أعاد MENA Coalition On Youth, Peace and Security نشر هذا
Early this month, I was honored to participate in the Twenty-third Session of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Here are some takeaways: 🔷 Unprecedented Threats Against the Court: Over the past year, the attacks and threats against the Court have been unprecedented, including from the #United_States, #Israel, and the #Russian Federation - including arrest warrants against ICC judges, cyberattacks targeting its officials, as well as threats and intimidation. Unfortunately, we did not see a unified position from ICC member states in the form of joint statements to set clear red lines against threats and intimidation, regardless of where these came from. I made this key recommendation in my November 21 article on threats against the ICC. 🔷 Double Standards: During the assembly, it was impossible not to notice the double standards expressed by several European nations and court members. For instance, some EU countries explicitly voiced their support for the ICC’s work "in Ukraine" but did not mention all situations, such as those in Palestine 🇵🇸 or Myanmar🇲🇲 Even more troubling was #Argentina’s statement. While demanding the ICC to advance its investigation in #Venezuela, it simultaneously opposed the Court's actions against Israeli officials. The Amb of Argentina said, “Israel exercises its legitimate right to self-defense in response to continuous attacks by terrorist organizations... The Republic of #Argentina reaffirms Israel’s inalienable right to protect its population, preserve its sovereignty, and ensure its existence as a state in the face of existential threats.” 🔷 Finally, we must not confuse tasks with purpose. Let's be clear: despite doing its best, the ICC's response to global atrocities is slow and inadequate. Those who believe in a world of accountability free from atrocities must remember that if the purpose is justice, accountability, and truth for victims, we cannot limit ourselves to institutions that lack the resources, capacities, and enforcement mechanisms necessary to achieve these purposes. While we work to strengthen these institutions, we must explore alternative mechanisms to stop atrocities, such as special courts or tribunals, transitional justice processes, mediation, and other approaches. #ASP23 #ICC