Title: 

Candidates sought to advance promise to victims of ICC crimes

Topics
Victims first
Trust Fund for Victims
Reparations
05 June 2015

 

ICC member states have until 11 August to put forward candidates to serve on the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) board of directors. The election will take place at the annual meeting of the ICC’s governing body, the Assembly of States Parties in November 2015.

What is the Trust Fund for Victims?

The ICC seeks to deliver justice for victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Unlike any other international criminal tribunal, the ICC also envisages justice that is restorative as well as retributive. The Trust Fund for Victims (TVF) is a cornerstone in this promise.

The TFV is mandated by the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty, to support and implement programmes that address harms resulting from ICC crimes. It does so in two ways:

  • Implementing Court-ordered reparations against a convicted person and;
  • Providing physical, psychological, and material support to victims and their families, through voluntary contributions from donors.

https://twitter.com/AmnestyCIJ/status/580294033882423296

Why are TFV directors important?

Serving as a TVF board member requires great commitment and availability. Each member serves in an individual capacity on a pro-bono basis.

The board of directors is responsible for managing the TVF. It oversees the Fund’s secretariat and directs its activities, projects and resources.

Previous board members include Nobel Peace prize laureates, former heads of state and prime ministers, and royalty. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Queen Rania of Jordan, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, and Simone Veil are among those to have served.

Directors are also the Fund’s ambassadors and play a pivotal role to play in fundraising. The Trust Fund is dependent on voluntary donations.

Following the first final ICC reparations order in March this year in the case against Thomas Lubanga, the Trust Fund will implement its reparations mandate for the first time.

Who can be nominated?

The Rome Statute stipulates that board members must be of high moral character, impartiality and integrity and have competence in the assistance to victims of grave crimes.

Empathy and understanding of a victims plight is also indispensable. Members should be elected on the basis of equitable geographical representation and gender balance.

We are also calling on states to nominate candidates that together will form a board that has:

  • The capacity to raise substantial funds;
  • Experience in working with victims of mass crimes, or, at minimum, the ability to understand the complexity of their situation and victimization, including victims of sexual and gender based violence;
  • Sound management skills and a good understanding of financial issues while also exercising oversight over the Fund’s activities and projects.

Who is currently on the TVF Board?

The Board is currently composed of:

  • Sayeman Bula-Bula (Democratic Republic of Congo);
  • Motoo Noguchi (Japan);
  • Vaira Vike-Freiberga (Latvia);
  • Denys Toscano Amores (Equador) and;
  • Elisabeth Rehn (Finland).

Ms. Vike-Freiberga and Ms Rehn are serving their second mandate and cannot be re-elected again.

Where can I find more information?

The Trust Fund’s website has a lot of information on its work and the work of the board, testimonials from victim survivors and information how to donate to the Fund.

Our website has additional reosurces and will have information on nominations as they roll in.

Have your say – who do you think should be on the TVF board?