Ms Fatou Bensouda’s solemn undertaking as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) took place today during a swearing-in ceremony held in the Hague. Ms Fatou Bensouda was unanimously elected by acclamation ICC Prosecutor by the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute on 12 December 2011 for a term of nine years. She succeeds Mr Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Court’s first Prosecutor.
Statement by Alison Smith, Legal Counsel of No Peace Without Justice:
“NPWJ and NRPTT congratulate Ms Fatou Bensouda of the Gambia for her solemn undertaking as the new Chief Prosecutor. We have had the honour to work with Ms Bensouda throughout these years in her position as ICC Deputy Prosecutor and have always appreciated her outstanding qualifications and skills, and great prosecutorial experience. As the new Prosecutor of this second generation court, she will also have new challenges in continuing to strengthen the ICC and its role in fighting impunity, promoting peace and –critically– securing redress for victims.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Ms Bensouda and the Office of the Prosecutor in the coming years. We also take this opportunity to recognise the important work conducted by outgoing Prosecutor Mr Luis Moreno-Ocampo in establishing a strong and well-recognised International Criminal Court. Mr Moreno-Ocampo established a number of important policy priorities for the OTP, including focusing on those who bear the greatest responsibility for the crimes irrespective of the side on which they fought, which have laid a strong foundation for the ongoing work of the office.
“The election of the new ICC Prosecutor, six judges and six members of the Committee on Budget and Finance (CBF), as well as the renovated leadership in the Assembly of States Parties, further to its 10th annual session held in December 2011, signals the beginning of a new cycle in the life of the Court, which is entering its second decade of existence as the first permanent international criminal tribunal.
“NPWJ extends its full support to the new prosecutor as she embarks on facing the challenges in international justice such as the universality of the Rome Statue, the cooperation of States, victims protection, and the fight against impunity. We particularly welcome her stated intention to ensure the investigation and prosecution of gender-based crimes and crimes against children and whole-heartedly support her view of international justice being first and foremost about victims and populations affected by conflict. NPWJ has the utmost confidence that Ms Fatou Bensouda will continue to be a dedicated servant of international justice in her new position and will work tirelessly to ensure that human rights violations are addressed, investigated, and brought to justice”.
For further information, contact Alison Smith on asmith@npwj.org or +32-2-548-3912 or Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32-2-548-3915.
No Peace Without Justice, which is a founding member of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) and which has been one of the organisations at the forefront of promoting the establishment and entry into force of the permanent International Criminal Court (ICC) and continues to work for its universal ratification, has participated in every session of the ASP since its first session in 2002, the year the ICC was established.
