Convener Pace says so himself that he is not a legal expert and instead approaches the topic from a lens of the political architecture of developing strategic networks to impact international democracy evolution. I had some foresight then, that his take on the ICC would be from a different perspective than we’d seen thus far. I appreciated his argument that the ICC is an organization that can effectively promote peace, though disagreed with it only slightly. He moved further to explain that the ICC deserves to receive funding proportional to that of the UN, and organization that in comparison to the ICC, works against the promotion of peace and encourages aggression.
I believe that an image of an ICC whose purpose and impact has been to advance peace around the world is a bit idealistic. The ICC works towards and promotes peace, yes, though it has rarely been able to realistically secure it. A record of only 1 acquittal and 1 acquisition in the last decade are evidence enough of the ICC’s inability to prove its effectiveness in actually advancing world peace. By the Rome Statute, the ICC is to focus its intent on prosecuting individuals who have committed crimes against humanity, and through this process its advancement of world peace can be fulfilled. For this reason, I consider the ICC on a trajectory to understand how to better advance world peace, though at this point do not believe the Court can justifiably say that they advance world peace, and instead understand that they promote it. As of now, the intent to establish world peace is a symbol. I’d argue that until the ICC can successfully try those that they call to prosecution in the Court, their purpose to affect world peace is not yet a tangible reality.
William R. Pace
Convenor; Coalition for the ICC (CICC)
Comment on the Peace Lecture Question: “To what extent can the ICC advance peace around the world?”
Convener Pace says so himself that he is not a legal expert and instead approaches the topic from a lens of the political architecture of developing strategic networks to impact international democracy evolution. I had some foresight then, that his take on the ICC would be from a different perspective than we’d seen thus far. I appreciated his argument that the ICC is an organization that can effectively promote peace, though disagreed with it only slightly. He moved further to explain that the ICC deserves to receive funding proportional to that of the UN, and organization that in comparison to the ICC, works against the promotion of peace and encourages aggression.
I believe that an image of an ICC whose purpose and impact has been to advance peace around the world is a bit idealistic. The ICC works towards and promotes peace, yes, though it has rarely been able to realistically secure it. A record of only 1 acquittal and 1 acquisition in the last decade are evidence enough of the ICC’s inability to prove its effectiveness in actually advancing world peace. By the Rome Statute, the ICC is to focus its intent on prosecuting individuals who have committed crimes against humanity, and through this process its advancement of world peace can be fulfilled. For this reason, I consider the ICC on a trajectory to understand how to better advance world peace, though at this point do not believe the Court can justifiably say that they advance world peace, and instead understand that they promote it. As of now, the intent to establish world peace is a symbol. I’d argue that until the ICC can successfully try those that they call to prosecution in the Court, their purpose to affect world peace is not yet a tangible reality.