ICCWOMEN News

************************************

The Electronic Newsletter
of the Women's Caucus for Gender Justice
August 2002

Vol. III / Issue III
************************************

THE ICC IS NOW A REALITY…

In the past months, the international community has taken unprecedented and historic strides toward a culture of justice and accountability. After the deposit of the 60th ratification on 11 April, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court entered into force on 1 July, marking the moment at which the jurisdiction of world’s first permanent criminal court takes effect. 

An advance team has been assembled in The Hague, the Netherlands, to prepare for the Court’s establishment. It began its work on the day the Rome Statute entered into force. The Dutch government located a temporary home for the Court in a former municipal building and anticipates that the new building for the Court will be ready in approximately five years. It is expected that the Court will be functioning by mid-2003.

As of now, the contact details for what exists of the future Court are: Advance Team for the International Criminal Court, Press and Information Office, P.O. Box 19519, 2500 CM the Hague, the Netherlands, tel. (31 70) 5158 515, fax (31 70) 5158 555.

The 78 countries that are States Parties to the Rome Statute will meet for the first time officially from 3-10 September at UN Headquarters in New York. Delegates to the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) will review and adopt numerous texts and draft resolutions which were negotiated by the ICC Preparatory Commission in the four years since the adoption of the Rome Statute including the Elements of Crimes Annex and Rules of Procedure and Evidence. In addition, delegates at the ASP will finalize rules governing the election of judges and prosecutor – the only set of rules on which the Preparatory Commission could not reach consensus since its work began in 1999.

In this issue of ICCWOMEN NEWS, we provide a review of the final session of the ICC Preparatory Commission, a forecast of the first meeting of the Assembly of States Parties in addition to related news, announcements and updates.

--------------------------------------------
Contents:

ICC UPDATE
-10th and Final Session
-Election of Judges, Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor
-Aggression
-Remuneration of Judges
-Trust Fund for Victims
-First-Year Budget
-Women’s Caucus Activities

U.S. OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE ICC
-Security Council Resolution on Immunities for Peacekeepers
-Article 98 Agreements Prohibiting Extradition to the ICC

NEWS AND UPDATES
-Universal Jurisdiction Caucus Formed
-Faith-Based Caucus Listserve
-International Criminal Bar
-Right to Reparations Consultative Meeting
-National Radio Project ICC Program
-ICC and Gender Justice Panel in Bogota
-Open Debate of SC on Gender and Peacekeeping
-FIRE Covers Peace Train in Africa
-American Citizens Rally to Cover Gap Left by U.S. Withdrawal of UNFPA Funds

INTERNATIONAL LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS
-UNSC Establishes Pool of 18 Ad Litem Judges for ICTR
-Judges Appointed, Prosecutor Begins Task At Special Court For Sierra Leone
-Burmese Groups Document State-sanctioned Sexual Violence

ANNOUNCEMENTS
-NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court – Program Director
-Women and Elections Expert - UNDP

Calendar
Annex – Rome Statute Ratifications
-------------------------------------------

--------------------
ICC UPDATE
--------------------

10th and Final Session of the ICC Preparatory Commission

The final session of the ICC Preparatory Commission (Prepcom) took place from 1-12 July 2002 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Prepcom started its work with a celebration as the Rome Statute officially entered into force on the first day of the session, 1 July, marking the time at which the future Court’s jurisdiction becomes effective.

There were five working groups at the Prepcom including groups: (1) Crime of Aggression; (2) Preparatory Documents for the Assembly of States Parties (including rules relating to the election of judges); (3) Financial Issues – Remuneration of Judges; (4) Financial Issues – Trust Fund for Victims; (5) First-Year Budget. 

Election of Judges, Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutors

The negotiations of rules governing the nomination and election of judges, prosecutor and deputy prosecutors were highly charged and controversial at the 10th and final session of the ICC Preparatory Commission. These negotiations took place in the Working Group tasked with developing Preparatory Documents for the ASP. Ultimately, delegates were unable to reach agreement on key issues and the discussions will spill over into the agenda of the ASP. 

Among the most contentious issues in the debates related to the issue of minimum voting requirements to ensure fair representation of women and men on the Court and equitable geographical distribution, in accordance with article 36(8) of the Statute. 

Some delegations such as the United Kingdom remained opposed to any rules intended to give effect to the statutory mandates by building mechanisms, such as minimum voting requirements, into the voting process. Other governments, led by Hungary and Liechtenstein, were in favor of voting mechanisms that would help ensure a fair representation of women and men on the Court and equitable geographical representation. 

Ultimately, the debates stalled in the final moments of the Prepcom around the issue of geographical representation. Some governments sought a uniform regional representation that did not depend on the number of ratifications per region. Other governments, primarily from regions well-represented among the States Parties, sought a differential scheme which was based on regional presence.

While the debates concerning the rules for the actual election will continue, agreement was reached on the nomination process. During the nomination period, delegates agreed that the secretariat or bureau of the ASP would issue periodic reports to the States Parties to track the extent to which judges with required qualifications are represented among the candidates. In addition, the reports will contain information related to the number of female and male candidates as well as number of candidates from each geographical region. 

The delegates further decided that if certain minimum numbers for the categories are not met by the end of the nomination period, the nomination period will be extended and a call issued for more nominations. Thus, if there are less than nine male or female judges on the list of candidates at the end of the nomination period, the Assembly will extend the time for countries to submit nominations. 

The nomination period will open during or immediately after the ASP meeting in September and will close at the end of November 2002. It is expected that the elections of judges will be held during the next meeting of the ASP in January or February 2003. It was also agreed that as soon as the Bureau of the Assembly receives nominations from States Parties, it will post the information about candidates on the web as soon as possible.

The Women’s Caucus had argued since the eighth session of the Preparatory Commission for firm voting requirements to ensure parity of women and men on the Court and equitable geographical representation, oversight during the nomination period in addition to overall transparency in the process.

The Women’s Caucus and other NGO’s are concerned that the first election of judges for the Court will be the first test of the Court’s legitimacy and will continue to advocate strongly that the ASP adopt rules which give full effect to the provisions of the Statute, in particular those relating to fair representation of women and men and equitable geographical distribution.

Aggression

The Working Group for the Crime of Aggression spent most of its time resolving the issue of how to continue the negotiations on the crime of aggression since the Preparatory Commission’s mandate ended once the Assembly of States Parties convenes after entry into force of the Rome Statute. The debates around the definition of the crime of aggression have been controversial and difficult since the Preparatory Commission began its work in 1999. The most controversial issue is what role the Security Council will have in determining when an act of aggression has occurred over which the ICC could have jurisdiction. A large, perhaps majority, of delegations desires to ensure that the Security Council is not the sole arbiter of what constitutes an act of aggression and want the Court to be able to make such determines in the absence of Security Council Action. Other delegations, primarily the permanent members of the Security Council, want to make sure the Security Council will have exclusive authority to determine when an aggression has been committed.

The Rome Statute anticipates in article 5 that negotiations would continue to define the crime of aggression and that a definition would be adopted in accordance with the amendment procedures set out in the Statute. The first opportunity for such amendment procedures would be at a review conference called by the Secretary-General of the UN seven years after the statute’s entry into force.

By the end of the Prepcom, it was decided that negotiations would continue under the auspices of the ICC Assembly of States Parties with a recommendation that the negotiations be open to all states regardless of whether they have ratified in order to assure that no government could assail the final definition as not have been by global consensus.

Remuneration of Judges

The Working Group dealing with the remuneration of judges focused on the issue of judges serving only part-time. The remuneration for full-time judges had been decided at the Ninth Session at which point the salaries were set at 180,000 euros. It is anticipated that while all 18 judges will be elected at once, pursuant to the Rome Statute, not all judges will need to be full-time in the beginning phase of the Court’s establishment. Thus, delegates had to determine the nature and scope of the remuneration for such judges.

Ultimately, the working group decided that all non-full-time judges would receive an allowance of 20,000 euros. Non-full-time judges whose annual income is less than 60,000 euros would receive an upward adjustment to their salaries to 60,000 euros above the 20,000 received as an allowance. As for a pension benefit, delegates decided against providing non-full-time judges with a pension benefit. The argument for this was that judges will only be serving part-time for a brief period and would then become eligible for pension benefits at the same time and rate as judges serving full-time.

Trust Fund for Victims

Article 79 requires the ASP to establish a trust fund for the benefit of victims and their families. The Working Group on this issue worked to put in place a structure and guidelines for the Assembly to adopt at its first meeting.

The administration of the trust fund would be governed by a five-member Board of Directors and an Executive Director. The Working Group also determined that a unit should be set up within the Registry of the Court that would provide such assistance to the Board as is necessary for its proper functioning. The Board members will serve on a pro bono basis and will be elected by the Assembly of States Parties. Members should have experience in working with victims victims of serious crimes. The ASP must appoint an Executive Director to manage the fund based on the recommendation of the Board of Directors and in consultation with the registrar of the Court.

Additionally, the Working Group developed guidelines for the acceptance of voluntary contributions to the trust fund such that the acceptance of such funds should be in accord with the goals and activities of the Trust Fund and, if donated for a specific purpose, should not lead to inequitable distribution among different groups. Additionally, the Board of Directors must do a detailed report on the acceptance or refusal of voluntary contributions to the ASP on a yearly basis.

First-Year Budget

Delegates in the Working Group on the First-Year Budget continued to negotiate and make intricate adjustments into the last days of the Prepcom which took into account the negotiations in other working groups, such as the Victims Trust Fund for which a new post had to be added to the budget for the first financial period. The working group ultimately set the budget at 30,893,500 euros.

Women’s Caucus Activities During 10th Session

“Entry Into Force” Panel.     The Women’s Caucus hosted a panel discussion and brainstorming session entitled, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the International Criminal Court But Didn’t Have Time To Ask,” on 1 July 2002, the day the ICC Statute entered into force.

Participants on the first panel included: Rhonda Copelon, Director of the International Women’s Human Rights Law Clinic and Legal Advisor to the Women’s Caucus; Sindi Medar-Gould, Executive Director of Baobab for Women’s Human Rights in Nigeria; Arline Pacht of the International Association of Women Judges; and Jayne Stoyles, Program Director of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court. The panel was moderated by Pam Spees, Program Director of the Women’s Caucus. The participants discussed the current status and timeline for the establishment of the ICC and work being done and international, regional and national levels.

Participants in the brainstorming session included: Charlotte Bunch, Director of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership; Isha Dyfan, Program Director of the Human Security and Peacebuilding Program of the International Women’s Tribune Centre; Merav Datan, Director of the UN Office of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; and Kathy Hall-Martinez, of the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy. The panel was moderated by Maria Solis, of the Myrna Mack Foundation and La Cuerda in Guatemala. Panelists discussed ways in which the ICC is relevant to their work in the arenas of women’s human rights, reproductive rights, disarmament and gender-mainstreaming in peace processes. They identified obstacles and strategies to incorporating work around the ICC more fully into the advocacy and raised questions about future strategies.

A report will be issued based on the discussions at the event and will be made available through the Caucus website, www.iccwomen.org.

Elections Panel.    On 8 July 2002, Betty Murungi, of the Urgent Action Fund, participated on behalf of the Women’s Caucus at a panel discussion concerning the negotiations of Nomination and Election rules which was hosted by the Australian delegation. Bill Pace, convenor of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, participated in the panel as did Gerard Dive, delegate of Belgium and coordinator of the working group tasked with developing the rules.

-------------------------------------------------
US Launches Offensive Against ICC
-------------------------------------------------

At the same time as the work to end impunity for the world’s worst crimes moves forward, there has been a resurgence of opposition to the Court by the United States which has deployed a multi-faceted global strategy aimed at undermining the institution and countries that support it.

After the U.S. ‘unsigned’ the Rome Statute in May, the Bush administration began seeking exemptions for peacekeepers from non-member states in Security Council resolutions authorizing the renewal of UN missions. The U.S.’s first attempt in the renewal of the East Timor mission was unsuccessful. This attempt was followed, however, by a more high-pressured and intensive effort to gain exemptions for peacekeepers from non-member states when the Bosnian mission came up for renewal. At this point, the U.S. threatened to use its veto in the Council to prevent the renewal of the Council did not agree to an exemption.

NGO’s and ICC proponents protested the U.S.’s attempt to hold a peacekeeping mission hostage in exchange for an exemption for its nationals from the ICC. On 30 June, the day the Bosnian mission was set to expire, the U.S. vetoed the renewal. The Council quickly authorized a temporary emergency extension of the mission to allow for time to debate the issues raised by the U.S.

Members of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) organized a protest in front of the UN on 30 June to protest the US’s efforts and demand that the Security Council resist the pressure. Over the course of the next two weeks, the U.S. managed to cajole the support of other cancel members for a separate resolution providing the protection the U.S. was seeking but for only one year. Security Council resolution 1422 purports to give effect to article 16 of the Rome Statute which allows the Council to request the Court not to proceed with an investigation or prosecution, on a case-by-case basis, a period of one year if the Security Council.

The provision was intended to provide the Security Council with a deferral request on a case-by-case basis when the Council fears that an investigation or prosecution by the court would jeopardize its handling of a situation under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. The text of the resolution is a corruption of article 16 in that it operates prospectively over any case that could arise in the coming year involving UN peacekeepers from non-member states or military or civilian personnel from non-member states involved in UN-authorized operations such as the NATO force in Bosnia or Afghanistan.

During the course of the debates, Secretary-General Kofi Annan and various members of the Security Council argued that peacekeepers do not commit the kind of crimes within the ICC’s jurisdiction and therefore the U.S. concerns and demands for exemptions for its peacekeepers were unfounded. In response, the Women’s Caucus distributed a document entitled “Compilation of Violations by Peacekeepers”  to Security Council members and delegates and NGO’s present at the ICC Prepcom along with a letter urging the Council to resist the efforts to exempt peacekeepers and correcting the erroneous assertion that peacekeepers do not commit crimes that could be within the jurisdiction of the ICC.

Soon afterward, the U.S. government formally announced its plan to approach countries all over the world to enter into bilateral agreements providing that countries would not extradite U.S. nationals to the ICC. The agreements are linked to article 98 of the Statute which sets some possible limitations on the Court’s ability to gain access to suspects. So far, Romania, East Timor, Tajikistan and Israel are party to such an agreement. Japan and Colombia have refused to enter into the agreements.

Also, in July, President Bush signed into law a piece of anti-ICC legislation known as the American Servicemembers Protection Act. The law has been strongly criticized because it gives the U.S. president the authority to use military force to free U.S. nationals or allies held by the Court. Because of this aspect of the law, opponents have called it “The Hague Invasion Act.” The law would also seek to withhold military support from countries that support the Court and who are not parties to the bilateral article 98 agreements.

For more information about the U.S. efforts to sabotage the Court as well as the work of NGO's to counter the U.S. strategies, see: www.iccnow.org, http://www.wfa.org/issues/icc.html, www.amicc.org, www.hrw.org, and www.usaforicc.org.

----------------------
Network News
----------------------

UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION CAUCUS.     A new Universal Jurisdiction Caucus was established within the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) during the 10th session of the PrepCom, at the initiative of a number of Coalition members who work on universal jurisdiction as well as the ICC. 

The Caucus can provide an opportunity for those who are interested in, or already working on, universal jurisdiction to meet and share experiences, needs and strategies.  Issues raised for future discussion include: immunities, training, capacity building, so-called "filters" for universal jurisdiction and the presence requirement. 

The initiative to set up the Caucus arose partly from a series of  meetings that have been taking place over the last few  years between NGOs working on universal jurisdiction.   The report from the last of these, "Meeting the Challenge through NGO Cooperation", which took place in New York in April, is available on the website of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (http://www.lchr.org).

Fiona McKay of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights will be convening the next meeting of the Caucus, which will take place on 5 September during the ASP session in New York. For more information, contact Fiona at mckayf@lchr.org.

FAITH-BASED CAUCUS.    As was decided by the participants at the Faith Caucus of the CICC during its last meeting at the Tenth Prep Com, a new email-list has been set up to strengthen the work of the Faith Caucus and serve as an information sharing forum for members of the Faith community.  To subscribe, please send a blank email message to: icc-faithcaucus-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. You may select to receive a "daily digest", whereby only 1 email is sent to you as a compilation of all the day's messages, if any. Note: Messages sent to ICC-Info (The CICC's main information listserv) will NOT be duplicated on this list.

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL BAR.     The establishment of an International Criminal Bar was declared at the conclusion of a conference held in Montreal, Canada from 13-15 June 2002. Sponsoring organizations included the Ordre des Avocats à la Cour de Paris; Association Internationale des Avocats de la Défense/International Criminal Defense Attorneys Association (AIAD/ICDAA); Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten; Deutscher Anwalt Verein; Barreau du Québec; Barra Mexicana Colegio de Abogados; Barreau de Montréal; Barreau du Sénégal (representing the French speaking African Bars); AsF-World (Lawyers without Borders); and National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (U.S.)

The ICB is intended to be an organization of lawyers practicing before the ICC and would encompass both defense lawyers as well as legal representatives for victims. The Bar was founded in response to Rule 20 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the ICC which envisages that such a body may cooperate with the Registrar in the provision of legal assistance as well as the establishment of a Code of Professional Conduct and training and specialization in the law of Rome Statute and its supplemental texts.

After the conference, the organizers of the ICB began circulating a Draft Framework Constitution and are accepting comments on the text by 15 September 2002. The text can be found at: http://www.hri.ca/partners/aiad-icdaa/reports/listofparticipantseng.doc. After the comment period, the Steering Committee of the ICB will issue a final draft for adoption by the first meeting of the General Assembly which is expected to be convened sometime in 2003. For more information, contact: Ms. Elise Groulx, President, Association Internationale des Avocats de la Défense/International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association (AIAD/ICDAA) at: tel. (514) 285 1055 (Canada), email: elisegroulx@citenet.net, aiad.icdaa@citenet.net.

RIGHT TO REPARATIONS CONSULTATIVE MEETING.     The High Commissioner for Human Rights will hold a formal consultative meeting on “the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Violations of International Human Rights and Humanitarian law” which will take place from 30 September-1 October 2002 in Geneva. The meeting is open to NGO’s to observe. The purpose of the meeting is to finalize the principles and guidelines on the basis of comments received since the report was last submitted to the Commission on Human Rights in January 2000. 

Additionally, an informative meeting will be held in advance of the official consultative meeting from 13:00-15:00 h on Thursday, 20 August 2002, at the Ground Floor Conference Room in Palais Wilson in Geneva. For more information, contact: Gabriela Echeverria at REDRESS, Gabriela@redress.org, +44 (20) 732 97322 or Sergio Polifroni, International Commission of Jurisists, polifroni@icj.org, +41 (22) 979 3818.

NATIONAL RADIO PROJECT ICC PROGRAM.     Betty Kaari Murungi of the Urgent Action Fund’s Africa Desk and a member of the Executive Committee of the Women’s Caucus was featured in a radio program entitled “Above the Law? The U.S. and the International Criminal Court” as part of the series “Making Contact” of the San Francisco-based National Radio Project.

The program aired on 31 July 2002 and includes voices from women around the world speaking about the importance of the International Criminal Court.  The program is 29 minutes and was broadcast over 160 radio stations throughout the world. To hear the program or to contact the Natoinal Radio Project about getting it aired in your area, visit http://www.radioproject.org.

The program also features Jiri Toman, former director of the Henri Dunant Institute in Geneva and longtime consultant to the United Nations on international law; Richard Dicker, Human Rights Watch; Tod Ensign; Citizen Soldier; Heather Hamilton, World Federalist Association/Washington Working Group on the ICC; William Pace, NGO Coalition for an International Criminal Court, Raj Purohit, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights; Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights; and voices from the video “If Hope Were Enough,” produced by the Women’s Caucus for Gender Justice. For more information contact: National Radio Project: (510) 251-1332; Women's Desk (510) 658-4244; International Media Project: (650) 851-7256.

THE ICC AND GENDER JUSTICE, Bogota, Colombia.      Patricia Guerrero of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, based in Bogota, Colombia, helped organize a panel discussion entitled, “The ICC and Gender Justice,” for a group of women’s organizations and the UN Office of Human Rights on Monday, 22 July 2002.  Other speakers included former Vice Fiscal General Dr. Pablo Elias Gonzales; Ricardo Rendon, a defense lawyer and human rights advocate before the Supreme Court of Justice; María Elvia Dominguez, a psychologist and director of the School of Gender in the National University of Colombia; Amparo Guerrero, a social worker and gender expert and director of the Colombian section of WILPF; Victor Manuel Yaya, an attorney and indigenous human rights defender.

OPEN DEBATE OF SECURITY COUNCIL ON GENDER AND PEACEKEEPING.    The UN Security Council hosted an Open Debate on 25 July 2002 on Gender and Peacekeeping. The meeting was organized by the United Kingdom, which was serving as President of the Council during the month of July. At the meeting, UK Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock recognized the work of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, which was successful two years ago in pushing for the adoption of Resolution 1325 - the first resolution adopted by the Security Council pertaining exclusively to the situation of women and conflict. According to Greenstock, “These groups have done enormous amount of work on the mainstreaming agenda, on the issue of women and families in areas of conflict.”

During the Open Debate, Under Secretary-General jean-Marie Guehenno of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Assistant Secretary-General Angela King and Noeleen Heyzer, Director of Unifem, addressed Council members on issues relating to the mainstreaming of gender into peacekeeping operations as well as status of a study on related issues commissioned by resolution 1325. For more information and to view statements made during the open session, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/sc/genderandpeacekeeping2002/genderconflictpeacekeeping.html.

FIRE COVERS WOMEN'S PEACE TRAIN IN AFRICA.     Women from several African countries are escorting a Women's Peace Train on a multi-country journey from Rwanda to South Africa, demanding an end to wars and conflict in their countries, promoting the strong message that without peace, there can be no sustainable development. A peace torch is being passed by the women across every frontier, starting in Rwanda, continuing on through Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa in time for the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), August 27-September 4, 2002.

FIRE (Feminist International Radio Endeavor) is presently covering the Women's Peace Train via cell phone and Internet, with interviews with women from the various African countries, and will meet the women from the train in person in Johannesburg, South Africa, when it arrives there.  FIRE will cover an afternoon presentation by participants in the Peace Train on Monday, August 26th from the Women's Tent at the WSSD in Johannesburg.

According to Sadre Twinomugisha of NAWOU (National Association of Women's Organizations in Uganda), which is serving as one of the focal points for the peace train, "We women look at it that with  development when we don’t have peace is not development at all.   Because when you develop your city and your country, and in a few years war breaks out, you go back to square
one.  So as women we decided that what we need is peace before you get development, because if we have a peaceful world, then development will definitely come."

To listen to coverage of the activities and interviews with the activists involved, visit http://www.fire.or.cr/agosto02/ingles/peacetrain.html. (courtesy Margaret Thomposon, FIRE)
 

AMERICAN CITIZENS RALLY TO COVER GAP LEFT BY U.S. WITHDRAWAL OF UNFPA FUNDS.  To close the funding gap created by the United States withholding of $34 million from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), American citizens have sprung into action with two independent grass-roots campaigns.

They have started to circulate separate email letters, hoping to reach “34 million friends”, urging each to contribute $1 or more.  Cheques have begun to arrive at UNFPA’s office in New York.  One person sent a cheque for $25,000 from the north-eastern State of Maine on Tuesday.

“This is an example of the commitment of the American people to be part of international efforts to improve the quality of life of families in developing countries, especially of women who are the immediate beneficiaries of UNFPA-supported programmes,” said Thoraya Obaid, UNFPA’s Executive Director.  “We wholeheartedly welcome this support from the American public for the joint efforts of many countries to provide health services and prevent diseases.”

Lois Abraham of New Mexico, and Jane Roberts, of Redlands, California, initiated the independent and separate campaigns to help UNFPA continue its work to save the lives of women in developing  countries.  They are reaching out to their friends across the country and
across the political spectrum to send a clear message: that providing  family planning and reproductive health care to women in need is a humanitarian issue—not a political one—supported by millions of Americans.

The 133 members of the “Group of 77” developing countries in the United  Nations have declared that the loss of the $34 million in United States funding will harm the global effort to prevent HIV/AIDS and  jeopardize programmes in developing countries where UNFPA’s support is critical for poverty eradication and sustainable development. Some of the programmes that would be affected include those to ensure safe delivery in eight rural districts in Kenya and improve emergency obstetric care in Burundi. The $34 million could prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies, nearly 800,000 abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, nearly 60,000 serious maternal illness, as well as over 77,000 infant and child deaths.

Contributions have been going to: Chief, Resource Mobilization Branch, UNFPA, 220 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 OR The United States Committee for UNFPA, 220 East 42nd Street, Suite 2800, New York, NY 10017.

------------------------------------------------
International Legal Developments
------------------------------------------------

- UNSC Establishes Pool of 18 Ad Litem Judges for Rwandan Tribunal

On 14 August 2002, the UN Security Council authorized the creation of a pool of 18 ad litem judges for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in order to help expedite the casework of the tribunal. In resolution 1431 (2002), the Council requested the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements for the election of the 18 judges as soon as possible.

There are 16 permanent judges at the ICTR. The ad litem judges are elected to serve 4-year non-renewable terms to assist with the caseload. In establishing the pool of ad litem judges, the Security Council was required to amend the statutes of the ICTR and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to accommodate the change to the composition of the chambers. 

Article 12 ter provides for the manner in which the judges shall be elected and in paragraph 1(b) provides that States must take “into account the importance for a fair representation of female and male candidates.” Nominations will be submitted by UN member states and the list of candidates forwarded to the Security Council for initial approval. UN Member States may nominate up to four candidates meeting the statute’s qualifications.

Once the list is approved by the Security Council, the President of the Council will forward it to the General Assembly for a vote. So far, no date has been set for the election of the judges.

- Judges Appointed, Prosecutor Begins Task at Special Court for Sierra Leone

Work officially commenced at the Special Court for Sierra Leone during the week of 8 August 2002 when David Crane of the United States arrived in Freetown to assume his role as Special Prosecutor. Also, on 25 July, Secretary-General, Kofi Annan and the Government of Sierra Leone announced the appointment of eight judges with extensive legal backgrounds who will serve on the special war crimes court for the country.

Pierre Boutet, a liaison officer in Canada’s Defence Department, and Benjamin Mutanga Itoe, a Supreme Court Justice from Cameroon, were appointed by Annan to the Trial Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, while Bankole Thompson, a former High Court Justice from Sierra Leone, was named by the Government.

Emmanuel Ayoola, a Supreme Court Justice from Nigeria, Alhaji Hassan B. Jallow, a Supreme Court Justice from the Gambia, and Renate Winter, an Austrian national serving as an international judge on Kosovo’s Supreme Court, were appointed by the Secretary-General to serve on the Court of Appeals. The Sierra Leonean Government named Gelaga King, a former Supreme Court Justice from Sierra Leone, and Geoffrey Robertson, Head of the Doughty Street Chambers of the United Kingdom. Isaac Aboagye, a Ghanaian national serving as a High Court Justice in Botswana, and Elizabeth Muyovwe, a High Court Judge from Zambia were named as alternates to the Special Court by a joint decision of the government and the Secretary-General. Robin Vincent of the United Kingdom will serve as Registrar.

The mixed composition of the Court is unique to the UN, which has created international criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia employing only foreign – not national – judges. The Sierra Leone Special Court is mandated to try persons deemed most responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other violations of international humanitarian law during the country’s decade-long civil conflict. 

- Burmese Groups Document State-sanctioned rapes

The Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN) and the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF), two groups working on Shan people's issues (Burma) have recently released an important report, entitled "License to Rape".  The report documents the experiences of State violence against Shan women.

The report documents 173 cases of rape and sexual violence, involving at least 625 girls and women by Burmese army soldiers in Shan state, Burma. The report found that the majority of the rapes were committed between 1996 and 2001 by soldiers from 52 different battalions: 83% were perpetrated by officers, 61% were gang rapes, and 25% ended in the murder of the victims. Many of the girls and women were raped repeatedly for periods of up to four months. These crimes took place within military bases and in forced relocation sites. Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that the use of rape by the Burmese military ended in 2001 as incidences have been documented this year. These crimes have been committed with impunity.

The report concludes that the Burmese military, as part of its campaign to bring ethnic areas under its control, officially condones rape as a "weapon of war" against civilian populations. To date, the Burmese military regime has categorically denied the report, given no indication that it intends to investigate the events alleged in the report and has sought to denounce and discredit its authors. Following pressure at the Asean Regional Forum, it has finally stated (as of 30 July) it will punish soldiers that rape.  The groups are urging governments to voice their concerns about the contents and findings of the report. They have also urged governments to request the UN Secretary-General to employ his good offices, through his Special Envoy Ambassador Razali Ismail, through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and through the Special Rapporteurs on the Human Rights Situation in Burma and Elimination of Violence Against Women, to investigate the contents and the findings of the report.

For more information, contact: Victoria Coakley, Burma UN Service Office – New York, Ph: 212 338 0048, Email: burma1un@igc.org.  The full text of the report is available at: http://www.shanland.org/shrf/License_to_Rape/license_to_rape.htm.

------------------------
Announcements
------------------------

- NGO COALITION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (CICC)

Position:  Program Director, CICC International Secretariat (full-time)
Location:  New York, New York
About The Coalition:  The CICC International Secretariat provides support and services to a network of over one thousand civil society organizations from all around the world, working together towards a common goal:  the establishment of a fair, effective and independent International Criminal Court (ICC).  The Court will be the first permanent Court with the mandate to bring to justice individuals who commit the most serious violations of international law, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. For further information about the Court and the work of the Coalition, visit our website at www.iccnow.org.

Responsibilities:  The Program Director works closely with the Executive Director to plan and raise funds for the Coalition's activities, oversee the daily work of approximately 20 staff in the New York office and coordinate with staff overseas to implement activities; manage a budget of approximately $2.5 million; assist with organizational development and office management; and handle personnel matters including primary responsibility for hiring, drafting contracts etc.  The Program Director also communicates regularly with the Coalition's Steering Committee and member organizations on strategic issues; liaises with governments and other stakeholders; takes media inquiries; and represents the organization at ICC meetings and conferences worldwide.

Qualifications: Post-graduate degree in political studies, law or related field; knowledge of international humanitarian law and exposure to International Criminal Court process; minimum 3 years of office and/or personnel management experience; NGO background; experience working in culturally diverse environment; additional languages to English preferred.

How To Apply:  Please send a cover letter, resume, and list of references to: Jayne Stoyles, Coalition for the International Criminal Court, 777 United Nations Plaza. 12th floor, New York, NY 10017; fax: +1  (212) 599-1332; e-mail:  cicc@iccnow.org.  No calls please.

- WOMEN AND ELECTIONS EXPERT

The Electoral Assistance Division of the UN Department Of Political Affairs (DPA) is looking for an expert in the field of elections to write a booklet on "Women and Elections". The booklet should cover women as voters, as candidates and as members of electoral committees. DPA wants to use this booklet to promote its electoral activities and stress the role of women in the electoral process. The person who will write the booklet will be given a short-term contract as a consultant for the duration of the exercice. For more information, please contact directly Ms. Robin Ludwig, Senior Political Affairs Officer, at (212) 963 5492. E-mail address: ludwig@un.org.

--------------
Calendar
---------------

1 September 2002
Peace Journalism Immersion Course with Radio for Peace International and the International Center for Human Rights in Media, Costa Rica.  
Ten Week Immersion Courses in Costa Rica with Elective Language Component Radio For Peace International and the International Center for Human Rights in Media have developed a course which serves 12-25 learners from all over the world per 10 week program. These students live and study in Costa Rica. Learners attend daily classes on peace related studies including social justice and human rights, ethics in journalism, the history of racism and xenophobia in media, researching and documenting intolerance in media, the research and writing of papers and articles for publication, production of radio programs based on the research. Classes are held in the student's language plus English and Spanish. Each learner is assigned a host family in Costa Rica and lives in the family home. For further information, contact: IPC - RFPI, SBO #66, P.O. Box 025292, Miami, FL 33102-5292, USA. Tel: +1 (506) 249 1821; Fax: +1 (506) 249 1095; Email: info@rfpi.org; Website: http://www.rfpi.org/ipc.html

4-8 September
Human Rights Lawyering and the ICC, a conference organized by Better Law Forum International. Abuja, Nigeria For more information, please contact: Ken Achufuna, via email: betterlawforum.int@justice.com or blfi_rcs@hotmail.com; or telephone: +234-80-230-96-397 or +234-90-406095

6-15 September 2002
Peace and Human Security Media Festival, the Center for Peace and Human Security in New York.   CPHS currently accepts submissions of films, radio and television programs, photographs, paintings, drawings, sculpture, theatrical and other performances, print journalism, music, computer software, websites, prose, and poetry on the subject of or contributing to international peace and human security. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2002. Simultaneously, the Center will host an International Conference on Peace and Human Security Media. CPHS currently accepts submissions of papers, panels, and posters on the role of the arts and news media for the promotion of international peace and human security. The deadline for these submissions is June 30, 2002. For more information, please contact the secretariat at: Center for Peace and Human Security, Columbia University Station, P.O. Box 250308, New York, New York 10025, Tel: (646) 342-0099, Fax: (212) 281-9269, Festival email: mediafestival@peaceandhumansecurity.org Conference email: mediaconference@peaceandhumansecurity.org

September 16th -20th 2002
II International Congress for Education, Science and Culture of Peace,
Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina . For Registration and Activities of the Congress in Buenos Aires City, Argentina, please consult the following web site: www.milmilenios.org.ar e-mail: info@milmilenios.org.ar

21 September 2002
The first Annual Global Cease-Fire Day, Hyde Park, London.    The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is working with Peace One Day (POD) to plan an event in London to celebrate the first Annual Global Cease-Fire Day on September 2002.Background to Peace One Day and to the remarkable story of how they have achieved the support of the United Nations. Internet: www.peaceoneday.org.

 

 

28-29 September 2002
Peace as a Global Language, Daito Bunka Kaikan, Daito Bunka University, Tokyo, Japan
Linguists, language teachers and other educators, researchers, activists, and students are expected to attend more than 50 workshops over two days. Bilingual English/Japanese.

 

 

30 September – 4 October 2002
Wilton Park Conference: Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Lessons learnt and best practice from Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Afghanistan, East Timor, Horn of Africa.   Speakers and workshop leaders include Sergio Vieira De Mello, Dennis McNamara, Lesley Abdela, Mukesh Kapila, Robin Ludwig, and Paul Collier Programme enquiries: Dr Roger Williamson email: roger.williamson@wiltonpark.org.uk Conference enquiries: http://www.wiltonpark.org or Stephanie Lelliott (Mrs) email: stephanie.lelliott@wiltonpark.org.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1903 817780 Fax: +44 (0) 1903 815333

1-3 October
First International Conference on Justice and Rights, organized by the Supreme Popular Tribunal of the Republic of Cuba. Havana, Cuba.    For more information, please contact Dr. Ortelio Juiz Prieto at: dietsp@ceniai.inf.cu or Migdelia Luna Cisneros at: migdelia@palco.cu

 

 

1-5 October 2002
International Seminar: The Rights of the Child: What About Girls?”, Sion, Switzerland.  International Institute for the Rights of the Child in collaboration with UNICEF Switzerland, the Comittee on the Rights of the Child and the IAJFCM.  More information is available at website: www.childsrights.org and email: ide@iukb.ch

 

2-3 October, 2002, Lagos, Nigeria
Conference on Causes, Prevention and Elimination of Conflicts Between Nations
The Nigerian organizations Concerned Citizens for Peace and Progress and Art Kingdom Institute will be hosting this conference as a follow-up to the Nigeria Independence Anniversary. If interested contact: ccppinternational1@yahoo.com

 

3-6 October 2002
Re-inventing Globalization, Guadalajara, Mexico
The Association for Women's Rights in Development presents The 9th International Forum on WOMEN'S RIGHTS and DEVELOPMENT: RE-INVENTING GLOBALIZATION . How can we re-invent globalization to further the rights of all women? The 9th international AWID Forum will take an innovative approach to this central question. We'll go beyond the all too familiar critique of globalization to examine what we really see as alternatives and how we translate these alternative visions into realities. Deadline for Submission 31 December, 2001. For further details contact: forum@awid.org


25 October, 2002
10th Annual African Studies Consortium Workshop Announcement: "War and Peace in Contemporary Africa
" University of Pennsylvania Campus.   The African Studies Consortium (comprised of the University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore) is soliciting presentations that address War and Peace in Contemporary Africa, inviting scholars and practitioners to explore this issue. Submissions from the humanities and social sciences that examine this issue in ways that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries are especially welcome. For more information email: pkaiser@sas.upenn.edu

25-26 October 2002
Conference: "Globalization, Justice and the Trafficking of Women and Children"
University of Washington, Seattle, USA
Request more information from awid@awid.org

October 18-20, 2002
NGO Strategy Summit: Moving from "What to How"
The NGO Strategy Summit will be a gathering of key disarmament activists and experts from various regions of the world to review the current and upcoming work of the First Committee and other fora that deal with both nuclear disarmament and prevention of an arms race in outer space. We will also be examining the current political climate with a view to enhancing civil society influence, formulating joint projects, and improving information flow. Organized by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom's project Reaching Critical Will, for all NGOs focused on disarmament, or that would like to focus more on disarmament. October 18-20, 2002, during the General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security at United Nations Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, 2nd Floor, New York For more information contact: emily@reachingcriticalwill.org

#########