|
Cairo,
on February 5th 2009
On
February 4th 2009, members of the Egyptian Coalition
for the International
Criminal Court ended their meeting on developing a supportive
strategy to the
role of the International Criminal Court during the first half
of 2009,
and on finding ways of coordination and practical mechanisms to
implement the proposals and
action plan that was approved.
The
coordinating meeting discussed also some of the issues pending
before the Court,
such as the issue of Darfur and the role of the coalition in
cooperation with
the Court for a timely and independent Justice.
Furthermore, members
of the Coalition dealt with international and regional judicial
mechanisms to prosecute those involved in the commission of
grave breaches of
international law of armed conflict which took place against the
Palestinian
people in the Gaza Strip, which are regarded, in accordance with
the Geneva Conventions and
the Statute of the International Criminal Court, war crimes and
crimes
against humanity.
The
member organizations in the meting, which are approximately
thirty Egyptian organizations, approved a plan of action
its features represented in what follows:
-
Intensify and implement legal activities that aim to urge
the Egyptian government on the
ratification and the accession to the International Criminal
Court, such as holding conferences
and panel discussions aimed at the Egyptian
parliamentarians, jurists and representatives of
other relevant authorities such as
the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice.
-
Implement activities aimed at raising
awareness and legal knowledge between the legal
professionals like: lawyers and judges in addition to
journalists on the role and the
jurisdiction of the International Court, and its role in the
consolidation of international criminal justice and
the protection of human rights.
-
The need to coordinate efforts and
cooperation with regional and international coalitions in
support of the International Criminal
Court, and to address the Arab parliaments and
stakeholders to expedite the ratification of and
accession to the court.
-
Implementation of activities aimed to
introduce legislative amendments to the Arab constitutions
and laws to be in line with the rules
and provisions of international humanitarian law, in
particular the four Geneva Conventions issued on 12
August 1949 and additional two
protocols in 1977, to the national legislations in order to
be an integral part of the National
Laws.
-
Intensify efforts aim at increase the
participation of Egyptian and Arab non-governmental
organizations in the "audit” meeting
to be held in 2010 to discuss the amendment of the Statute
of the International Criminal Court.
-
Support the work of the International Criminal Court, with
regard to current cases before the court,
particularly the Darfur case, as well
as the cases of the Democratic Congo, Uganda and Central
Africa.
|