Symposium on International Law and Justice, Session Three: The Darfur Case

Friday, October 17, 2008

Angelina Jolie introduced the sesssion discussing her work with the UN High Commission on Refugees and her thoughts on how to balance peace and justice. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, spoke to the Council on Foreign Relations about the court's cases in Sudan. "People in Darfur are targeted by the very people who are supposed to protect them," he said. He then urged individuals to recognize the importance of the court's work in shifting public opinion on international justice. "The call for justice is not going away," he said. His speech was followed by a discussion with Nicholas Kristof, columnist for the New York Times. Kristof queried the prosecutor on whether it is possible for peace and justice to coexist. "I do justice," responded Moreno-Ocampo. But he acknowledged the challenge of his work given his inability to arrest the individuals he indicts. He must rely on the international community, but as he states, "that is the problem--the international community is not yet a community."

This session was part of the CFR Symposium on International Law and Justice, which was made possible through the generous support of the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

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