On 11 October, the ICC held the first hearing on reparations in the case against Congolese national, Thomas Lubanga, who was convicted in 2012 of the war crimes of enlistment, conscription and use of children to participate actively in hostilities. Having been earlier invited by the Trial Chamber, during the Hearing the Women’s Initiatives presented our views on reparations issues, the harm caused to victims of the crimes for which Mr Lubanga was convicted, and the specific context in eastern DRC. At the Hearing we summarized the observations we had previously submitted to the Court on 3 October 2016, in which we emphasized, amongst other issues, the significant security concerns expressed by victims with respect to participating in the reparations process and the need for mechanisms which ensure their safety.

Read the presentation by the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice to the Trial Chamber here.

Read the Observations filed by the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice here.

In the lead up to the Hearing, 13 organizations filed observations to the Judges, including a number of local NGOs from eastern DRC, addressing reparations in this case.

Alongside the Women’s Initiatives, Child Soldiers International was also invited by the Trial Chamber to present their views, which they did at the Hearing on 11 October.

Read all public filings here.