ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi participating in the 10th Bled Strategic Forum on Tuesday, 1 September 2015.
The President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, participated on Tuesday, 1 September 2015, in the 10th Bled Strategic Forum, an annual high-level platform for dialogue among leaders from public and private sectors, organised jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and the Centre for European Perspective.
Speaking in a panel on the strengthening of the fight against impunity through partnerships, the ICC President stated that the strength of the ICC lies in its unique mandate which gives it the power to investigate and prosecute the most serious international crimes in situations when justice is otherwise impossible to achieve.
For the Court to be able to deliver effectively on this mandate, full cooperation and consistent political support of States is needed, as well as improvements to the Court’s efficiency, which is a top priority for her term as President, Judge Fernández said. She also underlined the importance of the participation and reparation of victims as well as communication with affected communities.
In the margins of the Forum, President Fernández held several bilateral meetings, including with senior government officials of Slovenia. In her discussions with Prime Minister Miro Cerar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Karl Erjavec and Minister of Justice Goran Klemencic, the ICC President expressed the Court’s gratitude for Slovenia’s strong and long-standing support. She briefed the ministers on reforms underway at the Court, including efforts to improve the efficiency of judicial proceedings through the harmonisation of working methods and implementation of best practices.
