New TFV Board of Directors: Prioritizing Victim Survivors in International Justice

The 14^th Annual TFV Board of Directors Meeting took place in The Hague from 18 – 21 April 2016 with the four newly elected members.  They reaffirmed the TFV's mission to respond to harm, support victims in regaining dignity, hope and leading their lives to the full again, making justice a reality for victim survivors

The Board re-elected Motoo Noguchi as Chair for the next three years. Mr. Noguchi noted, "The new Board discussed vigorously how the TFV can continue to achieve tangible results despite the constraint of resources and other challenges. We are aware of the very long waiting time for victims in needs and will do our best on our part to start reparations programs without further delay, while strengthening programs under the assistance mandate. We think we must take action and make a difference."

Following engagements with various parties including H.E. Sidiki Kaba, President of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), ICC Principals, Committee Budget and Finance (CBF), and civil society colleagues, the Board underlined the need for collaborative partnership between the TFV and the ICC to ensure that victim survivors have access to legally sound and operationally viable reparations.  The Meeting with Mr. Jolie Pitt with the TFV and Court Principals on 20 April also highlighted the importance of focusing victim survivors at the centre of international justice.

The Board committed to strengthening the global public awareness of the TFV, expressing a strong need to make the Trust Fund's values and achievements known to both public and private donors.  Furthermore, the Board's stress of the unique footprint of the TFV's assistance mandate in ICC situations went beyond the scope of judicial proceedings, reaching over 180,000 direct and indirect victims in northern Uganda and DRC.  Noting the responsibility of States to care for victimized populations, the Board will vigorously explore expanding assistance mandate activities in other ICC situation countries. This was discussed in meetings with civil society organizations including Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), Parliamentarians for Global Justice, and Human Rights Watch.

The current structure of the TFV only provides the minimum capability to give assistance and reparations.   The Board considers 2016 to be transition year of rebuilding and fulfilling ambitions for further development that requires support from States Parties.  Mr. Michelini stated, "The Trust Fund makes a real difference on the ground in the lives of people and deserves our support so it can have an adequate funding and staff structure to expand its work and reach its goals." 

The Board members were invited to Participate in the inauguration ceremony of the ICC premises and in the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs expert seminar on the ICC.  During the seminar, both Motoo Noguchi (Chair) and Elisabeth Rehn (former Chair) advocated that it is time for victim survivors concerns to move from the fringes to the center stage in the Rome Statute system.

The list of decisions of the Board meeting will be published soon on the TFV website. 

TFV Board of Directors

• Mr. Motoo Noguchi (Chair) (Japan, representing the Asian States),
• Baroness Arminka Helić (UK, representing Western European and Other States),
• Mr. Felipe Michelini (Uruguay, representing the Americas and Caribbean State),
• Ms. Alma Taso-Deljković (Bosnia Herzegovina, representing Eastern European States),
• Ms. Mama Koité Doumbia (Mali, representing African States)
• Mr. Pieter de Baan, TFV Executive Director

For more information contact: Moureen Lamonge at +31 70 515 8013 or [email protected]

Please visit www.trustfundforvictims.org

Background: Trust Fund for Victims (TFV)

In 2002, the Rome Statute came into effect and the Assembly of States Parties established the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) to benefit victims of crimes and their families within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). These crimes are genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes – and in the future, crimes of aggression.

With the unique roles of implementing both Court-ordered and general assistance to victims of crimes under the ICC's jurisdiction, TFV offers key advantages for promoting lasting peace, reconciliation, and wellbeing in war-torn societies. The TFV fulfils two mandates:

1. Reparations: implementing Court-ordered reparations awards against a convicted person when directed by the Court to do so.

2. General Assistance: using voluntary contributions from donors to provide victims survivors and their families in situations where the Court is active with physical rehabilitation, material support, and/or psychological rehabilitation.

The assistance mandate of the TFV is distinct from reparations before the ICC or the payment of compensation to victims. The TFV assistance programme provides a broad range of medical and psychological rehabilitation services for injured and traumatized victims.

Since 2008 the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) has been delivering assistance and rehabilitation to victims under the assistance mandate across 18 districts in Northern Uganda, and 3 provinces in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, by providing the physical, psychological, or material needs of the the often forgotten survivors. The TFV works closely with NGOs, community groups, women's grassroots organizations, governments, and UN agencies at local, national, and international levels.

Assistance Mandate

Under the assistance mandate, the TFV may provide three forms of support:

Physical rehabilitation: include reconstructive and general surgery, bullet and bomb fragment removal, prosthetic and orthopedic devices, and referrals to medical services for victims of sexual violence.

Psychological rehabilitation: addresses the individual psychological consequences and trauma arising from war, conflict, sexual violence, and other crimes. TFV is also promoting healing at affected communities to reduce stigmatization of victim survivors and promote a greater sense of trust, shared responsibility, and peaceful coexistence among community members.

Material support is provided to improve the economic status of victim survivors through education, economic development, rebuilding of community infrastructure, support for village savings and loans, and creation of employment opportunities.

There are currently 10 situations before the ICC, in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Darfur (Sudan), Central African Republic (CAR) I and II, Kenya, Libya, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Georgia, which means that, with your help, the TFV can assist thousands of victims who come under the jurisdiction of the Court.

A short video on the activities of the Trust Fund for Victims can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho_fEiZ3ark