On 21 June, together with the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, the Global Centre hosted an event entitled, “Quo Vadis? The Prosecution of Atrocity Crimes from Myanmar to Ukraine.”

In the 20 years since the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) entered into force on 1 July 2002, conflicts around the world have proliferated, the scale of atrocity crimes has grown and impunity for these crimes persists. Conflicts in Myanmar (Burma), Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen and, most recently, Ukraine have prompted renewed discussions on the effectiveness of the international criminal justice system to deter atrocity crimes and hold perpetrators to account.

Several proposals have been put forward to increase the deterrent effect of justice, including the creation of new tribunals, the reform of the United Nations (UN) system and the Rome Statute, and the codification of new crimes. This event explored the role of international tribunals, the UN and domestic prosecutions, as well as norms and principles, such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), in deterring and prosecuting atrocity crimes. The panelists also examine how lessons learned can inform accountability initiatives related to ongoing atrocity crimes.

Remarks were delivered by H.E. Mr. Ivan Šimonović, Permanent Representative of Croatia to the UN; Ms. Akila Radhakrishnan, President of the Global Justice Center; Ms. Karen Mosoti, Head of the Liaison Office of the International Criminal Court to the UN; Mr. M. Arsalan Suleman, Counsel at Foley Hoag LLP and Counsel for The Gambia in its case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice; Ms. Katherine Gallagher, Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights; and our Executive Director, Ms. Savita Pawnday.