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Internacional, ,

Existen cuatro crímenes execrables que conmocionan las conciencias de la mayoría de los seres humanos: genocidio, crímenes de guerra, depuración étnica y crímenes de lesa humanidad. Se han cometido desde el inicio de los tiempos. Tras la Primera Guerra Mundial hubo reacciones ante los horrores vividos. Vividos de nuevo durante la segunda, la Carta de Naciones Unidas recogió en 1945 estas preocupaciones. En los años ochenta y noventa del pasado siglo diversos gobiernos apoyaron el llamado derecho de injerencia (ascendido por algunos a deber) en los Estados que cometieran los crímenes en cuestión. No obstante, no fue hasta 2005, año en que la Asamblea General de la ONU convocó una cumbre sobre el tema, que todos los miembros de la Organización aprobaron por unanimidad la doctrina de la Responsabilidad de Proteger (RdP), diseñada para poner coto a los crímenes atroces.…  Seguir leyendo »

Internacional,

Since the International Criminal Court became operational in 2002, we have witnessed an unprecedented integration between peace and security and international justice.

The I.C.C. Office of the Prosecutor is investigating and prosecuting cases in eight situations — Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Darfur, Kenya, Libya, Ivory Coast and Mali. The Office has also made a substantial contribution to international peace and security by proactively collecting information and monitoring situations under preliminary examination, including those in Guinea, Georgia, Colombia, Honduras, Korea, Nigeria and Afghanistan.

Yet despite this, we consistently hear voices questioning whether perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide should always be prosecuted.…  Seguir leyendo »

Internacional,

The International Criminal Court made headlines last week by pronouncing its first sentence, on Thomas Lubanga, a former Congolese warlord who forced children into combat. A decade after the I.C.C. opened its doors, the completion of its first trial marked a major milestone in the development of international justice.

But even as the I.C.C. savors this achievement, the court is struggling to deal with growing demands for justice that it can’t satisfy. The I.C.C. has the capacity to try only a handful of perpetrators in any conflict. Though Lubanga has been convicted, many who committed rape and murder remain at large, limiting the court’s deterrent impact.…  Seguir leyendo »

Internacional,

Tomorrow the international criminal court begins an important new chapter when the Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda takes over as prosecutor. Having served as the court's deputy prosecutor for the past nine years, Bensouda has solid credentials. Even so, she has a tough assignment ahead. Lately it has become fashionable to criticise the court, particularly for taking too long and costing too much. As Bensouda begins her nine-year term, it is also time for a more constructive dialogue on our future vision of international justice.

International justice is not cheap – the court's budget for 2012 is over €100m. But consider just some of the returns on our investment since 1993 when the UN security council created the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia – the first international war crimes tribunal since Nuremberg.…  Seguir leyendo »

Internacional,

International criminal justice grinds slowly, but it can grind exceedingly small. Charles Taylor was first indicted in 2003 for crimes against humanity, in a UN court over which I presided. Then, he strutted the world stage as a head of state. Ghana refused our request to arrest him when he visited, and Nigeria gave him refuge for several years. There was a general expectation that he would escape trial, but the whirligig of time brings its changes and revenges: Taylor was sentenced to 50 years imprisonment, for aiding and abetting 11 kinds of war crimes and crimes against humanity – ranging from terrorism, rape and murder of civilians, to recruiting child soldiers and child sex slaves.…  Seguir leyendo »

Internacional,

Ten years ago, when the treaty creating the International Criminal Court took effect, the prospect of holding heads of state and powerful warlords to account for mass slaughter seemed like science fiction.

Today the signs carried by Syrian protesters demanding “Assad to The Hague” are powerful testimony that the court is making its presence felt.

But as the I.C.C.’s influence grows, its promise of impartial justice for the world’s worst crimes is at risk of being undercut by international politics.

The I.C.C. has committed its share of missteps. Some are performance problems of its own making. At the same time, it runs the toxic risk of appearing to be used to advance the political objectives of powerful states.…  Seguir leyendo »

InternacionalOrden Mundial,

El expresidente de Costa de Marfil, Laurent Gbagbo, ha sido trasladado a la prisión de la Corte Penal Internacional en La Haya. Es la primera vez que este Tribunal detiene a un jefe de Estado. ¿Quiere decir eso que la justicia internacional empieza, por fin, a imponerse en todas partes, que la era de la impunidad ha llegado a su fin y los poderosos del mundo deben temblar?

Una pequeña matización que añadir al entusiasmo suscitado por esta noticia es que debemos tener en cuenta la geografía de los procesamientos. Desde su creación en 2002, el Tribunal se ha hecho cargo de siete situaciones, todas vinculadas a países africanos: Uganda, la República Democrática del Congo, la República Centroafricana, Sudán, Kenia, Costa de Marfil, Libia.…  Seguir leyendo »

InternacionalOrden Mundial,

La detención de Radovan Karadzic, su puesta a disposición del Tribunal Penal para la ex-Yugoslavia (TPIY) y la apertura de investigaciones por parte del Tribunal Penal Internacional (TPI) contra el presidente de Sudán, Omar Al-Bashir, han avivado el debate sobre la utilidad y la eficacia de una justicia penal internacional.

Es importante no confundir el TPI, establecido en el 2002, que atiende casos de genocidio, crímenes de guerra y contra la humanidad cometidos por individualidades, con el Tribunal Internacional de Justicia (TIJ) de Naciones Unidas creado en 1945, que dirime conflictos entre estados.

La guerra fría impidió avanzar en la idea de una corte penal internacional.…  Seguir leyendo »