The International criminal court: A challenge to impunity
Syria, Local, 10/27/2001

The International Committee of the red Cross ICRC, as a promoter of the International Humanitarian Law and as an organization working on the protection of war victims, is working on raising the understanding of the ICC said Mr. David Delapraz, Head of the delegation of the ICRC mission in Damascus in a statement to Arabic News.

Mr. Delapraz added that within that context, the ICRC, in collaboration with faculty of law, Damascus university, is holding a symposium " The International Criminal Court: A Challenge to Impunity ," under the patronage of the Syrian minister of higher education Dr. Hassan Risheh on November 3 and 4, 2001 at the Damascus Le Meridien hotel. He added that 21 experts representing the universities and governments in Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria will discuss the various aspects of the court.

" We need a strong international legal system and re-affirmations of the rules to conduct war and protect civilians, prisoners in every corner of the Globe," Mr. Delapraz commented.

He continued:" I am very happy that the Syrian government accepted this symposium and that 21 international experts have answered positively to our invitation, despite the grim world conditions." Highlighting the title of the symposium, Mr. Delapraz said that from Nuremberg and Tokyo to the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the search was for a forum to try criminals who committed the most serious crime against the international community. These tribunals, he said, were tribunals of winners, the first two were established by the allied powers after the Second World War while the later were established by the United Nations Security Council in the present uni-polar international system. Also, these tribunals were temporary, their jurisdiction was rather limited to the issue at hand rather limited to the issue at hand rather than a universal jurisdiction.

He went on that after the end of the so-called " cold war." Humanitarian issues were discussed more vigorously. A diplomatic conference in Rome was concluded in July 1998 by the adoption of " the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court." 139 countries have signed this Statute, including Syria. But governments must " ratify" a treaty for it to be implemented. The " Rome Statute " need 60 ratification, for the International Criminal Court to become a reality. So far, there are 43 States ratified the Statute.

Mr. Delapraz elaborated that the International Criminal Court is a permanent court to try individuals who committed one of these crimes; crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, crime of aggression. It is the implementing tool for the International Humanitarian Law, which calls for the respect and the protection of civilians during armed conflicts and war times.

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