Over the last few decades, a number of countries in Latin America have been leading the investigation and prosecution in national jurisdictions of international crimes and human rights violations committed by autocratic and military regimes in the region up until the early 90’s. Despite some setbacks, it is unquestionable that the region has much to share and that these efforts have left an important legacy. More recently, in Africa we are observing a momentum to combat impunity for past crimes including apartheid-related judicial proceedings in South Africa, and prosecutorial initiatives in The Gambia, Uganda, Nigeria etc. In Africa, perhaps even more than in Latin America, the tendency has been to gravitate towards northern practitioners and experiences, where despite many efforts, it is not where the bulk of the experience lies.

Guernica 37 has committed, since its inception to supporting local actors, both in Latin America and Africa to overcome obstacles, access other national and regional experiences and engage in comparative legal exchanges to support accountability efforts. The future of accountability and, specifically, the use of international criminal law rests on the ability of practitioners at a regional level to share what has worked and what has not; what each country can provide for, live with, and how these efforts will impact their national processes.

Should we rethink how we guide and are guided by national actors in the different countries and reach real regional collaboration? Would it be useful for African accountability actors to exchange with their Latin American colleagues? Can this long-overdue exchange and approach serve as a model for other regions seeking accountability, such as the Middle East? How can we, international groups, looking at the future realistically, modestly, and honestly, assist with such efforts?

Panelists:

Pablo de Greiff – Senior Fellow and Director, Prevention Project Director, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice School of Law New York University; Commissioner, UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, and former UN Special Rapporteur for the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence (2012-2018). Guernica 37 Senior Advisor.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein – President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Peace Institute, Perry World House Professor of Practice of Law and Human Rights and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

H.E. Lamin B. Dibba – Permanent Representative of the Gambia to the United Nations Almudena Bernabeu – Co Founder of The Guernica 37 Group

Moderators:

Luis Moreno Ocampo – Visiting Professor at the University of Southern California Cinematic Art School and former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court