In collaboration with Parliamentarians for Global Action

Friday, 4 March 2022
12h-13.20h EST / 18h-19.20h CET

The International Criminal Court (ICC) turns 20 this year. The Court has investigated and tried some of the world’s gravest atrocities, establishing itself as a beacon in the global fight against impunity. While its material jurisdiction was considered to be at the forefront of the codification of the international humanitarian law existing at the time of its creation, this may not be enough with the passage of time.

Besides war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression, we face atrocities due to the environmental, and migration crisis, which is closely intertwined with human trafficking; abuses perpetrated and facilitated by corporate actors- that cannot be held to account for atrocities due to the ICC’s personal jurisdiction-; and the misperception of the ICC by certain States as foreign and hostile actor judging other States’ nationals.

To enhance its legitimacy and efficacy, the ICC must consider and address innovations. In addition to suggesting ways in which the current statutory framework of the ICC could be used to tackle the abovementioned challenges, the project by the Harvard Law School Advocates for Human Rights and Parliamentarians for Global Action aims at addressing those shortcomings through the exploration of possible amendments the Rome Statute to:

(i) create hybrid chamber(s) within the Court, with the proposed addition of national judges from situation-countries to come closer to the countries to which it delivers justice,

(ii) expand the Court’s jurisdiction to appropriately address the crimes of ecocide and trafficking in human beings, and

(iii) expand its personal jurisdiction to hold corporations liable under criminal liability.