One-fifth of Cambodia’s population is wiped out by murder, starvation, and disease. An estimated 800,000 Rwandans are slaughtered over 100 days. Tens of thousands of women are raped during the war in Bosnia.
These horrendous crimes shock the conscience of humanity. International criminal courts are one way for the world to address such violations of human dignity. International courts not only give voice and power back to the victims, but they are often the only hope left for people seeking justice when states have failed to protect them.
Pursuing justice on the world stage sends a powerful message that the international community will not tolerate impunity. In these courts, the individuals suspected of orchestrating mass atrocities including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes must account for their actions.
Despite the rapid pace of developments in international justice in recent years—the United Nation’s Yugoslav and Rwanda tribunals were created in 1993 and 1994; the permanent International Criminal Court was launched in 2002—many courts still have only limited funding, staff, and expertise. Also, unlike state and local courts that work hand in hand with law enforcement agencies, international courts may not have the local support needed to facilitate investigations and arrests.
The Open Society Justice Initiative supports international justice by working on various aspects of these fledgling institutions. It monitors courts to ensure the fairness and effectiveness of investigations, prosecutions, and trials, and it works to bring information about courtroom events to diplomats who control the purse-strings and to affected populations—many of whom are often thousands of miles away. It provides advice and training to court officials, and to groups on the ground working with them. Through its technical support, public advocacy, and critical, practical analysis, the Justice Initiative seeks to build broader constituencies for the global idea of international justice, which continues to face daunting challenges.
