Adopted August 27, 2013, at the 7th Annual International Humanitarian Law Dialogs:

In the spirit of humanity and peace the assembled current and former international prosecutors here at the Chautauqua Institution…

Recognizing the continuing need for justice and the rule of law as the foundation to international peace and security, and cognizant of the legacy of all those who preceded us at Nuremberg and elsewhere:

Commending Ms. Shabana Basij-Rasikh as the fifth recipient of the Joshua Heintz Humanitarian Award for her important and impressive work in Afghanistan;

Noting with grave concern the recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa and the need for compliance with international humanitarian law and for accountability for crimes committed against civilians and non-combatants, particularly, in light of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria;

Urging states and the international community to end impunity for the gravest crimes by refusing to include or accept amnesty or immunity clauses in their peace agreements and calling on mediators and peace negotiators to integrate the international criminal justice dimension in their activities;

Noting that trials can only proceed with the arrest of fugitives and further noting the need for all states to cooperate with courts and tribunals by devising tangible efforts and effective strategies to ensure the location, arrest and transfer of fugitives;

Noting the conclusion of the trials of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and of the judicial mandate of the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the commencement of the last trial of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and being aware of the commencement of the residual mechanisms of these courts;

Now do solemnly declare and call upon states and the international community to keep the spirit of the Nuremberg Principles alive by:

Preventing and condemning the use of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, and ensuring accountability for all those who use such weapons;

Ensuring accountability for the perpetrators of all crimes and recognizing all victims, in particular, the most vulnerable, i.e. women and children;

Providing sufficient resources for all international criminal courts, tribunals and residual mechanisms to achieve their mandates, in particular, to continue to protect and support witnesses and those made vulnerable by their cooperation;

Fulfilling their obligations to locate, arrest and transfer all fugitives from international justice, to include Omar al-Bashir, Ahmad Harun, Ali Kushayb, Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, Joseph Kony, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen, Felicien Kabuga, Protais Mpiranya, and Augustin Bizimana.

Signed in Mutual Witness:

Fatou Bensouda
International Criminal Court

Serge Brammertz
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

David M. Crane
Special Court for Sierra Leone

Brenda J. Hollis
Special Court for Sierra Leone

Hassan Jallow
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

(For more on this annual event for which IntLawGrrls is proud to serve as a cosponsor, see here, here, and here. Webcasts of sessions from the just-concluded 2013 Dialogs here.)