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Obtaining justice and reparations for genocide survivors - What mobilisation and what role for the European Union and the international community?

Date
Friday 13 May 2022
Time
Location
Wijnhaven
Turfmarkt 99
2511 DP The Hague
Room
201

Context and Objectives

European Day against Impunity is an initiative that raises awareness about and promotes actions taken against genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In recognition of this upcoming date, the French Embassy in The Hague is organising a half-day conference to outline the current issues related to the quest for justice and reparations for survivors of genocide. The Day Against Impunity reminds us that the international community must continue working toward strengthening the system of national and international justice and protection for survivors of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by ensuring accountability, ending impunity, and assisting survivors in their recovery. 

More than 70 years after the adoption of the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the French Embassy proposes to carry out a review of the issues related to the long process of formally recognizing the crime of genocide, its judicialization, and the forms of reparation associated with it, based on recent cases. Discussion will also include concerns related to rebuilding survivors’ communities and developing resilience – major challenges that are crucial to the contribution of lasting peace.

At this event, three roundtables will bring together high-level representatives of various public institutions, judicial actors and representatives of civil society organizations working alongside and for survivors ‘rehabilitation  (European Union, international courts and organisations, representatives from national Court,  academia, NGO etc.) to share and debate legal and political issues and tools related to the recognition of the crime of genocide, the prosecution of its perpetrators, and the necessary support and reparations that should be provided to survivors of this crime.

The European Union plays an important role in supporting survivors of the most serious violations of international humanitarian law, as well as those individuals and organisations who are actively seeking justice, protection, and accountability on their behalf. The fight against impunity and for the rule of law are among the main priorities of its external action.

Discussion will include the following: How can the legal tools developed since the end of World War II for this purpose be effectively implemented to prevent the commission of genocide? Are there other avenues of collective engagement to achieve this goal? What are the next steps that the EU and the international community should take to advance justice, recognition and reconstruction for the victims of the crime of genocide?

This conference is part of the programme of the Embassy of France to The Netherlands in the context of the French Presidency of Council of the European Union in the first half of 2022.

See full programme to the right of the screen.

Speakers

  • Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize 2018, President of Nadia's Initiative. Advocate for the rights of survivors of sexual violence
  • Eamon Gilmore, European Union Special Representative for Human Rights
  • Luis Vassy, Ambassador of France to The Netherlands
  • Muriel Ubeda-Saillard, Professor in International Law, University Lille
  • Gilbert Guillaume, Former President of the International Court of Justice and Judge ad hoc
  • Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide
  • Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
  • Carsten Stahn, Professor of International Criminal Law and Global Justice, Leiden University
  • Karim Khan, ICC Prosecutor
  • Ekaterina Trendafilova, President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, former ICC judge
  • Dr Anna Zabeck, Senior Federal Prosecutor, Germany
  • Larissa van den Herik, Professor of Public International Law, Leiden University
  • Abid Shamdeen, Executive Director of Nadia’s Initiative, development specialist, and Yazidi activist
  • Rupert Skilbeck, Director, NGO REDRESS
  • Lazare Eloundou Assomo – Director of World Heritage, UNESCO
  • Closing remarks by Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Netherlands

The conference will not be livestreamed, but a recording will be made available on the website afterwards.

Please register here
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