By Christophe Paulussen, senior researcher international humanitarian law/international criminal law T.M.C. Asser Instituut, and research fellow International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague. On 12 November 2013, the International Crimes Database (ICD), will be officially launched at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut! (www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org)
The International Crimes Database (ICD) website, hosted and maintained by the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and financially made possible by the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague, offers a comprehensive database on international crimes adjudicated by national, as well as international and internationalized courts.
The project has already received expressions of support from several institutions, such as the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, the Société Internationale de Droit Militaire et de Droit de la Guerre, the International Association of Prosecutors, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.
In addition to case law on international crimes, the website incorporates general background information about international crimes, academic as well as news articles, working papers (ICD briefs) and relevant links to other useful databases/websites on this topic. We do not want to be exclusive; people should come to our website because of its spider in the web-character. It should be the starting point of a search on international crimes. Whether the information found in the end is downloaded from another site or database is of less importance. What is important though is that the information is found, and that we believe that this site is the best place to start that quest for information.
In the coming years, we will expand the database with more case law, a discussion forum, streaming and video presentations and a social media platform to facilitate and stimulate interaction by our various users.
The ICD will provide access to a range of information not just for lawyers and judges but also for students, academics, families and communities of victims of crimes, and others.
We are not selecting cases based on their jurisprudential value. For the victims of a certain crime for example, that aspect is irrelevant. As a consequence, we will try to include as many cases as possible that have a link with international crimes.
We hope that the Database will become a leading and indispensable resource for users in developing a better understanding of international criminal law.
Though the ICD will be managed by a competent team of editors and interns, any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We kindly request whether you could send suggestions for new additions to the database, information regarding important cases from any jurisdiction, and particularly original court documents to the editors: editors@internationalcrimesdatabase.org.
Thank you very much in advance for your assistance, and we look forward to building a comprehensive and user-friendly International Crimes Database together! Launch International Crimes Database 12 November 2013, 7pm
T.M.C. Asser Instituut, R.J. Schimmelpennincklaan 20-22, The Hague
The launch will include speeches from the Ministry of Security and Justice, ICCT, ICD team members, the ICD steering committee, of course a presentation of the website itself, a keynote speech on international crimes and a reception for all those attending.
If you would like to join us to celebrate the launch of the International Crimes Database please send an e-mail to conferencemanager@asser.nl before 7 November 2013.
