International Criminal Court (ICC)

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent international court established in 2002.
• The ICC investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and large-scale criminal aggression.
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) handles civil disputes between countries, often concerning land or resources.
• The ICJ has 15 judges appointed by the United Nations, and is located in The Hague, Belgium.

ICC Cases

• Omar Hassan, the President of Sudan, was the first sitting president indicted by the ICC for directing mass murder, rape, and pillage in Darfur, but was not arrested.
• Joseph Kony and Muammar Gaddaffi have also been indicted by the ICC.
• The ICC aims to end impunity by holding those responsible for international crimes accountable and prevent future crimes.
• The ICC is considered a last resort and assists, but does not replace, the ICJ.
• The ICC is governed by the Rome Statute, the world’s first permanent international criminal court.
• The ICC lacks retrospective jurisdiction and can only address crimes committed after July 1, 2002, when the Rome Statute came into force.
• The ICC intervenes only when national authorities are unable or unwilling to prosecute.

ICC Timeline

• 1998: The Rome Statute is created and signed.
• 2002: The International Criminal Court is established.
• 2003: The first judges take their oaths.
• 2009: The first trial begins against M R Lubanga.
• 2011: International Criminal Justice Day is launched.

ICC Members

• The UK, Spain, Germany, France, Slovakia, Canada, Australia, and South Africa are members of the ICC.
• China, Russia, USA, India, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia refuse to be members of the ICC.

UNHCR

• The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established on December 14, 1950, by the UN General Assembly.
• The UNHCR headquarters are in Geneva, but most staff work in the field.
• The UNHCR has nearly 10,000 staff across 120+ countries.
• The UNHCR coordinates international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.
• The UNHCR protects refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.
• The UNHCR assists in voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement to a third country.
• The UNHCR has provided assistance and protection to over 50 million refugees.
• The United Nations was formed in 1945 after WW2 to increase political and economic cooperation amongst member countries to ensure a future world war never happens.
• The UN works on economic and social development programs, improving human rights, and reducing global conflicts.

United Nations Timeline

• 1919: The League of Nations, the forerunner to the UN, was established.
• 1945: The United Nations was founded.
• 1948: The Universal Declaration on Human Rights was formed, and the first peacekeeping mission was launched.
• 1954: The UN High Commission for Refugees wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1960s: UN adopted the Declaration on the Rights of a Child, campaigned against apartheid, and sent peacekeepers to Cyprus.
• 1994: The UN failed to protect the Tutsi in Rwanda during the genocide.
• 2003: The UN failed to intervene in the Darfur crisis.
• 2012: The UN failed to intervene in the Syrian Crisis due to the Power of Veto.
• The core values of the UNHCR are integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity.
• The UNHCR prioritizes the needs of people forced to flee.
• The UNHCR works in over 128 countries, often in difficult conditions.
• The UNHCR supports resilience by affording dignity and respect.
• The UNHCR works to safeguard the rights of those forced to flee or deprived of nationality.
• The UNHCR focuses on protecting refugees and displaced communities and developing solutions to support people in their quest to restart their lives and build a better future.

UK Foreign Aid Budget

• 70 pounds of every 1,000 pounds made in the UK goes toward foreign aid.
• The government aims to spend 0.7% of the UK’s Gross National Income (GNI) on overseas development aid each year.
• The 0.7% target has been the UN target for all developed countries since 1970.
• The International Development Secretary oversees this target being met each year.

Types of Aid

• Bilateral Aid: Government assistance directly to another country's government for humanitarian reasons or long-term development projects
• Multilateral Aid: Assistance from many governments pooling funds to international organizations like the World Bank, EU, or UN.
• Tied Aid: Money given to a developing country that must be spent in the donor country.
• Project Aid: Money given to finance a specific project, such as a school or hospital.
• Military Aid: Money used to buy arms or defense contracts.
• NGO’s and Voluntary Aid: Aid given in the form of charity.
• Humanitarian Aid: Material and logistic assistance to people who need help.

Overseas spending that counts

• Spending goes towards a specific list of low and middle-income countries, or institutions like the World Bank
• Spending is done by the government or government agencies
• Money is spent to primarily promote economic development and welfare
• Money is spent as a grant or loan with better deals than market rates.
• In 2014, the UK channeled £1.1 billion of its £11.7 billion aid budget through the European Commission.
• In 2016, the UK spent £13.4 billion on overseas aid.
• By 2021, the UK could be spending about £14.5 billion on foreign aid projects across the world.

UNICEF and UNCRC

• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty granting all children and young people (under 18) a comprehensive set of rights.
• The UNCRC is the most complete statement of children’s rights and the most widely ratified international human rights treaty.
• The UK signed the Convention on April 19, 1990, ratified it on December 16, 1991, and it came into force on January 15, 1992.
• UNICEF works to support the most disadvantaged children and their families.
• The UNCRC is the basis of all UNICEF’s work.
• UNICEF works with international organizations, governments, and NGOs to combat issues impacting children’s rights, such as poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination.
• Promoting girls' education is a key focus.

Children's Rights Timeline

• 1945: The United Nations was founded.
• 1946: UNICEF - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund is created.
• 1948: The Universal Declaration on Human Rights was formed, and the first peacekeeping mission was launched.
• 1954: The UN High Commission for Refugees wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1960s: UN adopted the Declaration on the Rights of a Child, campaigned against apartheid, and sent peacekeepers to Cyprus.
• 1965: UNICEF wins a Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1990: The Convention on the Rights of the Child becomes international law.
• 1990: The first ever World Summit for Children is held at Un Headquarters
• 1992: The UNCRC convention comes into force in the United Kingdom.
• The Convention has 54 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life and set out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all children everywhere are entitled to.

Four Fundamental Rights of the UNCRC

• Non-discrimination (article 2)
• Best interest of the child (article 3)
• Right to life, survival, and development (article 6)
• Right to be heard (article 12)
• Every right outlined in the CRC is fundamental to the human dignity and social development of every child.

Non-Governmental Organizations

• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are non-profit, voluntary citizens groups run by people with common interests.
• NGOs often provide humanitarian services to help people in difficult situations.
• NGOs operate independently from governments and are funded through public donations.
• Governments often volunteer to work alongside NGOs, leaning on their knowledge and expertise.

DFID

• The Department for International Development is a UK government department.
• The DFID works with various NGOs to help tackle humanitarian crises.
• The DFID also leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty.
• The DFID helps provide medical equipment to hospitals and protects families.
• Britain continues to meet the UN overseas aid target of 0.7%.

NGO's In Action

• Doctors Without Borders delivers medical assistance to populations in distress and victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts.
• Oxfam operates charity shops, reselling unwanted items to raise money, supporting poverty relief and eradication.
• NGOs are usually trusted by recipient governments and their people because they are neutral and impartial.
• NGOs can appeal directly to the public for additional funding to support their humanitarian work.

NGO Examples

• Save the Children
• Oxfam
• Red Cross
• Medicine Sans Frontiers (Doctors without borders)
• Water Aid
• UNICEF
• World Vision
• CAFOD
• Amnesty International
• Pump Aid

Humanitarian Crisis Examples

• 1984 – The Ethiopian Famine
• 1994 – Rwandan Genocide
• 2008 – Blockade on the Gaza strip
• 2010s – Syrian Civil war and mass displacement of people
• 2010 – Haiti Earthquake
• 2010 – Pakistan Floods
• 2011 – Drought and famine in Somalia
• 2014 – Ebola outbreak in West Africa
• 2017 – Mass flooding in Nepal
• Humanitarian aid needed for millions in Iraq and Syria