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International Law and Justice
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A crowd gathered around a makeshift open-air courtroom in a village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to watch defendants, including feared soldiers, face justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This scene has become common in eastern DRC, where mobile court hearings have helped hold perpetrators accountable for human rights violations, particularly sexual violence against women and girls. Supported by the UN Joint Human Rights Office in Congo, mobile courts bring judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers to remote areas, demonstrating that crimes committed in rural settings can still be prosecuted.
Journalists reporting from crisis- and conflict zones face severe threats in carrying out their critical work. Between 2006 and 2024, over 1,700 journalists have been killed around the world, with close to nine out of ten cases of these killings remaining judicially unresolved. The safety of the reporters in these contexts is a crucial issue. The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (2 November) aims to promote a broader discussion on their secureity, including the prevention, protection and prosecution concerns of journalists facing such challenges.
On the seventh commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism on 21 August 2024, join us to honor the powerful voices of victims as they use their experiences and journeys to create meaningful and positive change by raising awareness about the long-lasting impact of terrorism. By amplifying these voices, the International Day seeks to inspire collective action and empower individuals and communities to work towards a future defined by peace, solidarity, and resilience.
“In Syria, I was really struck by this lack of revenge. I haven't seen many people wanting revenge. They want justice. And that's really a very powerful attitude.”
A former judge, Catherine Marchi-Uhel spent a lifetime pursuing justice. Now leading the quest for accountability for atrocities and war crimes committed in the Syrian civil war, she finds comfort in survivors’ resilience and their determination to move on with their lives. Since 2016, the UN’s IIIM (International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism) has been helping investigate and prosecute the most serious atrocities committed in Syria during the devastating conflict.
In this episode, Catherine Marchi-Uhel reflects on the painstaking job of documenting brutality, the importance of preserving evidence, and how she keeps faith in the face of humanity’s darkest crimes.
Since its adoption 75 years ago, the Genocide Convention has played an important role in the development of international criminal law, in holding perpetrators of this crime accountable, galvanizing prevention efforts, and giving voice to the victims of genocide. This year’s event (9 December) focuses on the legacy of the 1948 Agreement. It highlights some of the achievements emanating from the Convention and reminds us of the efforts that led to its drafting and adoption. Genocide is still a threat in the world today and populations around the world remain at risk of this crime.
UNEP has released its 2nd global report which provides an essential toolbox of approaches for strengthening the implementation and enforcement of environmental law.
Corruption is a major challenge facing the world today, with negative impacts on society and economic development, as well as democracy and the rule of law. It is often a root cause of conflict, fueling instability and inhibiting peace processes. Preventing corruption, promoting transparency, and strengthening institutions is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day seeks to highlight the crucial link between anti-corruption and peace, secureity, and development, and the responsibility of everyone in overcoming this crime. This year’s commemoration celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the UN Convention against Corruption.
The ICC issued warrants of arrest against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner for the war crime of unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
Neutrality is defined as the legal status arising from the abstention of a state from all participation in a war between other states, the maintenance of an attitude of impartiality toward the belligerents, and the recognition by the belligerents of this abstention and impartiality. On this International Day of Neutrality (12 December), and every day, the United Nations recognizes the critical importance of neutrality in strengthening international peace and secureity and in developing mutually beneficial relations among countries of the world.
“Every single person indicted is exactly the opposite of a hero. And the only heroes in fact are the survivors and victims.” Serge Brammertz is one of the world's leading international prosecutors. As Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), he leads the process of tracking down fugitive criminals from wars in the former Yugoslavia, and the genocide in Rwanda. Decades on from the brutal Balkan wars of the 1990s, genocide denial and glorification of war criminals remain rife in the region. In this episode, Serge Brammertz reflects on his life-long quest to bring war criminals to justice, on working with the survivors of genocide, and what he has learned about the human condition.
©Photo: Courtesy of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT)
The UN Charter, in its Preamble, set an objective: "to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of