Book Launch: Atrocity Crimes, Children and International Criminal Courts

Event

This event marks the launch of Professor Cécile Aptel’s new book ‘Atrocity Crimes, Children and International Criminal Courts: Killing Childhood’ published by Routledge.

In this book, Cécile Aptel – one of our faculty members and a leading expert in international criminal justice, transitional justice and child rights – shows how international criminal courts have paid only limited and inconsistent attention to atrocity crimes affecting children.

The book reviews how different international and hybrid criminal jurisdictions, from the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals to the International Criminal Court, have considered international crimes committed against or by children. The book also considers how international criminal justice can help contribute to the recognition of the impact that international crimes have on children, whether as victims or as participants and strengthen their protection.

The book elucidates the many obstacles that have contributed to the international courts’ focus on the experience of adults, rendering children almost invisible. It proposes an agenda to improve this situation, calling for international investigative and prosecutorial strategies to be less adult-centric and also for the scope of crimes against children to be broadened beyond the focus on child soldiers.

Based on her book’s findings, the author will discuss with leading experts the key issues related to the investigation and prosecution of international crimes affecting children.

Moderation

• Erica Harper, Head of Research and Policy Studies, Geneva Academy

Panelists

• Cécile Aptel, Deputy Director, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and Faculty member, Geneva Academy
• Catherine Marchi-Uhel, Head, International Impartial and Independent Mechanism - Syria (IIIM)
• Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Eleanor Roosevelt Fellow, Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School and Professor of Law, University of Western Cape, Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and former Member and Chairperson of the  African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
• Aurélie Lamazière, Lead on Accountability for Grave Violations Affecting Children, Senior Programme Manager, Save the Children

Closing Remarks

• Mikiko Otani, Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

Reception

The book launch will be followed by a reception.