International Criminal Law

Security Council members hold a videoconference in connection with Maintenance of international peace and security.

National Security Last Week at the United Nations (April 2-9)

United States Lifts Sanctions Against ICC Officials On April 2, President Joe Biden reversed one of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which imposed sanctions…

Apr. 9, 2021 Josh Asabor

Secretary of State Blinken stands a podium in front of American flags.

Full Burial Now Needed for Executive Order Against International Criminal Court

"Executive Order 13928 requires a burial so deep, so final, that never again will the United States, nor any other country, deem it a permissible policy option."

Apr. 2, 2021 Diane Marie Amann

Exterior View of the new International Criminal Court building in The Hague on July 30, 2016 in The Hague The Netherlands.

BREAKING: Biden Revokes Executive Order Sanctioning Int’l Criminal Court Principals

Beth Van Schaack lauds the development and puts it in context of other human rights developments.

Apr. 2, 2021 Beth Van Schaack

U.S. President Joe Biden, without a face mask, and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, with a face mask, participate in a virtual meeting with leaders of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue countries March 12, 2021 at the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC.

Why Biden Needs to Rescind Trump’s ICC Sanctions Now

A deadline looms in the case challenging executive order 13928, which imposed sanctions against the ICC. Will the Biden administration defend the former administration’s reckless…

Mar. 31, 2021 James A. Goldston

A war memorial at Jaffna University before it was demolished, in Jaffna. The memorial is a statue of hands reaching toward the sky coming out of a pile of rubble.

UN Human Rights Council Outlines Sri Lanka Abuses, But Demurs on Action

It’s not the robust independent mechanism victims campaigned for, or the referral to the ICC that they deserve, but it is a potential path to justice.

Mar. 26, 2021 Kate Cronin-Furman

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapakse and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, neither who wear face masks, are surrounded by others, many who wear face masks, as they leave the new cabinet swearing-in ceremony at the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth in the ancient hill capital of Kandy, some 116 km from Colombo on August 12, 2020.

When War Criminals Run the Government: Not Too Late for the International Community to Vet Sri Lankan Officials

Developing such a list of individuals would signal to survivors some measure of recognition of the atrocities they have suffered.

Mar. 16, 2021 Sondra Anton and Tyler Giannini

A person carrying a bag walks past a severely damaged building complex in Gaza City, which is missing walls and sections of ceiling. In one area where the walls remain, a person looking at the sky is painted on the wall. The ground appears wet as if it had just rained or is raining. The picture was taken on March 4, 2021, but the damage was caused in 2014 by airstrikes.

Decolonizing the ICC: The Situation in Palestine and Beyond

On Feb. 5, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber ruled that the ICC has jurisdiction over the Palestine situation. Here's why the apparently narrow and formalistic ruling offers hope for decolonizing…

Mar. 8, 2021 Aeyal Gross

People gather at a candle-light vigil on March 04, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand, for anti-coup protesters who have been killed in Myanmar following the military coup on February 1st. They carry flowers, candles, and flags and banners.

National Security This Week at the United Nations (Feb 26-March 5)

Myanmar coup may be on Security Council agenda; ICC opens investigation on Palestine; COVAX delivers vaccine in Africa; and more in the weekly roundup.

Mar. 5, 2021 Sruthi Venkatachalam

Sri Lanka Army Commander Shavendra Silva reviewing troops headed to Mali as U.N. peacekeepers on Nov. 6, 2019, at the at the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) Headquarters at Boyagane, Sri Lanka.

UN Should Suspend Sri Lanka from Peacekeeping Over Human Rights Abuses

The government has failed in its international obligations to investigate and prosecute crimes, and has promoted alleged war criminals to high levels.

Mar. 5, 2021 Yasmin Sooka

A police personnel wearing a face mask crosses a street on foot as military personnel on motorcycles ride in lines toward him as they take part in a rehearsal for the Independence Day Parade in Colombo on February 3, 2021.

Highlighting Sri Lanka’s Abuses to the UN in Reviews and Strategic Litigation

The Human Rights Council should build on the documentation and advocacy NGOs have done over the years to encourage accountability for gross violations.

Mar. 4, 2021 Rupert Skilbeck

People gather to watch the verdict of Dominic Ongwen, a former child soldier-turned-commander for the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), on a projector screen in Gulu, Uganda, on February 4, 2021.

Truth, Justice, and the Narrative in International Criminal Law

International courts are inherently expressive: they provide a platform for a multitude of narratives. But recently, some prosecutorial narratives have begun to dominate in International…

Mar. 2, 2021 Steven Kay

A Judge holds golden scales of justice with Sri Lanka waving flag background.

Sri Lanka’s Evasion of Accountability Tests the Limits of the International Human Rights System

Twelve years of failed justice must trigger an honest debate on the ability of these mechanisms to prevent violations and deal with historical atrocities.

Mar. 1, 2021 Kumaravadivel Guruparan