In the past week, a number of farewell events were held in honour of the outgoing Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”), Mrs Fatou Bensouda, whose nine year mandate at the head of the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (“Office” or “OTP”) came to an end on 15 June 2021. She has served the Court since 2004, first as Deputy Prosecutor. Mr Karim Asad Ahmad Khan has been sworn in as Prosecutor of the ICC as of tomorrow, 16 June 2021.
At the different events, the Principals and staff of the Court, State representatives and a range of other distinguished attendees thanked Prosecutor Bensouda for her dedicated service to the ICC for close to two decades. Interventions, through live remarks or video contributions, noted the accomplishments of Prosecutor Bensouda and her lasting legacy, as well as the significant challenges, which have marked her term and which she has overcome with grace, resilience and professional integrity.
Speakers included, inter alia, UN Deputy Secretary-General, H.E. Ms Amina J. Mohammed; ICC President, Judge Piotr Hofmański; ICC Registrar, Mr Peter Lewis; ICC Deputy Prosecutor, Mr James Stewart, President of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), Ms Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi; former President of the ASP, Judge O-Gon Kwon; Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands, H.E. Ms Sigrid Kaag; Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia, H.E. Dr Mamadou Tangara; Minister of Justice (Attorney General) of The Gambia, The Honourable Mr Dawda A. Jallow; UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs & Legal Counsel, H.E. Mr Miguel de Serpa Soares; Ambassador of Senegal, H.E. Mr Momar Gueye; Ambassador of The Gambia, H.E. Ms Teneng Mba Jaiteh; Acting Convenor of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Ms Melinda Reed, and former US Prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, Mr Benjamin Ferencz.
“To be effective, to be just and to be a real deterrent, the Office of the Prosecutor’s activities and decisions must be based solely on the law and the evidence. During my tenure, I have done my utmost to live by these convictions in the service of the Rome Statute, without fear or favour”, stated Prosecutor Bensouda reflecting on her mandate.
Click to read/download Ms. Bensouda’s farewell statement below:
