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Informal Daily Summary from the ASP: Wednesday, 8 December 2010

08 Dec 2010

Dear all,

The ninth session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) continued today in New York, USA.

This message includes a short summary of developments in the ASP plenary session (I), side events (II), related documents (III) as well as related news coverage (IV).

>From 6 - 10 December 2010, representatives from each of the 114 ICC member states are gathering to address and make decisions on numerous issues that are central to the Court's operations.

The ASP is a pivotal event for the Coalition for the ICC, which has participated in ASP sessions for well over a decade. More than 150 NGO representatives are attending the ninth ASP to monitor key issues at stake, including the necessary follow-up to the June 2010 ICC Review Conference, the ICC budget, cooperation with the ICC, oversight mechanisms and the upcoming judicial and prosecutorial elections, among other issues. NGOs will contribute to discussions through side events, advocacy meetings, press conferences and the submission of position papers from the Coalition's issue-based teams.

The various papers produced by Coalition teams as well as individual members' recommendations to the ASP are available on the Coalition's website at: http://coalitionfortheicc.org/?mod=asp9

Official ASP documents and journals can be found on the ICC-ASP website at: http://www.icc-cpi.int/nr/exeres/f16c9b3e-55a6-4989-8987-f57125a0d306.htm

Pictures of the event are posted on the Coalition's Flickr account at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/coalitionforicc/

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need further information.

Regards,

CICC Secretariat
www.coalitionfortheicc.org

***********************
CICC ASP9 INFORMAL SUMMARY: WEDNESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2010

I. PLENARY SESSION

Todays plenary began with informal consultations of the Working Group on the Budget, focusing prinicipally on the funding associated with the African Union Liaison Office. Informal consultations on the Liaison Office continued in the afternoon and also focused on the retention of the post for Deputy Prosecutor of Investigations; and the creation of a voluntary fund for family visits of detainees.

To read the paper of the Coalition's Budget Team, see: http://www.iccnow.org/documents/CICC_Budget_and_Finance_Team_Paper__30Nov2010.pdf

Discussions in the plenary continued with informal consultations on the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM). The IOM is a mechanism established to investigate allegations of misconduct by ICC staff, elected officials and contractors, as well as to inspect and evaluate the Court in order to enhance its efficiency and economy. Discussions focused in particular on the mandate for the investigative function of the IOM and will continue tomorrow.

To read the paper issued by the Coalition's IOM Team, see: http://coalitionfortheicc.org/documents/CICC_IOM_Team_Paper.pdf

A meeting of the Working Group on Amendments (WGA) was followed by informal consultations on cooperation, chaired by the Cooperation Facilitator, wherein a number of States Parties took the floor to acknowledge the importance of discussions on non-cooperation and the tools required for the ASP to discharge its responsibilities in that regard.

Informal consultations continued on follow-up to the June 2010 ICC Review Conference, with interventions from the Focal Points on the issues of the impact of the Rome Statute system on victims and affected communities, complementarity and pledges.

Read the Report of the Bureau on the impact of the Rome Statute system on victims and affected communities: http://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/ICC-ASP-9-25-ENG.pdf

Read the Report of the Bureau on complementarity: http://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/ICC-ASP-9-26-ENG.pdf

ASP Vice President Ambassador Lomónaco also presented a proposed draft Resolution on the Establishment of a Study Group on Governance.

Informal consultations on Cooperation continued in the afternoon, during which Richard Dicker from Human Rights Watch was invited to present on behalf of the Coalition for the ICC.

To read the paper of the Coalition's Cooperation Team, see: http://coalitionfortheicc.org/documents/CICC_Cooperation_Team_Paper.pdf

States also held informal consultations on the omnibus resolution, formally titled "Strengthening the International Criminal Court and the Assembly of States Parties".

II. SIDE EVENTS

The Permanent missions of Germany and South Africa co-organized the launch of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) Fall 2010 Programme Progress Report. This report – "Learning from the TFV's Second Mandate: From Implementing Rehabilitation Assistance to Reparations" – provides an update on the TFV's active projects in the situations of northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The report builds on the TFV's field experience and results from our survey of 2,600 victims receiving assistance in both situations to reflect on lessons learned for Court-ordered reparations.

Read the TFV Fall 2010 Programme Progress Report: http://www.trustfundforvictims.org/sites/default/files/imce/TFV Programme Report Fall 2010.pdf

The event featured presentations given by Pieter de Baan, Executive Director, TFV Secretariat; and Kristin Kalla, Senior Program Officer, TFV Secretariat. Opening and closing remarks were given by Elisabeth Rehn, Chair of the Board of Directors of TFV; and H.E. Andries Nel, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of South Africa. Panelists discussed TFV activities and the results of victims' impact research in the DRC and Northern Uganda.

Read more on the Trust Fund for Victims at: http://www.trustfundforvictims.org/

Belgium hosted a side-event on "Implementation of ICC Agreements on the enforcement of sentences: Maintaining family links and ICRC visits to detainees". Speakers included Cristina Pellandini of the ICRC, Dahirou Sant-Anna of the ICC Office of the Registrar, and Miia Aro-Sanchez, the former facilitator for the 8th ASP Resolution on Family visits for indigent detainees.

Finally, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) gave a presentation on preliminary examination activities. Speaking on behalf of the OTP, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo discussed situations currently under preliminary investigation by the Court and OTP's Policy Paper on Preliminary Examinations, which seeks to explain how the Office undertakes its preliminary examinations. The OTP has made public that it is examining at least nine situations on four continents, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Georgia, Guinea, Palestine, Nigeria, Honduras, and the Republic of Korea.

To read more on Preliminary Examinations, visit the Court's website at: http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC/Structure+of+the+Court/Office+of+the+Prosecutor/Comm+and+Ref/ and read the OTP Draft Policy Paper on Preliminary Examinations at: http://www.icc-cpi.int/NR/rdonlyres/E278F5A2-A4F9-43D7-83D2-6A2C9CF5D7D7/282515/OTP_Draftpolicypaperonpreliminaryexaminations04101.pdf

III. RELATED DOCUMENTS

1. Statement by President Juan Manuel Santos, the President of the Republic of Colombia, at the opening of the ASP, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-JuanManuelSantos-SPA.pdf [Spanish]

2. Statement by Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the opening of the ASP, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-BanKi-moon-ENG.pdf

3. Statement by Judge Sang-Hyun Song, President of the ICC, at the opening of the ASP, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-SangHyunSong-ENG.pdf

4. Statement by Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the ICC, at the opening of the ASP, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-LuisMorenoOcampo-ENG.pdf

5. Statement by Ms. Elisabeth Rehn, the Chair of the Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims, at the opening of the ICC, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-ElisabethRehn-ENG.pdf

6. "President Song met with Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia", ICC Press Office, 8 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/NR/exeres/88408E60-D76B-461D-9A35-B7E53E954494.htm

7. "The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute opens its ninth session", ICC Press Office, 7 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/NR/exeres/07051FB4-62D9-4BC5-AD01-8D03BC826F8E.htm

8. "United States Addresses ICC Assembly at United Nations", AMICC, 7 December 2010, http://amicc.blogspot.com/2010/12/united-states-addresses-icc-assembly-at.html

IV. NEWS COVERAGE

1. "ICC leaders meet to discuss new budget", by Hank Flyn, Press TV, 8 December 2010, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/154454.html

2. "On Sri Lanka, ICC Prosecution "Could Be an Option" for State Party Nationals", by Matthew Russell Lee, Inner City Press, 7 December 2010, http://www.innercitypress.com/icc1sri120710.html

3. "Strengthen Fight Against Impunity through ICC, Ban Tells States Parties", UN News/The Mail (Ghana), 8 December 2010, http://accra-mail.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29090:strengthen-fight-against-impunity-through-icc-ban-tells-states-parties&catid=66:world&Itemid=215

4. "Colombia will fight against impunity" ["Colombia luchará contra la impunidad"], El Nuevo Herald/EFE, 7 December 2010, http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2010/12/07/849588/colombia-luchara-contra-la-impunidad.html

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News Browse by Region Media Digests Country Updates UN Excerpts on the ICC Updates of the Assembly Browse by Region		Informal Daily Summary from the ASP: Wednesday, 8 December 2010 08 Dec 2010 Dear all, The ninth session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) continued today in New York, USA. This message includes a short summary of developments in the ASP plenary session (I), side events (II), related documents (III) as well as related news coverage (IV). >From 6 - 10 December 2010, representatives from each of the 114 ICC member states are gathering to address and make decisions on numerous issues that are central to the Court's operations. The ASP is a pivotal event for the Coalition for the ICC, which has participated in ASP sessions for well over a decade. More than 150 NGO representatives are attending the ninth ASP to monitor key issues at stake, including the necessary follow-up to the June 2010 ICC Review Conference, the ICC budget, cooperation with the ICC, oversight mechanisms and the upcoming judicial and prosecutorial elections, among other issues. NGOs will contribute to discussions through side events, advocacy meetings, press conferences and the submission of position papers from the Coalition's issue-based teams. The various papers produced by Coalition teams as well as individual members' recommendations to the ASP are available on the Coalition's website at: http://coalitionfortheicc.org/?mod=asp9 Official ASP documents and journals can be found on the ICC-ASP website at: http://www.icc-cpi.int/nr/exeres/f16c9b3e-55a6-4989-8987-f57125a0d306.htm Pictures of the event are posted on the Coalition's Flickr account at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/coalitionforicc/ Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need further information. Regards, CICC Secretariat www.coalitionfortheicc.org *********************** CICC ASP9 INFORMAL SUMMARY: WEDNESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2010 I. PLENARY SESSION Todays plenary began with informal consultations of the Working Group on the Budget, focusing prinicipally on the funding associated with the African Union Liaison Office. Informal consultations on the Liaison Office continued in the afternoon and also focused on the retention of the post for Deputy Prosecutor of Investigations; and the creation of a voluntary fund for family visits of detainees. To read the paper of the Coalition's Budget Team, see: http://www.iccnow.org/documents/CICC_Budget_and_Finance_Team_Paper__30Nov2010.pdf Discussions in the plenary continued with informal consultations on the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM). The IOM is a mechanism established to investigate allegations of misconduct by ICC staff, elected officials and contractors, as well as to inspect and evaluate the Court in order to enhance its efficiency and economy. Discussions focused in particular on the mandate for the investigative function of the IOM and will continue tomorrow. To read the paper issued by the Coalition's IOM Team, see: http://coalitionfortheicc.org/documents/CICC_IOM_Team_Paper.pdf A meeting of the Working Group on Amendments (WGA) was followed by informal consultations on cooperation, chaired by the Cooperation Facilitator, wherein a number of States Parties took the floor to acknowledge the importance of discussions on non-cooperation and the tools required for the ASP to discharge its responsibilities in that regard. Informal consultations continued on follow-up to the June 2010 ICC Review Conference, with interventions from the Focal Points on the issues of the impact of the Rome Statute system on victims and affected communities, complementarity and pledges. Read the Report of the Bureau on the impact of the Rome Statute system on victims and affected communities: http://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/ICC-ASP-9-25-ENG.pdf Read the Report of the Bureau on complementarity: http://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/ICC-ASP-9-26-ENG.pdf ASP Vice President Ambassador Lomónaco also presented a proposed draft Resolution on the Establishment of a Study Group on Governance. Informal consultations on Cooperation continued in the afternoon, during which Richard Dicker from Human Rights Watch was invited to present on behalf of the Coalition for the ICC. To read the paper of the Coalition's Cooperation Team, see: http://coalitionfortheicc.org/documents/CICC_Cooperation_Team_Paper.pdf States also held informal consultations on the omnibus resolution, formally titled "Strengthening the International Criminal Court and the Assembly of States Parties". II. SIDE EVENTS The Permanent missions of Germany and South Africa co-organized the launch of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) Fall 2010 Programme Progress Report. This report – "Learning from the TFV's Second Mandate: From Implementing Rehabilitation Assistance to Reparations" – provides an update on the TFV's active projects in the situations of northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The report builds on the TFV's field experience and results from our survey of 2,600 victims receiving assistance in both situations to reflect on lessons learned for Court-ordered reparations. Read the TFV Fall 2010 Programme Progress Report: http://www.trustfundforvictims.org/sites/default/files/imce/TFV Programme Report Fall 2010.pdf The event featured presentations given by Pieter de Baan, Executive Director, TFV Secretariat; and Kristin Kalla, Senior Program Officer, TFV Secretariat. Opening and closing remarks were given by Elisabeth Rehn, Chair of the Board of Directors of TFV; and H.E. Andries Nel, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of South Africa. Panelists discussed TFV activities and the results of victims' impact research in the DRC and Northern Uganda. Read more on the Trust Fund for Victims at: http://www.trustfundforvictims.org/ Belgium hosted a side-event on "Implementation of ICC Agreements on the enforcement of sentences: Maintaining family links and ICRC visits to detainees". Speakers included Cristina Pellandini of the ICRC, Dahirou Sant-Anna of the ICC Office of the Registrar, and Miia Aro-Sanchez, the former facilitator for the 8th ASP Resolution on Family visits for indigent detainees. Finally, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) gave a presentation on preliminary examination activities. Speaking on behalf of the OTP, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo discussed situations currently under preliminary investigation by the Court and OTP's Policy Paper on Preliminary Examinations, which seeks to explain how the Office undertakes its preliminary examinations. The OTP has made public that it is examining at least nine situations on four continents, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Georgia, Guinea, Palestine, Nigeria, Honduras, and the Republic of Korea. To read more on Preliminary Examinations, visit the Court's website at: http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC/Structure+of+the+Court/Office+of+the+Prosecutor/Comm+and+Ref/ and read the OTP Draft Policy Paper on Preliminary Examinations at: http://www.icc-cpi.int/NR/rdonlyres/E278F5A2-A4F9-43D7-83D2-6A2C9CF5D7D7/282515/OTP_Draftpolicypaperonpreliminaryexaminations04101.pdf III. RELATED DOCUMENTS 1. Statement by President Juan Manuel Santos, the President of the Republic of Colombia, at the opening of the ASP, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-JuanManuelSantos-SPA.pdf [Spanish] 2. Statement by Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the opening of the ASP, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-BanKi-moon-ENG.pdf 3. Statement by Judge Sang-Hyun Song, President of the ICC, at the opening of the ASP, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-SangHyunSong-ENG.pdf 4. Statement by Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the ICC, at the opening of the ASP, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-LuisMorenoOcampo-ENG.pdf 5. Statement by Ms. Elisabeth Rehn, the Chair of the Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims, at the opening of the ICC, 6 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ASP9/Statements/ICC-ASP9-statements-ElisabethRehn-ENG.pdf 6. "President Song met with Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia", ICC Press Office, 8 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/NR/exeres/88408E60-D76B-461D-9A35-B7E53E954494.htm 7. "The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute opens its ninth session", ICC Press Office, 7 December 2010, http://icc-cpi.int/NR/exeres/07051FB4-62D9-4BC5-AD01-8D03BC826F8E.htm 8. "United States Addresses ICC Assembly at United Nations", AMICC, 7 December 2010, http://amicc.blogspot.com/2010/12/united-states-addresses-icc-assembly-at.html IV. NEWS COVERAGE 1. "ICC leaders meet to discuss new budget", by Hank Flyn, Press TV, 8 December 2010, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/154454.html 2. "On Sri Lanka, ICC Prosecution "Could Be an Option" for State Party Nationals", by Matthew Russell Lee, Inner City Press, 7 December 2010, http://www.innercitypress.com/icc1sri120710.html 3. "Strengthen Fight Against Impunity through ICC, Ban Tells States Parties", UN News/The Mail (Ghana), 8 December 2010, http://accra-mail.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29090:strengthen-fight-against-impunity-through-icc-ban-tells-states-parties&catid=66:world&Itemid=215 4. "Colombia will fight against impunity" ["Colombia luchará contra la impunidad"], El Nuevo Herald/EFE, 7 December 2010, http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2010/12/07/849588/colombia-luchara-contra-la-impunidad.html