For the last ten years, the international community has had a permanent jurisdictional body, the International Criminal Court (ICC), with the power and authority to judge perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Switzerland fully supports the ICC because it is convinced that the ICC contributes to a stable and more just international order. 

To mark the tenth anniversary of the ICC in 2012, the Task Force on Dealing with the Past has organised a series of events on the theme: “10 years of the International Criminal Court – national and international jurisdictions: the challenges of complementarity”. The aim of these public events is to raise awareness in political and administrative circles, the academic community and civil society about the field of international criminal justice, its achievements and the challenges it faces. You will find further information on the various events in this dossier.

13.11.2012 
Room 1S059, Bâtiment des Sciences III, Quai Ernest‐Ansermet 30, CH‐1211,

Public discussion on Impunity, Rule of Law and Social Responsibility of Companies in Societies in Transition
with Ms. Mô Bleeker, Special Envoy Head task force for dealing with the past and prevention of atrocities, Swiss MFA, Bern; Mr. Antoine Garapon, SG de l'Institut pour les Hautes Etudes sur la Justice, Paris; Mr. Salil Tripathi, Policy Director, Institute for Human Rights and Business, London; and Mr. Simon Robins, Humanitarian practitioner and researcher, Addis-Abbeba/New York. 

 Flyer (pdf, 162 Kb) (en)
 Geneva academy of international humanitarian law and human rights, Geneva

9.10.2012
University of Neuchâtel, main building, room C45, Avenue du 1er Mars 26, 2000 Neuchâtel 

Public discussion on reparations for massive human rights violations 

Introduction: Yvan Jeanneret, University of Neuchâtel, and Jürg Lindenmann, FDFA

With the participation of: 
Mrs Sévane Garibian, lecturer at the University of Neuchâtel, specialist in issues of internal justice; 
Mr Pieter van Der Auweraert, specialist in reparations at the International Migration Organisation; 
Mr Pieter de Baan, executive director of the victims fund at the ICC; 
Mr Xavier Philippe, director of the Law Institute at Aix-Marseille University, head of a research programme on reparations.

Debate moderated by Pierre Hazan, specialist in transitional justice

 Flyer (fr) (pdf, 907 Kb)

1.10.2012
Auditorium A, Miséricorde, Av. de l’Europe 20, University of Fribourg

Introduction: Samantha Besson, University of Fribourg, and Mô Bleeker, DFAE

With the participation of:
Laurence Boillat, Federal Prosecutor
Philip Grant, Track Impunity Always (TRIAL)
Anne-Marie La Rosa, International Committee of the Red Cross
Damien Vandermeersch, Court of Appeal, Belgium

Debate moderated by Pierre Hazan, specialist in transitional justice

 Flyer (fr) (pdf, 862 Kb)

20.6.2012
Kino Kunstmuseum, Hodlerstrasse 8, Bern 

10 years of the International Criminal Court, Talk & Film
wtih Jürg Lindenmann, ambassador and deputy director of the FDFA Directorate of International Law and the film “Carte Blanche” by Swiss director Heidi Specogna 

 Flyer (de) (pdf, 1553 Kb)
 «Carte Blanche»

25.4.2012 

Armed conflicts often lead to serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law. It is essential to gather information on such offences and to archive them so that the societies concerned can conduct the necessary remembrance work.

This conference, at which many leading figures participated, launched the project organised by the FDFA, the Swiss Federal Archives and swisspeace entitled: “Archives and Dealing with the Past”. 

 Informations on the project
 Programme in detail
 Invitation to the media (fr)

17.4.2012 

Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter received the Prosecutor-elect, Fatou Bensouda, for a working visit on 17 April in Bern. The meeting presented an opportunity to share thoughts on the role of the ICC, the priorities of the new Prosecutor, and Switzerland’s contribution to the good functioning of the institution. Mrs Bensouda also had talks with Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), the focus of which was on co-operation between Switzerland and the Court.

 Media release
 Interview of Fatou Bensouda (RTS)

29–31.3.2012 

 Programme in detail

The ICC prosecutes individuals suspected of having committed the most serious crimes affecting the international community: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The ICC is complementary to national jurisdictions, which means that it can only intervene in a specific case if the competent national authorities are unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution of the individuals concerned.

The ICC was established through the Rome Statute, which came into force on 1 July 2002, and has 121 member States. It has opened investigations in the following seven African countries: Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Kenya, Libya and Côte d’Ivoire.

 The ICC website