Fatou Bensouda - Why the ICC matters and why it is here to stay

IIEA Talks

In her keynote address, Prosecutor of the ICC, Dr. Fatou Bensouda, argues that accountability for atrocity crimes and the evolving system of international criminal justice, with the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) as its nucleus, are essential for a rules-based global order. She shares her thoughts on the status of the ICC today, its international impact, and the need for international support for its crucial work to prioritise the plight of victims. She also reflects on her legacy as Prosecutor of the ICC as her term comes to a conclusion this summer. She discusses the achievements of her Office during the past nine years, as well as its setbacks, along with contemporary challenges and future opportunities. As part of the IIEA's Global Europe project, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs, this webinar is open to the public. About the Speaker: Mrs. Fatou Bensouda is the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), having assumed office in 2012. In 2011, she was elected by consensus by the Assembly of States Parties to serve in this capacity. Mrs Bensouda was nominated and supported as the sole African candidate for election to the post by the African Union. She is the first woman to serve as the Prosecutor of the ICC. Between 1987 and 2000, Mrs. Bensouda was successively Senior State Counsel, Principal State Counsel, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Solicitor General and Legal Secretary of the Republic of the Gambia, and Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in which capacity she served as Chief Legal Advisor to the President and Cabinet of The Republic of The Gambia. Her international career as a non-government civil servant formally began at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she worked as a Legal Adviser and Trial Attorney before rising to the position of Senior Legal Advisor and Head of the Legal Advisory Unit (2002 to 2004), after which she joined the ICC as the Court’s first Deputy Prosecutor. Recorded on the 17th of February 2021