On 21 and 22 April, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), in collaboration with the War Crimes Research Office (WCRO) at American University Washington College of Law, convened a high-level international conference to address the escalating challenges posed by authoritarianism to global accountability and the rule of law.
The event brought together international legal experts and practitioners, and civil society representatives to examine contemporary challenges to the rule of law and explore pathways to strengthen accountability for atrocity crimes globally.
Santiago Canton, Secretary General of the ICJ, speaking at a session on “Authoritarianism Across Regions: Implications for the Rule of Law and Accountability for International Crimes,” said;
“At a time when authoritarianism is no longer the exception but increasingly the norm, and attacks on the rule of law are blatant, we must be clear: democracy, the rule of law, and accountability are indivisible—and weakening one inevitably undermines the others.”
Panelists considered how authoritarian practices have emerged and evolved across different countries and regions over the past several decades, and what legal and institutional responses are needed to prevent and address atrocity crimes.
Panelists highlighted the profound challenges that authoritarian regimes pose to judicial independence and accountability mechanisms and considered strategies for countering authoritarianism and strengthening prospects for justice amid growing global instability.
Participants Claudia Paz y Paz, ICJ Commissioner Director for Central America and Mexico Program at the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and former Attorney General of Guatemala; Charles Jalloh, Professor of International Law at the University of Miami Law School and Member of the UN International Law Commission; Priya Pillai, Director of the Asia Justice Coalition; and Mona Rishmawi, ICJ Commissioner and Member of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan.
The second panel marked the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Judgment of the Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal for the Trial of Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery, examining how understandings of slavery crimes have evolved and how current reform proposals, including those related to the Rome Statute and the draft treaty on Crimes Against Humanity, can better capture decades of advocacy and legal development. The panel was moderated by Susana SaCouto, Director of the WCRO, and featured Patricia Viseur Sellers, Indai Sajor, Sareta Ashraph, and Adejoké Babington-Ashaye.
The third panel examined the role of the United States in shaping international justice, from Nuremberg to the present, including both its contributions and the tensions that have accompanied its engagement over time. Participants discussed the posture of the current United States administration and identified pathways forward for civil society, States, and international institutions. Panelists included Stephen Rapp, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues; Adam Keith of Human Rights First; Gina Cabarcas of the Laboratorio de Justicia y Política Criminal; and Elizabeth Evenson of Human Rights Watch. The panel was moderated by Professor Robert Goldman, Honorary Commissioner and former President of the ICJ.
The War Crimes Research Office was established 30 years ago at American University Washington College of Law to support the development of international criminal law and accountability mechanisms. Its anniversary conference convened practitioners and scholars from across the globe to take stock of progress and identify challenges ahead.
