On 27 January 2017, Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court (ICC) participated as the guest speaker in a solemn ceremony marking the opening of the European Court of Human Rights’ judicial year in Strasbourg, France. In her speech, the President discussed the complementarities and convergences between international criminal justice and human rights law, elaborating on concrete examples of these interactions.
“This solemn hearing provides us with a unique opportunity to engage in a dialogue to strengthen our mutual understanding and commitment to justice,” said ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi. “Notwithstanding the differences between our courts, we share a common purpose: promoting the well-being of all by fostering the rule of law,” she emphasised.
“Like us, you defend the same hard core of fundamental rights and, in particular, the right to life,” said Guido Raimondi, President of the European Court of Human Rights during the opening ceremony. “Like us, you accept the idea that it is necessary to create an international order based on human rights,” he added.
Every year, the judicial year of the European Court of Human Rights is opened with a solemn hearing attended by numerous eminent figures from the European judicial community and with a seminar organised for the occasion. The European Court of Human Rights is an international court ruling on individual or State applications alleging violations of the civil and political rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.
The ICC is a permanent, international criminal court established by the Rome Statute, a treaty to which 124 States are parties, to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
