The Importance of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Global Protection of Human Rights

To commemorate UN Human Rights Day, this seminar examined the role of the International Criminal Court in protecting human rights globally. The conversation placed the ICC within the broader historical arc of international human rights law, tracing the journey from the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 to the establishment of judicial mechanisms capable of holding individuals and states accountable.

About This Conversation

This seminar was organized by the Minority Issues Research Institute (MIRI) in partnership with Citizens for Global Solutions. The discussion explored why the global community recognized the need for an international court to serve as an arbiter when human rights are at stake—particularly in situations where states themselves are the primary violators of human rights. The conversation examined how the ICC functions as a critical institution within the global rule-based order that emerged from the UN’s founding commitment to human rights.

Speakers

• Rebecca A. Shoot, Esq., JD, MSc, Executive Director, Citizens for Global Solutions; Member of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court
• Dr. Mirsad Kriještorac, Senior Researcher, Minority Issues Research Institute (MIRI) (Moderator)

Key Themes

• The historical significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the foundation for a global rule-based order
• The role of the ICC in addressing human rights violations when states fail to protect their own people
• The relationship between international criminal justice and the broader UN human rights framework
• Ongoing challenges in achieving universal accountability for human rights abuses