The International Criminal Court

Global justice or unfair treatment of Africans?

Senior Researcher Gunnar M. Sørbø (CMI) and Professor of law Terje Einarsen (UiB) in conversation with Åse Gilje Østensen.

Is the International Criminal Court (ICC) primarily a Western imperialist tool for punishing African leaders, or is it a mechanism for global justice? Should Western countries show more trust in Africa´s capability to handle its own challenges? What role should the ICC play in complex national and regional conflicts? Is the ICC the right instrument to promote international justice?

"The ICC has been reduced into a painfully farcical pantomime, a travesty that adds insult to the injury of victims. It stopped being the home of justice the day it became the toy of declining imperial powers."
           - President Uhuru Kenyatta at AU General Assembly, October 2013

"To safeguard the constitutional order, stability and, integrity of Member States, no charges shall be commenced or continued before any International Court or Tribunal against any serving AU Head of State or Government or anybody acting or entitled to act in such capacity during their term of office"
           - African Union Assembly decision on Africa´s relationship with the ICC, October 2013

Gunnar M. Sørbø is a social anthropologist focusing much of his research on peace building, local violence and conflict analysis, mainly in Sudan. He is co-editor of "Sudan Divided: Continuing Conflict in a Contested State" (Palgrave 2013) and two articles in the Nordic Journal of Human Rights on accountability issues and the role of the ICC in Darfur (2010, 2013).

Terje Einarsen is Professor of Law at UiB and a former judge at the Gulating Court og Appeal. Einarsen´s research interests include Human Rights, International Criminal Law, International Refugee Law and Norwegian Asylum and Immigration Law.

Croissants, juice and coffee will be served - all welcome!