A different perspective on combatting core international crimes

Peter ten Hove
01 oktober 2020

This month:

  • Romeo Dallaire on prevention and integration of disciplines
  • Books & articles
  • Films
  • Interesting publications

Preventing core international crimes

On the occassion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, general Romeo Dallaire made a compelling statement. The blue-helmets commandor during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda addressed the following issues:

  • the international community’s reactive focus on resolving conflicts, which requires conflicts before producing solutions
  • the need for a radical new framework, based not in resolving conflicts, but in preventing them
  • steps so far that have failed from being implemented in a robust and effective way

He therefore suggested the following:

  • a radical change in how we view humanity and the abuses on human beings
  • a revolutionary integration of disciplines (security forces, diplomats, NGOs, social workers, academics) working in concert for innovative solutions that ensure engagement
  • a model that not only serves well in global conflicts, but in all of our increasingly borderless, critically urgent crises

Books & articles

  • International Criminal Law and Border Control: the expressive role of deportation and extradition of genocide suspects to Rwanda. Nicola Palmer.
  • Researching perpetrators of genocide. Edited by Kjell Anderson & Erin Jessee.
  • Women as War Criminals. Gender, agency, and justice. Izabela Stefelja & Jessica Trisko Darden.

Films

  • Quo Vadis, Aida? A Bosnian film on the “Safe Haven” Srebrenica, the role of the UN Blue Helmets “Dutchbat” and the events that lead to the killing of 8372 mostly civilians by the Bosnian Serb Army.

Publications

  • The European Union (EU) has published its 3rd report “On the EU guidelines on promoting compliance with international humanitarian law“. The guidelines, adopted by the European Council in 2005, were updated in 2009. They provide an overview of the means of action at the disposal of the EU in its relations with third countries and guidance for understanding IHL rules and principles. The EU is the only regional organisation that has adopted guidelines on promoting compliance with IHL.
  • On 30 september 2020 the “Independent Expert Review of the International Criminal Court and the Rome Statute System” was published.