In Progress

Editor’s note: As you read this, the Conference of Plenipotentiaries for an International Criminal Court has already ended (it was held in Rome from 15 June to 17 July 1998) and the statute for establishing the Court already been signed.

An international criminal court will have jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It has the power to prosecute and punish perpetrators of these most serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law. It can also provide for reparations for victims and their survivors. Women’s groups around the world recognise the potential significance of this court and are demanding that gender concerns relating to the statute and the court be addressed. We are printing the following articles to inform readers on the processes and some of the contentious issues that women’s groups have raised.