Organised by the International Criminal Court in cooperation with the Wayamo Foundation.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the world’s first permanent international court, created by the Rome Statute in 1998. The court builds on the success of ad hoc international tribunals established by the United Nations in the aftermath of conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone by bringing justice for the worst crimes including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC has jurisdiction over states that have ratified the Rome Statute. There are currently 121 States Parties to the Rome Statute spanning four continents. Non-States Parties can still accept the jurisdiction of the ICC or choose to cooperate with the court without becoming a member state.
The effectiveness of ICC interventions relies heavily on cooperation between the court and its member states. Furthermore, generating widespread understanding and awareness of the ICC’s mandate and legal responsibilities has proved to be a necessary platform for cooperation between and within its member states. In this regard, the media plays a crucial role in raising awareness about the ICC and generating support for international justice.
The ICC is currently conducting seven full investigations in different countries, including Sudan and Libya. With the recent ratification of the Rome Statute by Tunisia, North Africa now has its first ICC-member state. A renewed engagement of Arab states with issues of justice and accountability is in evidence.
An ICC media workshop in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, aims to provide Arab journalists with vital information on the operations of the court and would help counter the great number of misperceptions about the court and its work.
