Richard Dicker
Director, International Justice Program, Human Rights Watch
Lecture Topic beginning January 15, 2013
UN Security Council Lecture Question
How should the relationship between the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Security Council be changed, if at all, to advance international justice?
Comment on the Security Council Lecture Question: “How should the relationship between the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Security Council be changed, if at all, to advance international justice?”
I definitely think that the relationship between the ICC and the UNSC needs to change in order to advance international justice, but it won't be easy. For starters, I think both organizations are seriously flawed and need a lot of work. When countries like the US, for starters, can do whatever they please (in all reality) without regard to what the UNSC or ICC may ultimately want or say, then you know you have an organization that has more bark than bite. Of course the US wants to be seen in a positive light and does not try to deviate from the international norms, but at the end of the day we will do what we want to do. Until the US and other major powers buy in to what the UNSC and the ICC are trying to do, they will be little more than figure head organizations taking down those who are weak, but leaving the powerful exempt. Having the ICC more judicial in nature and the UNSC more political also needs to change. I think both can work together and in a sense join sides. If they want to be effective, they will need to act together. The US judicial courts would not function without the government enforcing the law. Why would an international court function that way then? Of course the UNSC can't really enforce any laws either, but they seek to maintain international peace and when that is broken, the obvious answer is to send to violator to the ICC. I think the more integration of the organizations we get leads to more effectiveness and international respect.
Comment on the Security Council Lecture Question: “How should the relationship between the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Security Council be changed, if at all, to advance international justice?”
I definitely think that the relationship between the ICC and the UNSC needs to change in order to advance international justice, but it won't be easy. For starters, I think both organizations are seriously flawed and need a lot of work. When countries like the US, for starters, can do whatever they please (in all reality) without regard to what the UNSC or ICC may ultimately want or say, then you know you have an organization that has more bark than bite. Of course the US wants to be seen in a positive light and does not try to deviate from the international norms, but at the end of the day we will do what we want to do. Until the US and other major powers buy in to what the UNSC and the ICC are trying to do, they will be little more than figure head organizations taking down those who are weak, but leaving the powerful exempt. Having the ICC more judicial in nature and the UNSC more political also needs to change. I think both can work together and in a sense join sides. If they want to be effective, they will need to act together. The US judicial courts would not function without the government enforcing the law. Why would an international court function that way then? Of course the UNSC can't really enforce any laws either, but they seek to maintain international peace and when that is broken, the obvious answer is to send to violator to the ICC. I think the more integration of the organizations we get leads to more effectiveness and international respect.