What is the ICC?

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) entered into force on 1 July 2002 triggering the jurisdiction of the first permanent, international tribunal capable of trying individuals for the gravest crimes of international law: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity (including torture) and once defined, aggression.

The ICC will be complementary to national jurisdictions, and will act only when national systems are unable or unwilling to genuinely carry out investigations or prosecutions of such crimes. The jurisdiction of the Court is not retroactive; it will only apply to those crimes that are committed after entry into force of the Rome Statute. Importantly, and unlike any previous international criminal tribunal, the ICC allows victims to participate in the proceedings and enables them to claim reparation for the harm they suffered.

What has REDRESS involvement been?

REDRESS has been a leading proponent of the rights of victims before the ICC. It worked to establish and facilitate the NGO Victims Working Group within the NGO Coalition for an International Criminal Court.



It was responsible for mounting an effective campaign to ensure that the rights of victims were adequately reflected in the Statute and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. REDRESS played a particularly influential role in the development of draft text relating to reparation for victims during the Preparatory Commission process. These steps led to the first international criminal court with power to award reparations to victims.

In December 1997, it convened a seminar "Redress for Victims" in New York and convened a second expert consultation in Geneva. REDRESS played an active role in an International Seminar on Access of Victims to the International Criminal Court hosted by the French Government in Paris, 27-29 April 1999. Four working groups worked concurrently to develop draft Rules relating to victims: Definition of victims and role during referral and admissibility; Participation of victims in the proceedings; Protection of victims and witnesses; Reparation. REDRESS' Legal Officer chaired the working group on Reparations.

The Hague Appeal for Peace, to commemorate the first Hague Conference, took place in May 1999. REDRESS organised a session on reparation, which was chaired by its Legal Officer. Before the Statute was adopted in Rome, REDRESS produced the report: Promoting the Right to Reparation for Survivors of Torture: What Role for the Permanent International Criminal Court? It has since written various position papers and recommendations which have been used by delegates to develop the reparations regime of the Court. More recently, REDRESS produce the report: "Ensuring the Rights of Victims in the ICC: Specific Concerns and Recommendations Relating to the Trust Fund for Victims" and during the Intersessional meeting held in the Hague form March 11th-15th 2002 REDRESS organized a briefing by the Secretary of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture on the work of the UN trust funds to assist delegates in developing appropriate mechanisms for the ICC Trust Fund for Victims.

Next steps

REDRESS is conscious of all the work that remains to be done to ensure that the important principles in the Statute and Rules of Procedure and Evidence are translated into effective practice before a functioning Court. REDRESS is working hard to ensure that the Court's establishment proceeds on a sound basis and will assist victims in their interactions with the Court and continue to lobby on their behalf.