ICC welcomes UK contribution for relocating at-risk persons in Kenya
THE HAGUE, Netherlands, November 26, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The International Criminal Court thanks the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for its generous contribution of £200,000.00 to the Special Fund of the Court on relocations, which was finalised today with the signature of an Understanding between His Excellency, Paul Arkwright, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Registrar of the Court, Ms Silvana Arbia.
This generous contribution by the United Kingdom is earmarked for relocations of persons at risk in Kenya, where on 31 March, 2010 Pre-Trial Chamber II granted the Prosecution authorisation to open an investigation proprio motu. Although earmarking remains the exception, as the Court has the vocation to protect all victims and witnesses in all situations over which it has jurisdiction, this donation constitutes an important gesture towards the victims and witnesses of post-election violence in Kenya, and towards international justice and the common fight against impunity.
Before signing the Understanding, the Registrar noted that “by making a substantial donation to the Special Fund, the United Kingdom stands as an example to other States’ willingness to support victims and witnesses who are at risk on account of their interaction with the Court”. His Excellency the Ambassador stated that “The UK supports the Court’s work, with the Kenyan Government, to promote justice for the many victims of the post-election violence. We welcome the Kenyan Government’s cooperation with the Court on this case. The UK agrees with the ICC Chief Prosecutor that Kenya, with the Court’s assistance, has an opportunity to restore its image and lead the way globally on approaches to the restoration of justice and challenging impunity. This funding underlines the UK’s commitment to a successful investigation in Kenya and the importance of protecting those at risk. The Court’s witness protection programme should help encourage witnesses to be more confident in contributing to the investigation, assisting the goal of accountability that the victims and others have been campaigning for. We remain concerned about continuing reports of witness intimidation and official interference. Those who attempt to subvert the search for justice should be aware that they also could find themselves accountable for their actions in The Hague.”
The purpose of the Special Fund is to assist States Parties that are willing to host witnesses at risk but are not in a position to finance such support, and aims at fostering regional solutions for the relocation of witnesses at risk, thereby reducing the impact of relocations on their life. Using such arrangements, the Court also seeks to galvanize cooperation partners into strengthening national capacity to protect witnesses in such regional states. This new modality developed by the Registry is complementary, and does not replace traditional Framework Agreements on Relocations, which are still very much needed by the Court.
For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Associate Legal Outreach Officer, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or by e-mail at: fadi.el-abdallah@icc-cpi.int.
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SOURCE
International Criminal Court (ICC)
