Tag: IIIMSyria

“The answer must be accountability.” 

29 May, Geneva – At the 8th edition of the Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’, Mr. Robert Petit, Head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), underscored the crucial role of justice and accountability in building a future Syria grounded in the rule of law. 

During the Ministerial Day, Mr. Petit expressed, “Since March 2011, the international community has been unable to speak with one voice to hold those most responsible for the crimes committed in Syria accountable.” He highlighted the ongoing atrocities and the impunity gap, stating, “More than ever, the answer must be accountability.” 

Mr. Petit pointed to the progress made by the IIIM, with the support and “unprecedented effort by Syrian civil society organizations and victim and survivor associations”. He referenced the assistance the IIIM has already provided to 192 distinct investigations, saying, “Our evidence, analyses, witness interviews, and partnerships are helping to bring justice for Syrians now.” He also emphasized that by investigating broad patterns of crimes the IIIM aims “to lay the groundwork for future justice efforts.” 

These efforts include the ongoing case at the International Court of Justice brought by Canada and the Netherlands, regarding Syria’s obligations under the Convention against Torture. The IIIM is preparing to provide support in the form of a report on the Syrian detention system. A version of the report will be made public.  

Mr. Petit urged member states to continue their support with tangible contributions, “Justice and accountability require time and resources. This applies to both the United Nations and civil society actors alike.  I call on you to fund the broad range of international justice actors pursuing pathways to accountability.” 

The High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell affirmed the EU’s continued support for the IIIM in his opening remarks, as did many representatives, including from Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. 

Mr. Petit was able to engage with Syrian civil society representatives at a side-event hosted by the Global Survivors Fund highlighting how the crucial support provided by Syrian civil society actors enabled the IIIM to fulfil its mandate towards inclusive justice.  

During a breakfast meeting hosted by Belgium’s Ambassador Mr. Piet Heirbaut, Director General for Legal Affairs at the Belgian Foreign Ministry, to introduce Mr. Petit as the newly appointed Head, he thanked the Ambassador, Member States present as well as the European Union, for their steadfast support of the IIIM. Mr. Petit expressed hope for continued cooperation to deliver justice and accountability to contribute to a sustainable peace in Syria and reiterated the need for additional funds in order to continue the IIIM’s successful mandate implementation.  

About the IIIM 

The International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) is mandated to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011. 

Established in December 2016 by the UN General Assembly, the IIIM was the first UN body of its kind. It became operational in 2018 and has already received 375 requests for assistance from 16 different jurisdictions, It has to date supported 261 requests for assistance, related to 192 distinct investigations. 

Mr. Robert Petit, the second Head of the IIIM, was appointed by the Secretary-General and assumed his position on 2 May 2024. 

For more information on the IIIM’s work and activities visit iiim.un.org or contact [email protected] 

Last week, the IIIM participated in the European Network for Investigation and Prosecution of Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and War Crimes, commonly known as the Genocide Network. This biannual cooperation meeting brings together national authorities dedicated to investigating and prosecuting core international crimes.

For our senior IIIM team members, this event is an important opportunity to engage with prosecutors and war crimes units. It is also an opportunity for the IIIM to provide an update for Network members on its work and activities that could support jurisdictions.

Notably, this marked Ms. Catherine Marchi-Uhel’s final attendance as the IIIM Head. Mr. Matevz Pezdirc, the Head of the Genocide Network Secretariat, expressed heartfelt appreciation on behalf of Eurojust and the represented national war crimes units for Ms. Marchi-Uhel’s substantial and meaningful contributions to the collective efforts to the fight against impunity.

“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.
                            

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.

Episode 95 – Adaptable Justice for Syria with Catherine Marchi-Uhel

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.

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.