Gender Report Card on the International Criminal ... - YWCA Canada

Structures & Institutional Development Recommendations
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In 2012 the Court should develop, as a matter of urgency, a comprehensive security framework
inclusive of witnesses, victims 272 and intermediaries 273 to ensure that protection mechanisms are
tailored to their particular status, level of risk and specific circumstances.
The VWU should ensure that protection and support measures are sensitive to the particular
circumstances of women in conflict situations and ensure women and girls who are formally
recognised by the Court as ‘victims’ benefit from appropriate protection procedures.
The Registry should urgently request, and the ASP should immediately provide, the necessary
funds for the position of Psychologist/Trauma Expert to be upgraded to an established post. This
position has been categorised as a GTA since 2009. Such expertise is mandated by Article 43(6)
of the Rome Statute and as such this position should be securely integrated within the structure
of the VWU as an established post.
n The VWU should plan to increase the number of Psychologists/Trauma Experts to four by 2013,
given the significant increase in cases and trials before the ICC to which the sole Trauma Expert
provides critical and independent support to witnesses and to Chambers, upon their request.
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During 2012, the Victims Participation and Reparation Section (VPRS) should implement
policies and practices to enable them to work effectively with victims of sexual violence and
other forms of gender-based crimes, elderly victims, children and persons with disabilities.
The ASP should support an increase in resources for the VPRS to further promote the victim
application process and participation facility available under the Rome Statute. The VPRS must
make it a priority to inform women in all of the conflict Situations of the victim application
process, their right to apply, and the possibility of being recognised to participate in ICC
proceedings.
In the next 12 months, steps should be taken to urgently address and strengthen the
institutional and personnel capacities of the VPRS including, but not limited to: conducting a
review of the senior management processes and oversight of the Section within the Division of
Court Services; conducting a skills audit of the Section staff; reviewing performance and roles;
introducing a stronger data collection function; and creating a more effective mechanism and
response strategy to address the large backlog of unprocessed victim application forms.
The Registrar should urgently initiate an audit to identify the reasons for the current backlog
of over 6,000 victims’ applications 274 and instigate immediate remedies to address this problem.
In October 2010, there were 900 unprocessed victims’ applications. 275 In the intervening
period, no action has been taken by the Division of Court Services to identify the cause of the
backlog and to take steps to immediately stem the growing number of unprocessed victims’
applications. During 2012, the Division should develop strategies for long term changes within
VPRS to avoid a repetition of such limited functionality.
272 Victims who have been formally recognised by the ICC to participate in proceedings.
273 With an emphasis on local intermediaries.
274 See the Victim Participation section of this <strong>Report</strong>.
275 <strong>Gender</strong> <strong>Report</strong> <strong>Card</strong> 2010, p 57.
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