NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2021

COVER STORY
caused by the failure of warring parties to
take all feasible precautions to spare the
civilian population, or by other unlawful
conduct by parties that carried out attacks
with little regard for civilian life. How we
prevent and resolve conflicts will largely
determine how we address the challenge of
conflict induced displacement now and in
the future.
Obligation of the parties to the conflict
to respect the laws governing the conduct
of war, political will, and the ability of the
international community to deploy all tools
at its disposal within the framework of the
UN charter to effectively hold accountable
those responsible for these violations, will
all determine our resolve in addressing
these challenges.
Climate change induced displacement
is a growing reality. How we use policy and
institutional tools to address its devastating
effects will define not only our commitment
to the vulnerable population but also our
ability to invest in the future of humanity.
Adama Dieng
An eminent jurist
ADAMA Dieng is a former UN Under
Secretary General and Special Adviser of
the Secretary General on the Prevention
of Genocide, a position he held from
July 2012 to July 2020. He also served
as Registrar of the UN International
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 2001
to 2008.
Before joining the UN, Dieng was the
Secretary General of the Geneva-based
International Commission of Jurists from
1990 to 2000 and he served as the UN
Independent Expert for Haiti between
1995 and 2000.
In 1993, he was Envoy of the UN
Secretary General to Malawi to mediate
between the government and pressure
groups.
Dieng was the driving force behind
the establishment of the African Court
on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and he
also produced the draft of the African
Convention on Preventing and Combating
Corruption. In Senegal, Dieng was
Registrar at the Supreme Court.
He is a former founding member of
the Board of Directors of the International
Institute for Democracy and Electoral
Assistance as well as former President of
the Martin Ennals Foundation.
Dieng is an acclaimed human rights
expert and lecturer on issues relating to
international humanitarian law, human
rights law, and international criminal
justice.
He was recently appointed by the
Prosecutor of the International Criminal
Court, Karim Khan, to serve as one of his
17 Special Advisers.
This was a keynote address presented by Adama Dieng in September at the virtual Oxford and Volkswagen Foundation conference on:
“Governing Humanitarianism – Past, Present and Future”.
AB
16
AFRICA BRIEFING NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2021