Our year in numbers
Donate now – support the Coalition in 2017
Last year we marked our 20th anniversary in the new purpose-built ICC premises in The Hague – known as the international city of peace and justice. This year, facing upheaval in the international order, we’ve redoubled our efforts to remind the world about the historic purpose of justice, whether in domestic courts or at the ICC, through the Rome Statute system: peace and dignity for all.
In a year that saw three ICC member states forecast controversial departures from the Rome Statute, our regional offices continued to advocate for global justice, campaigning for ratification of the ICC founding treaty or its implementation into domestic laws in over 25 countries – nine as part of our Campaign for Global Justice. We addressed 75 countries in our campaign for ratification of the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the ICC, and watched as four pledged during the annual Assembly of States Parties (ASP) session to join the treaty.
Look out for further global Coalition advocacy in 2017, this time also focusing on the intersection of conflict prevention and resolution, sustainable peace, and accountability.
Stressing the inherent benefits of joining the Rome Statute system of international justice, we and our members entered a new chapter of civil society work for a strong ICC and robust state support in 2016. Coalition advocacy on the ICC budget, victims’ rights and needs, 2017 judicial elections, and ICC member state discussion topics from cooperation to amendments took on new significance given the year’s challenges.
The Coalition set the tone this year as it balanced advocacy for the growth of the Court’s activities while respecting its judicial and prosecutorial mandate. As the ICC prepared its first destruction of cultural heritage trial, we consulted on issues including the importance of representative crimes and impact on affected communities in the now-final case selection and prioritization policy. Our members similarly provided expertise for the prosecution policy on crimes against and affecting children, which will feature prominently in the Dominic Ongwen trial.
This year the Coalition resumed its crucial role facilitating civil society access at the ICC and ASP session. This was apparent in the annual mid-year ICC-NGO roundtable we set up, as well as from the over 400 civil society representatives we accredited for the 15th ASP session and the numerous side events and high-level meetings that we or our members organized. With us providing comprehensive coverage of the meetings, events, and negotiations taking place during the session, our members were freed to focus their advocacy and raise their voices where it matters most.
As 2016 draws to a close, and as the opportunities and challenges for the ICC in 2017 become clearer, we have used the launch of our new website to stress the ever-increasing importance of making justice visible. The new interactive platform – including its over 500 informative webpages and the over 300 articles, blog posts, and media statements we’ve produced in the previous year – complements our new United by Common Bonds campaign to underline the global nature of the Court’s mandate and mission, of the worldwide movement that brought about its establishment, and of the continuing desire to see it deliver justice to victims in all parts of the world.
Donate now – support the Coalition in 2017 as we continue to challenge international complacency and divisive politics and provide constructive solutions in order to break the hold of impunity where atrocities do or might occur.
