The Proposal for an International Anti-Corruption Court

Eighty years ago, the International Court of Justice opened in The Hague to settle disputes between countries. In the decades since, the international community has built new courts to hold individuals accountable for the gravest crimes, from war crimes to genocide. But one crime that does enormous damage still has no international court: grand corruption. Grand corruption, the theft of public money by those at the very top of government, drains hundreds of billions from public budgets every year, funds repression, and erodes people's trust in the institutions meant to protect them. Yet when national courts are unwilling or unable to act, there is often nowhere else to turn.

This session explores a proposal to change that: an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC), a new court that would hold senior officials criminally accountable and help return stolen assets to the people they were taken from.

You'll hear from a senior official of the International Court of Justice, who will introduce the proposal and reflect on lessons from the Court's 80 years of experience; a former international criminal prosecutor who helped draft the treaty for the IACC; and two human rights defenders who have challenged authoritarian governments in Myanmar and Russia, who will explain how corruption keeps such regimes in power and what real accountability could mean for people on the ground. A moderator from The Hague municipality will guide the conversation, asking why this matters for the city and for governments elsewhere.

The panel will be followed by an open Q&A. Join us for a lively, accessible conversation about how justice can keep pace with the challenges of our time.
Please note that virtual attendance is possible. Just select the ticket type "Virtual Access Pass"

Event venue & nearby stays

The Hague Humanity Hub, 58 Fluwelen Burgwal, Den Haag, Netherlands

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