On 18 July 2023, the Nuremberg Academy took part in a webinar titled “The Importance of the Nuremberg Principles for Prosecutors”, organised by the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP). It brought together Deputy Director Dr Viviane Dittrich, Project Officer Alexander Fernandes-Köhler and Shenaz Muzaffer, General Counsel of the IAP, as speakers.
Dr Dittrich highlighted the importance of the Nuremberg trials and the historic and contemporary significance of the Nuremberg Principles, especially as relating to individual criminal responsibility, accountability of heads of state and the right to a fair trial. She also featured the mandate of the Academy, emphasising its continuing engagement with prosecutors in all kinds of events and capacity building activities considering the importance of prosecuting international crimes, at the international and the national level. Then Alexander Fernandes-Köhler presented the Academy’s activities in detail and how the Academy preserves and advances the upholding of the Nuremberg Principles through its work. In particular, he spoke about how the Academy acts as a forum for dialogue highlighting the Nuremberg Forum as main annual event and the topic of the Nuremberg Forum 2023: genocide denial.
Finally, Shenaz Muzaffer linked the standards of the IAP with the Nuremberg Principles, with a particular emphasis on Nuremberg Principle V (right to a fair trial) and its relevance for prosecutors. The webinar served as an insightful platform for elucidating the connections between the Academy's mandate and the principles that guide the work of prosecutors worldwide. 120 prosecutors from around the world joined the live session.