Khartoum Centre for Human Rights and Sudan Organisation Environmental Development (KCHRED) Against Torture (SOAT) Report International Criminal Court Programme SUDAN The International Criminal Court and Sudan: Access to Justice and Victims’ Rights Roundtable, Khartoum, 2-3 October 2005 © Pierre-Yves Ginet / Rapho October 2004 - Camp of Sissi, West-Darfur, Sudan - http://www.pierreyvesginet-photos.com I - A Brief Introduction to the International Criminal Court . 3 II - Introduction: The Security Council’s referral of the Darfur situation to the International Criminal Court . 3 III - Opening Ceremony . 9 IV - Session 1: The law of the International Criminal Court . 10 V - Session 2: The ICC today . 24 VI - Session 3: ICC and Sudan . 31 VII - Session 4: Situation in Darfur and victims’ access to Justice, the complementary role of the ICC . 37 VIII - Recommendations of Working Groups . 45 Annexes . 47 n°441/2 - March 2006 Sudan: The International Criminal Court: Access to Justice and Place of Victims TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations . 3 Foreword . 4 I - A Brief Introduction to the International Criminal Court . 5 1. Historic overview . 5 2. The ICC is permanent and complementary to national justice . 5 3. How to refer a situation to the ICC . 5 4. Jurisdiction of the ICC . 5 5. Core crimes defined in the Statute of the ICC . 6 6. General principles of criminal law. 6 7. Sentences . 7 8. Organization of the Court. 7 9. Victims’ rights. 7 II - Introduction: The Security Council’s referral of the Darfur situation to the International Criminal Court . 9 1. Summary of events prior to the referral . 9 2. The Security Council’s referral. 10 3. Opening of investigation . 10 4. Principal challenges and difficulties in the implementation of the Security Council’s referral . 12 III - Opening Ceremony. 15 1. Dr. Abdelmon’im Osman Mohamed Taha, Advisory Council for Human Rights. 15 2. Mr. Ian Cliff, British Ambassador to Sudan on behalf of the European Union . 15 3. Dr. Nagib, SOAT, Khartoum Center for Human Rights and Environmental Development . 16 IV - Session 1: The law of the ICC . 17 1. Historical overview of the ICC and the system of the ICC: jurisdiction, complementarity and trigger mechanisms . 17 2. Crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC and general principles of criminal law. 18 3. The organization of the ICC and current challenges . 24 V - Session 2: The ICC today . 30 1. Status of ratifications and implementation of the ICC Statute. 30 2. The United States position and the ICC . 32 VI - Session 3: ICC and Sudan . 37 1. Legal and political obstacles for ratification of the ICC. 37 2. The Sudanese government and the ICC: The necessity of differentiating between two positions . 38 3. National legislation and the ICC . 41 VII - Session 4: Situation in Darfur and victims’ access to justice, the complementary role of the ICC . 43 1. The Security Council referral to the ICC of the Darfur situation . 43 2. Legal effect of establishment of the ICC on internal legal hierarchy . 43 3. National and international remedies for victims of torture. 44 4. From witness to victim status: victims’ rights before the ICC . 45 5. Access to justice for victims of sexual violence . 47 FIDH-KCHRED-SOAT / PAGE 2 The International Criminal Court and Sudan: Access to Justice and Victims’ Rights VIII - Recommendations of Workings Groups . 50 Annexes . 51 Annexe 1: FIDH and SOAT press release. 51 Annexe 2: Agenda of the roundtable . 52 Annexe 3: List of participants.. 55 Annexe 4: ICC background note: “Victims’ participation and reparation,” No. ICC2005.028-EN . 57 *** Abbreviations APIC: Agreement on Privileges and Immunities tribunals) ASP: Assembly of State Parties JCCD: Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division ASPA: American Service Members’ Protection Act KCHRED: Khartoum Center for Human Rights and AU: African Union Environmental Development BIA: Bilateral Immunity Agreement NGO: Non-governmental Organization CICC: Coalition for the International Criminal Court OTP: Office of the Prosecutor DRC: Democratic Republic of the Congo RS: Rome Statute - Statute of the ICC EU: European Union RPE: Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the ICC FIDH: International Federation for Human Rights SC: Security Council ICC: International Criminal Court SOAT: Sudan Organization Against Torture ICJ: International Court of Justice UN: United Nations ICTR: International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda VPRS: Victims Participation and Reparation Section ICTY: International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia VTF: Victims Trust Fund ILC: International Law Commission VWU: Victims and Witnesses Unit IMT: International Military Tribunals (Nuremberg and Tokyo *** This roundtable was organized in coordination with the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), the International Human Rights.