The General Debate continued on Day 4 of the ICC Assembly of States Parties (ASP). Many countries made statements, including France and Switzerland. France condemned the mistreatment of migrants in Libya as conduct that could amount to crimes against humanity. Switzerland responded: “We find it inconsistent to ask the Court to investigate crimes against migrants in one room of this building [i.e. the UN Security Council], only to propose cuts to the budget of that very same Court in another room [i.e. at the ASP]”.

Other speakers today included Canada, which, like many states, expressed disappointment with Burundi’s withdrawal from the ICC, and Botswana, which called on the permanent members of the Security Council to refrain from the use of the veto in the referral of atrocity situations to the ICC.

The General Debate was followed by a closed door meeting on the activation of the crime of aggression.

Among the many side-events taking place on Day 4 was the global launch of the Gender Justice Legacy Wall, a project designed by the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice to celebrate 15 years since the establishment of the ICC and the approach of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute. The Legacy Wall honours and celebrates groups and individuals who have contributed to the field of international gender justice as practitioners, advocates, judges, prosecutors, grassroots and other organisations, survivors, witnesses (by number for anonymity), academics, diplomats and others. The Legacy Wall is intended to be a living legacy with more names to be added at future significant anniversaries of the Rome Statute, as the gender justice field continues to evolve, as others are recognised and as future generations join and contribute to this endeavour. The launch was co-sponsored by the Women’s Initiatives, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the UK.

Silviana Cocan joins the IntLawGrrls ICC Assembly of States Parties Symposium with a post on another side-event which took place on Day 4 – in this case, on a new proposed treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance concerning genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Silviana is a Ph.D student in international law at Laval University (Canada) under joint supervision at Bordeaux University (France). She is currently writing a thesis on the dialogue between jurisdictions and quasi-jurisdictions protecting human rights. More specifically, she is studying judicial dialogue in direct relation with the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment. Her research fields are public international law, human rights law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. Silviana is also participating as a student at Laval’s University’s International Criminal and Humanitarian Law Clinic.

Heartfelt welcome to the IntLawGrrls ICC ASP Symposium, Silviana!