Originally published on the CGS blog on February 19, 2016.
Last week, I attended the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission briefing titled, “Seeking Justice for Atrocities: How the International Criminal Court Could Advance Accountability in Iraq and Syria.” The panel was made up of four highly qualified people in the field of international justice. I personally was very happy to see that three out of the four were women.
The panel included Minerva Mirabal, President of Parliamentarians for Global Action; Jane Stromseth, Professor of Law at Georgetown University; and James Stewart, Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Susana SaCouto, the Professorial Lecturer in Residence at American University, acted as mediator.
The event began, as most do, with each panelist giving an introductory speech. I was fully prepared for boredom to set in as I leaned back with my notepad in hand. However, I was quickley shocked back into full attention when Mirabal began to speak; her voice was filled with such intense passion, it was difficult to ignore.
She began by stating very clearly that “it is a mistake to classify ISIS as terrorism,” explaining that ISIS is not only terrorising groups of people; they are also conquering territory and creating “systematic enslavement.” This makes them a far greater threat than a simple terrorist group. After her speech, I saw myself thinking about ISIS as more closely related to the Nazi regime than I ever had before. She ended her speech saying,
ISIS is the scourge of the 21st century.”
By this point, I was completely ready for the very intense hour ahead of me, and I was not disappointed as Stromseth took the floor. She took a very different approach than Mirabal: rather than passion, she captured me with logic. She began by asking and answering the “Why?” “What?” and “How?” questions in pursuing justice:
Why is it important to pursue justice and accountability now?
She answered this very simply, saying, “To stand in solidarity with the victims” of crimes committed by ISIS, as they deserve justice. On a larger scale she recognized that it is of the utmost importance to begin to build a strong system of international justice and to make it clear that mass atrocities will not be tolerated by the global community.
What realistic options exist today?
Stromseth began by recognizing that it is important first to allow domestic and national governments to take the lead. However, she further went on discuss the importance of an international system of support that is there to lend a hand when domestic and national governments fail. “So what can be done?” she asked. Perhaps the only currently available option is the potential for the ICC to prosecute ISIS criminals.
How can the US government in the face of the current constraints help lay the groundwork for justice and accountability now?
Evidentiary documentation, she stated, is key; there is a great need to gather evidence to document crimes committed by ISIS if there is any hope of pursuing justice. The other key point made by Stromseth was the importance of giving direct support to the survivors of atrocities–something that currently the United States is severely lacking.
Finally the panel came to Deputy Prosecutor Stewart, the only panelist directly serving the ICC. Stewart chose to speak less about ISIS specifically and more about the general powers and efforts of the ICC, saying,
We are the court of last resort. We are not the first responders.”
What stood out to me most about Stewart’s speech were his statements asking for help from the United States. He spoke about the difficulties the ICC has faced due to funding shortages; if the US were there to help, the ICC would be able to focus more clearly, as the lack of funding is a “huge distraction.”
It was very clear to me after this event that the world needs the United States to support the International Criminal Court. It is no longer up for debate. We must step into the world of global justice and provide both financial and governmental support to those attempting to bring justice to victims of mass atrocities.
