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The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) will hold an international conference entitled: “The Permanent International Criminal Court”, from 9 to 11 May 2002, at the Helnan Shepherd Hotel in Cairo.
A number of international organizations will participate in the Conference, including the following: § International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), based in Paris; § Amnesty International, based in London; § Human Rights Watch, based in New York; § No Peace Without Justice, based in Rome; § NGOs Coalition for the International Criminal Court, based in New York; § A delegation from the European Parliament; and § A number of leading international juristic, diplomatic, and media figures.
The Conference will address several issues pertaining to the ICC, including promoting the role of the ICC in international criminal justice, the position of Arab states, European States and the United State of America toward the ICC, the role of the Security Council regarding the ICC, the definition of the crime of aggression, defence before the ICC, the role of NGOs, combating impunity, and some issues and problems that might be raised before the ICC.
The opening session for the conference will be held on Wednesday, 8 May 2002, at 18:00 hrs. in Helnan Shepherd Hotel. Professor Cherif Bassiouni, Head of the Drafting Committee of the ICC Statute (Rome 1998) will preside over this session. The ACIJLP, the League of Arab States, Arab Lawyers Union, the Egyptian Bar Association, and other official authorities will give speeches during the opening session.
A number of leading international figures will participate in the conference, including Mr. William R. Pace, Convenor of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court and Executive Director of the International Federalist Movement, Mrs. Emma Bonino, Member of the European Parliament, Ms. Thordis Ingadottir, Legal Counselor in the Project on International Courts and Tribunals at New York University, Ms. Mariacarmen Colitti, Legal Advisor in No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), Mr. Daniel Nsereko, from University of Botswana, and other regional and international figures.
Holding the conference at this time is of significance in light of the current international conditions, namely the completion of the required number of ratifications for the ICC to start exercising its jurisdiction over war crimes, crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. The ICC will start functioning on 1 July 2002 |
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