Conference Reports

• Edited by: International Nuremberg Principles Academy
• Year: 2024

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Abstract

This conference report provides a comprehensive overview of the Nuremberg Forum 2021, the fifth annual conference of the Nuremberg Academy. Held entirely online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the forum commemorated the 70th anniversary of the formulation of the Nuremberg Principles, focusing on "The Fight against Impunity since 1950: Living up to the Nuremberg Principles." The discussions delved into the development of the legal framework, the Nuremberg legacy and the systems in place to ensure lasting peace.

Key themes explored during the forum included reflections on the post-World War Two era, changes in practices, the identification of crimes affecting the "community as a whole," the current systems enforcing Nuremberg Principles and the alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Notable speakers, including Professor Patrícia Galvão Teles and Judge Navi Pillay, addressed the challenges in international criminal law, emphasising the common ground among stakeholders to combat impunity and achieve sustainable peace through justice.

The report captures high-level discussions succinctly, outlining key points, analyses and recommendations from the conference panels. It aims to be a comprehensive yet concise account, reflecting on the discussions and outcomes while offering insights into the developments of the past 70 years. The report serves a dual purpose: first, to provide a reflective analysis of the conference and second, to offer practical steps for consideration in the ongoing fight against impunity. With a focus on promoting sustainable peace through justice and consistent with the Nuremberg Academy's mandate, this report is designed to interest a broad readership, including experts, practitioners and academics.

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Table of contents

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

Table of Contents

Introduction

Opening Remarks

Opening Statement

Keynote Addresses
Panel I - Reflecting on the post-World War Two set-up and the status quo today

Panel II - Harm caused to the “community as a whole” – reflections on the achievements and good practices so far

Panel III - Harm caused to the “community as a whole” – dissecting various objectives and respective changes in practices

Panel IV - Which crimes concern the “community as a whole” – discussing the reasoning behind this classification and related developments

Panel V - Outlining the current system for addressing or enforcing the Nuremberg Principles

Panel VI - Reflecting on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and wider aspirations of sustainable peace through justice

Panel VII - Similarities, differences and the way forward – the fight against impunity and accountability

Closing Remarks
Annex I - Program of the Nuremberg Forum 2021

Annex II - Biographies of Contributors

Annex III - The International Nuremberg Principles Academy

• Edited by: International Nuremberg Principles Academy
• Year: 2020

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Abstract

This conference report is based on the high-level discussions of the Nuremberg Forum 2018, held at Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany on 19 and 20 October 2018, and captures key arguments, central debates and various perspectives, as well as a number of significant issues for further consideration and debate. The Nuremberg Forum 2018, the fourth annual conference of the Nuremberg Academy, commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute. In light of the carefully chosen focus on “Law, Justice, and Politics”, the goal of the conference was to critically underline pertinent issues with regard to the functioning of the first permanent ICC through the lens of the past, present and future.

By bringing together distinguished academics and practitioners, with a wealth of relevant expertise, the Nuremberg Academy provided a forum for dialogue and critical reflection. It has also provided an invaluable opportunity to look toward the next 20 years and shed light on the current challenges for which the panels were designed to provide possible recommendations. This report highlights these recommendations within each panel. It captures the important discussions in a succinct format and lists three key considerations per panel for further debate and discussion. It is not aiming to be a verbatim report of the conference, but rather a comprehensive, yet concise account of the key points, discussions and analyses reflecting the nature and scope of the conference. Thus, the report has a two-fold purpose. First, to reflect on the discussions and outcomes of the conference. Second, it aims to capture the developments of the past 20 years and agreeable practical steps that can be taken into consideration for the future. This report can be of interest to a wide range of readers, including experts from various fields, practitioners and academics. This is consistent with the Nuremberg Academy’s mandate to encourage the promotion of sustainable peace through justice via scholarship, research and capacity building.

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Table of contents

Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Table of Contents
Introduction
Opening Remarks
Message from Benjamin Ferencz
Keynote Addresses

Panel I - Making of the Rome Statute
Panel II - Case Selection
Panel III - Length of Proceedings
Panel IV - Victims’ Participation and Reparations
Panel V - Exercise of Jurisdiction and Complementarity within the Rome Statute
Panel VI - State Engagement and Disengagement
Panel VII - Quo vadis, ICC? The ICC within the Next 20 Years

Closing Remarks

Annex I - Program of the Nuremberg Forum 2018
Annex II - Biographies of Contributors
Annex III - Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of the Adoption of the ICC-Statute
The International Nuremberg Principles Academy

• Edited by: International Nuremberg Principles Academy
• Year: 2018

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Abstract

The comprehensive 100+page publication, including original contributions from more than 30 distinguished experts, captures the myriad of nuanced discussions related to the Nuremberg Declaration on Peace and Justice, synergies and tensions between peace and justice, and critical reflections on the progress made by the international community in advancing peace, justice, security, and development in conflict and post conflict settings.

More than 30 participants of the Nuremberg Forum 2017 representing a wide spectrum of professional backgrounds, including practitioners, policy makers, academics, and former and current government officials, contributed to the report. Some of the contributors had also been participants at the 2007 conference titled “Building a Future on Peace and Justice” held in Nuremberg, which led to the drafting of the original Nuremberg Declaration on Peace and Justice under the auspices of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

The Nuremberg Forum 2017 report addresses numerous topical developments and includes reflections on lessons learned and the changing nature of the challenges to the fight against impunity. A particular focus is placed on the promotion of access to justice and the proliferation of justice mechanisms in post-conflict settings, the increasingly prominent role of victims, the promotion of reconciliation, rehabilitation and transitional justice measures, and the nexus of peace, justice, and development. Peace and justice efforts in context, inter alia, in the Central African Republic, Colombia, South Sudan, and Syria are explored in the report.

The report highlights the need for increased dialogue, regional cooperation, capacity building efforts, resource prioritization, and includes specific proposals by experts to critically reflect on current practices and enhance the effectiveness of institutions and efforts aimed at building peace and seeking justice in different post-conflict settings across the world.

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Table of contents

List of Abbreviations
Introduction

Welcome Address
Klaus Rackwitz and Viviane Dittrich

Opening Remarks
Guido Hildner
Navi Pillay
Christan Schmidt

Keynote Address
Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi

Panel I - The Nuremberg Declaration on Peace and Justice Today
Navi Pillay
David Scheffer
David Tolbert

Panel II - Justice, Prevention and Ending Impunity
Chandra Lekha Sriram
Viviane Dittrich
Susanne Buckley-Zistel

Panel III - Forgotten Voices – Catering to the Needs of Victims
Anita Ušacka
Sarah Kihika Kasande
Fiona McKay

Panel IV - Reconciliation
Betty Murungi
Alison Smith
Velma Šarić

Panel V - Development in the Service of Transitional Justice
Marieke Wierda
Chris Mahony
Andras Vamos-Goldman

Panel VI - Political Impediments to the Fight against Impunity
Serge Brammertz
Maria Camila Moreno
Athaliah Molokomme

Panel VII - Peace and Justice – Lessons Learned
Richard Dicker
Nicola Palmer
Michael E. Hartmann

Panel VIII - Peace and Justice – Current Challenges
Nelson Camilo Sánchez León
Patryk Labuda
Radwan Ziadeh
Kelly Case

Closing Remarks
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein
Viviane Dittrich

Annexes:
Program of the Nuremberg Forum 2017
Biographies of Contributors
2007 Nuremberg Declaration on Peace and Justice
The International Nuremberg Principles Academy