“I think it’s becoming easier and easier to justify the value…the results were not very visible especially in the early days, but they are becoming more and more so.”
In this in-depth interview, Catherine Marchi-Uhel, Head of IIIM, highlights the mechanism’s tangible contributions to international justice and shares the innovative approaches it developed that have now become a standard reference for others.
Read the full interview here.
Asymmetrical Haircuts- Adaptable Justice for Syria
In a new series the Asymmetrical Haircuts podcast team are focusing on UN accountability mechanisms. It is therefore only appropriate that the first episode is about the IIIM, the very first UN accountability mechanism created by the General Assembly, which became operational in 2018.
Catherine Marchi-Uhel, the IIIM Head, talks to Janet H. Anderson and Stephanie van den Berg about the challenges and the innovations that were made to fulfil what was then a unique mandate. Listen to the full episode and hear more on how the IIIM has become a key part of the accountability ecosystem and its prioritisation of victims/survivors throughout all its work.
International Women’s Day
On International Women’s Day, we honour the tireless efforts and indispensable contributions of Syrian women and girls in their unwavering pursuit of justice and accountability, despite the many risks and challenges.
Women human rights defenders, activists, and feminist-led organizations have actively engaged with our work, not only sharing valuable material but also shaping the IIIM Gender Strategy with their insights.
Throughout the conflict and continuing until today, Syrian women exhibit remarkable resilience and determination, ensuring support for victims and survivors across diverse communities in overcoming obstacles to justice. The IIIM is committed to advocating for space for their voices to be heard throughout international justice processes. Inclusive justice requires proactive steps, from identifying and interviewing female witnesses to include in evidence collection, to sharing analytical products with competent jurisdictions that reflect the distinct harms experienced by women and girls.
Our Children and Youth Strategy, scheduled for public release this year, has also been enriched by discussions with girls inside Syria. Today, let’s recommit to a world where their future is free from social and legal inequalities, and their right to justice transcends gender boundaries.
Here’s to our collective efforts in ensuring a just and equitable world for women and girls—every day of the year.
Victim/survivor-centeredness, data protection and open-source collection in accountability: lessons from IIIM-Syria
As part of a series on Cybersecurity and Data Protection on the ICRC Humanitarian Law and Policy blog, IIIM Associate Legal Officer Rayyan Ghuma and Information and Evidence Officer Birhane Wossen Reta, contributed a post exploring how the IIIM’s Victim/Survivor-Centred Approach (VSCA) is applied to its data protection and open-source research processes. The post outlines the IIIM’s attention to victim/survivor rights, and the development of internal processes and frameworks that protect those rights at every stage of its work with data.
Read the full article here for further details on this important feature of inclusive justice, as well as how the IIIM’s VSCA would guide open-source collection.
A Painstaking Quest for Justice
“In Syria, I was really struck by this lack of revenge. I haven’t seen many people wanting revenge. They want justice. And that’s really a very powerful attitude.” – Catherine Marchi- Uhel
Melissa Fleming, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, welcomed IIIM Head, Catherine Marchi-Uhel on her podcast “Awake at Night”. Ms. Fleming meets changemakers from diverse backgrounds who seek to create meaningful and lasting peace. In this episode, Ms. Uhel discusses her work at the IIIM following her lifetime career pursuing justice and accountability in different contexts.
You can listen now to the podcast here.
IIIM participated in an event calling for accountability for violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention
The Head of the IIIM, Catherine Marchi-Uhel, participated in an event organized by the Henrich Böll Stiftung Foundation on the violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention in Syria.
The event featured a diverse group of Syrian civil society representatives, including victims/survivors, first responders, lawyers and human rights documenters. All were advocating for the establishment of a dedicated international body to hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable.
Ms. Marchi-Uhel participated online, emphasizing the IIIM’s accountability mandate and its dedicated line of inquiry focused on unlawful attacks, including chemical weapons attacks. She highlighted that this work builds on the important contributions from Syrian civil society organizations as well as the findings of various international bodies such as the Commission of Inquiry on Syria and OPCW.
Watch the event here.
Watch Ms. Marchi-Uhel’s remarks here.
Syrians lead push to create global chemical weapons tribunal
IIIM head Catherine Marchi-Uhel said there are not enough justice opportunities for chemical weapons attacks in Syria and that her agency was ready to work with a new court.
“An international body with dedicated resources and a team that has developed expertise on building cases around chemical weapons incidents might be well placed to deal with these types of cases,” she said.
Exclusive: Syrians lead push to create global chemical weapons tribunal | Reuters
Switzerland concluded an additional voluntary contribution to the IIIM
Geneva, 13 November – Ambassador Simon Geissbühler, Switzerland’s Head of the FDFA Peace and Human Rights Division, visited the IIIM to meet with Ms. Catherine Marchi-Uhel, Head of the IIIM. The meeting finalised an agreement for an additional contribution from Switzerland to the IIIM.
Switzerland’s ongoing support and commitment to the IIIM’s mission strengthens its capacity to meet the escalating demand for support across national jurisdictions.
Syria’s Arab Spring lives on in hearts – and Courts
Catherine Marchi-Uhel, along with many Syrian actors was interviewed for this in-depth article exploring the ongoing efforts by Syrians to build cases, bear witness and pursue justice through the courts. Read about their journeys and the demand for an international court to hold all perpetrators accountable.
Syria’s Arab Spring lives on in hearts – and courts – CSMonitor.com
IIIM welcomes Germany’s renewed support
At a recent meeting at Germany’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, the Head of the IIIM Catherine Marchi-Uhel, met with outgoing Chargé d´affaires a. i., Dr. Hans-Peter Jugel, to sign a contribution agreement in support of the IIIM Strategic Plan 2023-2025.
The IIIM extends its deep appreciation for Germany’s ongoing support and collaborative efforts. Voluntary contributions play a critical role in strengthening our capacity to respond effectively to the increasing number of requests for assistance from jurisdictions working to investigate and prosecute core international crimes and violations in Syria. As the demand for our support grows, Germany’s commitment significantly enhances our ability to address these challenges.
The IIIM remains grateful for Germany’s steadfast dedication to justice and accountability, and we look forward to continuing to assist the vital and impactful work of its national prosecutors.