On 24 October 2022, Deputy Director Dr Viviane Dittrich participated in a high-level conference marking the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute organised by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs at the Cour de cassation in Paris, France. The conference was held entirely in French under the title “Le principe de complementarité : la clé d’un système global de lutte contre l’impunité des crimes internationaux”. The event brought together high-level officials, practitioners and scholars from France, Europe and the world.
In the round table chaired by Nicolas Guillou, Judge at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Dr Dittrich joined fellow panellists Catherine Marchi-Uhel, Head of the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism – Syria (IIIM), Alexandre Tindano, Deputy Special Prosecutor at the Special Criminal Court in Bangui, Central African Republic, Aurélia Devos, former Head of the French War Crimes Unit, and Joël Hubrecht, Professor and Head Researcher at the Institut des Etudes et de la Recherche sur le Droit et la Justice (IERDJI). Dr Dittrich was invited to speak on the topic “Towards an ecosystem of education and research in international criminal justice”. Her presentation featured the key actors, their interactions and the interplay of research, education and practice, but also highlighted challenges and structural obstacles, such as diversity, language barriers, lack of resources and cooperation of all relevant actors. She noted the work of the Academy in the field of research and training, with a focus on the increasing number of francophone capacity building activities, including the annual Nuremberg Summer Academy for Young Professionals.
Conference speakers included Mame Mandiaye Niang, Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Judge of the International Criminal Court, Bruno Cotte, former Judge of the International Criminal Court, and François Alabrune, French Ambassador in the Netherlands. The first round table addressed the emergence of a global system of international criminal justice, while the second round table focused on the construction of a common culture of international criminal justice. Closing remarks were given by Sandrine Barbier, Deputy Director of Legal Affairs, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, representing the Foreign Minister, and Olivier Christen, Director of Criminal Affairs and Pardons, French Ministry of Justice, representing the Minister of Justice.
The event was livestreamed and the recording is available online on the website of the Cour de cassation.