Children and the International Criminal Court: Lessons Learnt and Policies for the Future

Abstract:

The speaker, who has worked as a legal officer in the ICC Chambers since 2006, will analyse the ICC’s legal framework, case law and practice from a children’s rights perspective. She will share her insight of ICC cases and how they have complied (or failed to do so) with international children’s human rights standards, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Looking into current ICC cases and future investigations, the speaker will give details on the recently adopted “Policy on Children”, which although adopted by the Office of the Prosecutor, may ultimately have bearing in future ICC practice and case law.

Bio:

Cynthia Chamberlain (San José, Costa Rica, 1977) has had a passion for international law and human rights law from a very early age. She obtained her law degree (with honours) from the University of Costa Rica and was admitted to the Costa Rican Bar and appointed as a Public Notary in 2003. In 2005 she obtained a Diploma de Estudios Avanzados (DEA) from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. She obtained her PhD in International Law from Leiden University, the Netherlands in 2014. From 2000 to 2003, Cynthia worked with the Instituto Latinoamericano de las Naciones Unidas para la Prevención del Delito y el Tratamiento del Delincuente (ILANUD) in Costa Rica, where she worked in the then ratification campaign for the entry into force of the Rome Statute. She also represented non-governmental organisations, presenting a shadow reports to the CEDAW Committee between 2000 and 2002. Since 2006, Cynthia works as a Legal Officer in the Chambers of the International Criminal Court. In 2015, she participated in the expert roundtables leading to the adoption of the Office of the Prosecutor’s “Policy on Children”.