Global-minded parliamentarians adopt a declaration on Darfur

*Click the title above to read the Japanese verison of this release.
　

The Japanese chapter of Parliamentarians for Global Action holds an ICC Workshop on Darfur and Tibet in the Japanese Parliament

On 14 May 2008, under the leadership of its Secretary-General, Senator Tadashi Inuzuka, the Japanese chapter of the Parliamentarians for Global Action* held a workshop on International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning the issues of Darfur and Tibet in the National Diet, or Japanese parliament.

Entitled “Strategy Meeting on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Responsibility to Protect the Civilian Population in Darfur and Tibet”, the workshop invited two (2) experts from the Japanese Foreign Ministry, seven (7) delegations from EC and European Union countries, and one (1) expert from PGA International Secretariat as well as Japanese parliamentarians to discuss extensively on the issue of Sudan’s non-compliance to the UN Security Council Resolution 1593 and on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Tibet. Two (2) representatives from the civil society were also invited as guests, including Mr. U Aung Htoo, General Secretary of the Burma Lawyers’ Council and Ms. Kazuko Ito, Secretary General of Human Rights Now in Japan. The workshop was divided into three sessions, with experts briefing on the Darfur and Tibet issue followed with a discussion on the Sudan’s non-compliance issue, followed by another expert’s presentation.

In the discussion on Sudan, Dr. David Donat Cattin, Director of International Law & Human Rights Programme at PGA, gave an overview on the jurisdiction of the ICC, its relationship with the UN Security Council, the referral of the Darfur situation from the Council to the ICC, and the consequent obstacles to the investigations and prosecutions of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Darfur by high level Government officials and militia leaders of Sudanese nationality. In his presentation, Dr. Cattin described in detail the opposition for effective ICC intervention in Darfur posed by China and other Members of the Security Council, which did not allow the latter to take decisive action in addressing the non-compliance of Sudan with Court’s orders and decision. He concluded that “there is urgent need for targeted measures, including individual sanctions, aimed at giving teeth to the requests of cooperation of the ICC to Sudan, starting with the arrest and surrender of the two persons charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.”

In the final session, with consultation with Dr. Cattin and other experts the Japanese parliamentarians decided to adopt a resolution on Darfur urging the Japanese government to support and undertake all necessary measures that the Security Council may adopt, including “targeted sanctions against those individuals bearing responsibility for the continued non-compliance of the Government of Sudan with the obligation of arrest and surrender indicted war criminals to the Court.” However, because only senior members of the group was present in the meeting, the parliamentarians also decided that further consultation should be made on Tibet among all of the group members before a statement can be adopted on the issue.

Download: Resolution on Justice for Darfur

Background

*Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) is a network of 1,300 individual legislators from 117 elected Parliaments drawn from all regions of the world. The PGA ICC Campaign receives support from the European Commission, European Union, and the governments of Belgium, The Netherlands and Switzerland. PGA receives core support from Denmark and Sweden.

In early May 2008, the Executive Committee of PGA decided to join the “Justice for Darfur Campaign” and the Tokyo event was the first of such initiative focused on the subject so that Japan can play an essential role, along with the European Union and the USA, to fight impunity for past and ongoing atrocities in Darfur and therefore contribute to prevent the repetition of such atrocities. The PGA Japan National Committee has been a fundamental actor in the process that led to Japan’s accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC in 2006-07. PGA Japan takes on as its responsibility to promote the universality and effectiveness of the ICC system in Asia, starting with actions to be undertaken in Japan’s ODA partner countries such as Indonesia and Nepal, where PGA Members are actively engaged in securing their countries' accession to the Rome Statute.

In early May 2008, the Executive Committee of PGA decided to join the “Justice for Darfur Campaign” and the Tokyo event was the first of such initiative focused on the subject so that Japan can play an essential role, along with the European Union and the USA, to fight impunity for past and ongoing atrocities in Darfur and therefore contribute to prevent the repetition of such atrocities. The PGA Japan national group, formally called “The PGA Japan National Committee“ has been a fundamental actor in the process that led to Japan’s accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC in 2006-07. PGA Japan takes on as its responsibility to promote the universality and effectiveness of the ICC system in Asia, starting with actions to be undertaken in Japan’s ODA partner countries such as Indonesia and Nepal, where PGA Members are actively engaged in securing their countries' accession to the Rome Statute.