[Seminar] The Ljubljana – The Hague Convention: International cooperation in fighting impunity for international crimes

A new international convention, the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention, which was adopted in May 2023 by 68 countries, will be opened for signature on 14 February 2024. Together with the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, the Asser Institute will organise a seminar on the new treaty, which will take place in the Peace Palace in The Hague on 15 February, one day after the official signing ceremony.

The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention is a landmark international treaty that aims to strengthen international cooperation in investigating and prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other international crimes. The treaty makes cooperation mandatory for all state parties.

A process led by by Argentina, Belgium, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Senegal, and Slovenia, it is the first international treaty to provide a comprehensive framework for mutual legal assistance and extradition for these crimes. It empowers national justice systems and allows for states to fulfil their international legal obligations in the fight against impunity for international crimes.

Valuable tool
Under the new treaty, countries are better equipped to investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, even if the crimes were committed outside of their territory and do not directly affect their own citizens or interests. The convention is expected to be a valuable tool for prosecutors and investigators who are working to bring perpetrators of international  crimes to justice. The treaty includes provisions on:

• Joint investigation teams
• Cross-border observations
• The confiscation of assets
• The execution of requests for mutual legal assistance, extradition, or the transfer of persons

A signing ceremony for the Ljubljana -The Hague Convention will be held in the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 14 February 2024.

On Thursday 15 February, the day after the official signing ceremony, the Asser Institute and the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security will co-host a seminar in the Peace Palace to bring together experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss the implications of the new convention and how it may impact the work of all stakeholders involved in investigating and prosecuting core international crimes. If you would like to attend, please register.

Programme seminar 15 February

9.00 - 9.30 Welcome and registration

9.30 - 9.45 Start symposium & welcome on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Security

9.45 - 11.15 Panel round 1

Theme: International cooperation related to the investigation and prosecution of core international crimes

Moderator: Mr. Matevz Pezdirc (Eurojust)

Speakers: 

• Mame Mandiaye Niang, ICC Deputy Prosecutor
• Leonardo Filippini, national Prosecutor, Argentina
• Larissa van den Herik, Professor of Public International Law at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University.
• Ousman Njikam, Deputy Registrar, CAR Special Criminal Court (SCC)

11.15 - 11.45 Coffee break

11.45 - 13.15 Panel round 2

Theme: The role of CSOs and other organizations in supporting national investigation and prosecution of core international crimes

Moderator: Dr Christophe Paulussen (Asser Institute) 

Speakers:

• Yasmine Chubin, Legal Advocacy Director at The Docket, Clooney Foundation
• Catherine Marchi-Uhel, Head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 (IIIM)
• Alejandra Vicente, Head of Law, Redress
• Maarten van der Vlugt, Prosecutor, Netherlands Public Prosecutor’s Office

13.15 – 13.25 Closing remarks by Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi - President of the MLA Diplomatic Conference 2023

13.25 - 14.15 Lunch and networking 

Read more
Read the full text of the Ljubljana – The Hague convention.

For more information and registrations, please visit the Ljubljana –The Hague seminar website. 

Read the seminar’s full programme.