Financing Atrocity, Forging Accountability: New Strategies for International Justice

What should the international justice movement look like? What does its future hold? While often symbolized by the International Criminal Court and its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, the movement actually encompasses a diverse range of national courts, regional or hybrid tribunals, and investigative mechanisms developed in the aftermath of conflict.

Some of these mechanisms have recorded major successes, holding fair trials that helped to re-establish the rule of law and bring a measure of justice to shattered societies. Many others have struggled, however, hampered by inefficiency, lack of funding, and a failure to investigate the structural causes of mass violence, including those who finance atrocity and profit from it: While economic crimes and grave violence often occur in tandem, commercial actors responsible for facilitating serious international crimes—or profiting from them—have rarely been held accountable by international courts.

This panel explores these challenges through the publication of two major new reports by The Sentry and the Open Society Justice Initiative. Through a moderated discussion, it will explore more deeply the connections between international financiers—from banks to mining companies—and atrocity crimes, highlight lessons for the design of future accountability mechanisms, and consider new and emerging avenues for pursuing international justice.

Speakers

Holly Dranginis is senior legal analyst for The Sentry and is the author of Prosecute the Profiteers: Following the Money to Support War Crimes Accountability.

Eric Witte is senior project manager with the Open Society Justice Initiative and is the author of Options for Justice: A Handbook for Designing Accountability Mechanisms for Grave Crimes

Brian Adeba is deputy director of policy with the Enough Project

Roxanna Altholz is a clinical professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and was a member of the International Advisory Group of Experts (GAIPE)

Priscilla Hayner (moderator) is a member of the UN Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisors.











When: Tue., May. 28, 2019 at 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: Open Society Foundations–New York
224 W. 57th St.
212-548-0600
Price: Free
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What should the international justice movement look like? What does its future hold? While often symbolized by the International Criminal Court and its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, the movement actually encompasses a diverse range of national courts, regional or hybrid tribunals, and investigative mechanisms developed in the aftermath of conflict.

Some of these mechanisms have recorded major successes, holding fair trials that helped to re-establish the rule of law and bring a measure of justice to shattered societies. Many others have struggled, however, hampered by inefficiency, lack of funding, and a failure to investigate the structural causes of mass violence, including those who finance atrocity and profit from it: While economic crimes and grave violence often occur in tandem, commercial actors responsible for facilitating serious international crimes—or profiting from them—have rarely been held accountable by international courts.

This panel explores these challenges through the publication of two major new reports by The Sentry and the Open Society Justice Initiative. Through a moderated discussion, it will explore more deeply the connections between international financiers—from banks to mining companies—and atrocity crimes, highlight lessons for the design of future accountability mechanisms, and consider new and emerging avenues for pursuing international justice.

Speakers

Holly Dranginis is senior legal analyst for The Sentry and is the author of Prosecute the Profiteers: Following the Money to Support War Crimes Accountability.

Eric Witte is senior project manager with the Open Society Justice Initiative and is the author of Options for Justice: A Handbook for Designing Accountability Mechanisms for Grave Crimes

Brian Adeba is deputy director of policy with the Enough Project

Roxanna Altholz is a clinical professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and was a member of the International Advisory Group of Experts (GAIPE)

Priscilla Hayner (moderator) is a member of the UN Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisors.

Buy tickets/get more info now