WUNRN
International Criminal Court
Victims Trust Fund - Gender
The Trust Fund for Victims is devoted to advocating for
and assisting the most vulnerable victims of genocide, crimes against humanity,
and war crimes.
It is impossible to fully undo
the harm caused by these most serious crimes. It is however possible to help
survivors regain their dignity, rebuild their families and communities, and
regain their place as fully contributing members of their societies. By giving
victims a voice and the tools they need, the Trust Fund for Victims helps
restore victims’ dreams for the future.
As a non-political, cross-cutting
organisation, we advocate for victims, mobilize people and resources, and fund
or implement innovative projects. We bring assistance and expertise to the most
vulnerable victims of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in the
most forgotten communities.
As each situation is unique, the
Trust Fund for Victims develops our activities with the victims themselves as
partners. We do not give charity; we provide the tools for victims to help
themselves. Our focus on local ownership and leadership empowers victims as
partners in the process of rebuilding their lives.
A girl from the DRC, abandoned by her family,
learns carpentry as a
way to make a living. Credit: David Hecht/IRIN
Our History
At the end of the bloodiest
century in human history, the international community made a commitment to
justice for victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by
adopting the Rome Statute. The statute, which entered into force on 1 July
2002, created two independent institutions: the International Criminal Court
(ICC), for prosecuting those responsible for these crimes, and the Trust Fund
for Victims, for helping victims of these crimes.
States thus recognized that prosecution is only one element of justice for victims and sent a clear message that victims and survivors will no longer be forgotten. The Assembly of States Parties (ASP) elected a Board of Directors for Trust Fund for Victims and adopted the regulations establishing the Trust Fund Secretariat. These founding steps concluded in 2006, and the Fund began its operations in early 2007.
Our link to the
International Criminal Court (ICC)
The ICC and the Trust Fund for
Victims, both born out of the Rome Statute, are independent institutions. We
are united behind the goal of justice for victims of the most serious crimes:
Our link to the prosecution
of crimes under the jurisdiction of the Court
The Trust Fund for Victims can
only act in situations where the ICC has jurisdiction.
Crimes under the jurisdiction of the
ICC are defined in the Rome Statute as genocide, crimes against humanity, war
crimes, and the crime of aggression.1 The ICC can try individuals accused of
these most serious crimes if the crimes were committed after 1 July 2002 (or
later if a State Party joined later). It has jurisdiction over crimes committed
within states that have ratified the Rome Statute or crimes that are attributed
to nationals of those states. For the Court’s jurisdiction to be triggered, the
situation in which these crimes occurred must be brought to the attention of
the Prosecutor, through a referral by a State Party or by the UN Security
Council or on the Prosecutor’s own motion. The court can only act in cases
where states are unwilling or unable to do so.
The Trust Fund for Victims can
act for the benefit of victims at various stages in the prosecution of ICC
crimes: 2
- At
the end of a prosecution of ICC crimes: The Court may order reparations,
to individual victims or as a collective award, and it may ask the awards
to be implemented through the Trust Fund for Victims. These reparation
awards to victims may be based on applications made directly by victims or
on the Court’s own initiative.3
- During
a prosecution of ICC crimes: Trials for crimes under the jurisdiction of
the ICC are by nature complex, due to the scale and nature of crimes, the
location of victims, witnesses, and accused, and the legal questions
raised. As a result, these trials can be lengthy. In some situations where
victims of the crimes being prosecuted have critical needs, the Trust Fund
for Victims may provide immediate assistance. For example, because the
injuries or diseases caused by the aggression they have suffered are
life-threatening, some victims may not live to see the end of the trial
and the potential award for reparations that could ensure their medical
care. In these urgent cases, we inform the Court of our planned
activities, giving the Court the opportunity to respond as appropriate.
- Before
or in the absence of a prosecution: The Trust Fund for Victims may also
assist other victims of crimes under the jurisdiction of the court, even
if there is no on-going or planned prosecution, provided that the Board of
the Trust Fund for Victims decides there is a compelling need to do so.
Our relationship to
the Registry of the ICC
The Trust Fund for Victims is independent
from the Court and all the Court’s organs. It receives assistance from the
Registry on administrative and legal matters.
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