On 19 March, the official launch of the project Support to the Armenian Authorities in the ICC Rome Statute Post-Ratification Processes was held.
Mr Ara Mkrtchyan, Deputy Minister of Justice and H.E. Ambassador Jaap Frederiks, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Armenia delivered welcoming remarks to the participants of the event.
Mr Mkrtchyan expressed gratitude to the Government of the Kindgom of Netherlands for its well-coordinated and comprehensive support to this important process. Noting that the Armenian Government already has a clear idea of the steps that need to be taken after the ratification of the Rome Statute, Ara Mkrtchyan stressed the importance of efficient cooperation between the state institutions, civil society organisations and international partners.
“In fact the ratification is only the beginning. An important part of the work is still ahead. For Armenia to become a full-fledged Participating State of the system of international criminal justice, a lot still has to be done with regard to legislation approximation and training of officials working in ICC relevant areas. We at the Netherlands Embassy gladly support Armenia in this endeavor,”
Ms Lousineh Hakobyan, President of the implementing partner – Europe in Law Association – presented the goals, objectives, the key outcomes and outputs of the project.
This 12-month project intends to improve the understanding and capacities of the Armenian state institutions and officials in the substantive and procedural law of the International Criminal Court. This will enable the State to better fulfil its international commitments before the Court. The project goals and objectives will be achieved by a study tour to ICC to familiarize the relevant actors with the Court; ensuring compliance of the Armenian legal framework with the state’s international obligations in this area; capacity building of relevant public officials; raising awareness of the role and functions of the ICC among the practitioners in the field, academia and students; conducting a public campaign on the positive role and image of the ICC and the importance of Armenia’s ratification of the Rome Statute.
The presentation was followed by an exchange with civil society members on a number of aspects of the project, as well as the policy of the Armenian authorities in regard to international courts and tribunals.