC, proved the Court’s ability to reach men of power.  Lubanga was convicted of war crimes relating to conscripting children for his militia and was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. (2)  The highest profile person to be charged by the ICC to date is the Ivory Coast’s former President Laurent Gbagbo.  Gbagbo’s 2011 conviction included murder, rape, and persecution (2).  While spending time touring the ICC building, I reflected on how the actions of many individuals reach the top, forcing an end to impunity.

The international cooperation required for global justice does not end in the ICC, The Hague, or even within the ranks of employees and advocates.  As explained during the Asia-Pacific Forum near the anniversary of the Rome Statute, students of justice and ethics advocate for these ideals domestically.  In the United States, the American Bar Association showed an increase from 2014 in awareness of the ICC, caused by millennials.  Today, awareness of the ICC is “highest among millennials (age 18-34), where 60% have heard at least a little bit about it” (3).  If this upward trend in public opinion exists among other nations, the ideals of peace and justice may also rise.  By spending time around the professionals working in the ICC, my insight leads to a more realistic outlook.  Progress in peace is built upon the labor of countless individuals--of today and of the past.  By recognizing the work it takes to make a change, I am more prepared to face international law with a realistic approach.  This insight will be valuable in internship, advocacy, and education and serve as a reminder of the labor of peace.

(1) "International Criminal Court: About." Cour Penale Internationale. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.icc-cpi.int/about.

(2) "What Does the International Criminal Court Do?" BBC News. June 25, 2015. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-11809908.

(3) ABA-ICC Project Staff. "July 2017 Ipsos Poll Results." International Criminal Justice Today. July 17, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.international-criminal-justice-today.org/polling-data/2017/07/17/july-2017-ipsos-polling-results/.