ASF has come a long way since it started up its activities in Congo 15 years ago. Its aim, from the very beginning, has been to ensure that people become more aware of their rights and can enforce them. We opened our first office in Kinshasa on 12 March 2002. Since then, we’ve developed a wide range of projects. Our network has grown nationwide, thanks to all those we have met who supported us, offering their advice and expertise, working with us in circumstances that were not always easy.

While former LRA rebel Dominic Ongwen is facing justice before the ICC, ASF recalls the importance of bringing justice closer to the affected communities. The NGO supports the organisation of live screenings of the opening of Ongwen’s trial and encourages national authorities to increase their support to make justice accessible for all.

Donor countries should support the Central African Republic’s Special Criminal Court, 17 Central African and international human rights non-governmental organizations say in a declaration. The donors should provide technical, financial, and political support for the court and its mandate to end impunity for crimes under international law, the groups said. On 17 November, the European Union is hosting a conference in Brussels to discuss funding priorities for the Central African Republic.

ASF, in collaboration with the non-governmental organisation, REDRESS, supports the setting up of a Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic. A workshop that brought together civil society, legal and international players has drawn uprecommendations for the next stages of establishing this Court. The stakes are crucial: to launch trials for serious crimes and pave the way to reconciliation and a lasting peace in the CAR.

ASF just published its Training Manual on International Criminal Law at a lawyers training. This manual will serve as information and training tool and resource for legal trainers in Uganda. Ultimately, the objective is to support legal actors in defending the rights of victims of international crimes, as well as those who perpetrated these crimes during armed conflicts.

Following on from International Justice Day, ASF recognises the courage of the men and women who fight against the impunity of those behind international crimes. As well as a brief statement about the actions of the International Criminal Court, the NGO has taken a look at the sometimes overlooked consequences of international crimes.

The International Criminal Court sentences the former leader of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba to 18 years’ imprisonment for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his troops in the Central African Republic in 2002-2003. ASF supports the prosecution of other perpetrators of serious crimes committed in CAR, including through the effective establishment of the Special Criminal Court.

Since 2010, ASF has been implementing a project on international criminal justice and transitional justice in Uganda. In this context, ASF has conducted close consultations with victims and affected communities about prosecution of alleged perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Victims have shown a strong interest and willingness to be involved in criminal proceedings, both at international and national levels. They seem, however, lacking sufficient information and understanding as to their rights and as what participation to criminal proceedings might encompass.

Lawyers without Borders Canada (LWBC) presented a report on the impunity mechanisms present in the Colombian justice system. The report is the outcome of two years of observation, monitoring and analysis of 15 cases of international crimes which took place in Colombia. It contains practical recommendations to strengthen compliance with international standards and victims’ rights in the conduct of investigations and criminal trials in Colombia.

New Government Should Quickly Establish Special Court – 21 Central African and international human rights organizations issued a statement today calling on the new president of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, to make justice for grave international crimes a top priority for his government. President Touadéra was sworn in on March 30, 2016, and his new government took office on April 11.