EAA RECOGNISED FOR MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT’S POLICY ON CHILDREN
Ongoing conflicts across the world, such as the bombardment of Idlib and Aleppo, have resulted in deliberate attacks on civilians including many children and the destruction of the country’s infrastructure, particularly schools and hospitals. The ICC’s policy is a welcome step towards protecting children from these abhorrent war crimes. PEIC was thanked by Her Excellency Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda for its significant contribution to the formulation of the newly launched International Criminal Court’s Policy on Children.
Bensouda delivered closing remarks at the ICC gala unveiling of the court’s new policy for prosecuting crimes against children.
Her remarks included, “If we fail our children, we also fail ourselves.” Adding that the ICC’s goal is “to more robustly address the scourge of crimes against children” and to “put the spotlight firmly on the 230 million children around the world today who suffer or are subject to the crimes of war and conflict.”
Speaking on behalf of EAA and the PEIC programme, Programme Director and Professor of Law Maleiha Malik said:
“At a time when children continue to be targeted by bullets and bombs, the international community must do everything they can to protect children. We echo Her Excellency Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s sentiment that failing our children is equal to failing ourselves. EAA and PEIC strongly support the International Criminal Court’s new policy for children. We are proud to have played a role in formulating this essential policy and hope that it will be enforced to deter crimes against children in the future.”
“Protecting children and education should be the highest priority of the international community. Education is the right of all children and making this a reality requires work on many fronts addressing legal, economic and geographic barriers to education. This new policy from the ICC is an important step forward, but there is much more to be done. EAA and PEIC will continue to work to create a world, which offers security and opportunity for all children and holds those who threaten children’s security to account.”
