29
thMeeting of the Network for investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes
DRAFT AGENDA
Via videoconference, 24-25 March 2021 (0900-1500 the Hague time)
Chair of the meeting:
Mr João Melo, Deputy Director, Polícia Judiciária, Portugal
DAY 1 — 24 MARCH (OPEN SESSION)
08:15 – 09:00 Log in to Cisco Webex and technical fine tuning
09:00 – 09:10 Welcoming Remarks
Mr João Melo, Deputy Director, Polícia Judiciária, Portugal Mr Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust
09:10 – 12:30 The use of chemical weapons in Syria as a core international crime and steps towards accountability
09:10 – 09:35 Prohibition of chemical weapons within the IHL legal framework
Ms Nele Verlinden, Legal Adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
09:35 – 10:00 Prohibition of the use of chemical weapons under Chemical Weapons Convention and the work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in relation to Syria
Mr Grant Dawson, Legal Adviser, OPCW
10:00 – 10:30 Analysis and dataset on the use of chemical weapons in Syria – work of Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) Mr Tobias Schneider, GPPi
10:30 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 11:30 Criminal complaints for the chemical attacks in Syria by survivors and NGOs in Germany and France
Mr Mazen Darwish, Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression
Mr Hadi al-Khatib, Syrian Archive
Mr Steve Kostas, Open Society Justice Initiative
11:30 – 11:50 Facilitating national prosecutions for chemical attacks in Syria – support of the IIIM
Mr Aditya Menon, IIIM Ms Chelsea Fewkes, IIIM
11:50 – 12:00 The International Partnership Against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons
Mr Mikaël Griffon, Head of Department for Arms Control and OSCE, Ministry Of Europe and Foreign Affairs, France
12:00 – 12:30 Inapplicability of immunity for foreign state officials in domestic courts – decision of the German Federal Court of Justice on 28 January
Mr Christoph Barthe, Senior Public Prosecutor, Germany
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch break
13:30 – 13:50 Judgement on crimes against humanity committed in Syria – presentation of a recent judgment from Koblenz, Germany Mr Christian Ritscher, Federal Public Prosecutor, Germany
13:50 – 14:00 Update on the Initiative for a Multilateral Treaty for MLA and extradition for domestic prosecution of the most serious international crimes
Mr Gérard Dive, President of the Belgian Task Force for International Criminal Justice
14:00 – 14:30 Updates on the Secretariat’s activities
Mr Matevž Pezdirc, Head of the Network Secretariat
14:30 – 14:50 Updates by the civil society Representative/s of the civil society
14:50 – 15:00 Closing remarks of the Chair and end of the open session
15:15 – 15:45 RESTRICTED SESSION FOR MEMBER STATES (TBC) (for Contact Points of the Member States only)
DAY 2 — 25 MARCH (CLOSED SESSION)
08:30 – 09:00 Log in to Cisco Webex and technical fine tuning
09:00 –15:00 Exchange of information on specific situations, procedures and legal questions
(Structured discussion and exchange of information based on input of contact points)
10:30 - 11:00 Break 12:30 - 13:30 Break
14:45 – 14:50 Conclusions of the Network meeting
14:50 – 15:00 Closing remarks by the chair of the meeting and end of the 29th plenary Network meeting
