<%-- Page Title--%> Law event <%-- End Page Title--%>

November 28, 2004

Ratify ICC now!

Law Desk

The government must ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) without further delay to prosecute some gravest crimes against humanity under the international law, said human rights activists at an advocacy workshop organised by Odhikar, a human rights organisation, at BRAC Centre Inn on November 25.
Discussants and participants urged the government to ratify the court to enhance the international peacekeeping process.

The opening session was presided over by Dr Saira Rahman Khan. Odhikar director Masood Alam Ragib Ahsan delivered the welcome speech.

David Sproule, Canadian high commissioner in Dhaka, was present at the opening session of the advocacy workshop as special guest and stressed

"The fight of the court against impunity will only succeed when the countries do their own part" He said the court could well be one of the most important international institutions since the creation of the United Nations. British High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury, Australian High Commissioner Loraine Barker, German Ambassador Dietrich Andreas, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Country Co-ordinator Jorgen Lissner, former ambassador and secretary Muhammad Zamir and Anne Merchal of European Union were present at the inaugural session of the workshop.

The first working session was conducted by Mr. Fida. M. Kamal, Additional Attorney General for Bangladesh. In that session Jesmul Hasan ,Governance Advisor of CIDA simplified the emergence of ICC and the whole statute in a very interactive way.

Executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra advocate Sultana Kamal presided over second session "victim's forum and protection of the women's rights through ICC". Farida Akhter of UBINIG, a human rights group, said ratification of the statute by the smaller states would not be fruitful unless it applies to the world's powerful countries.

The closing session was presided over by Shahiduzzaman. In that session Dr. Asif Nazrul summed up the whole session.