Dear International Criminal Bar members,
Dear colleagues and friends, we are quickly approaching the end of
this year and it is the time for a review of our activity.
We went through an extremely difficult period of time, a year that
was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and that will surely remain in
history due to its dramatic consequences.
Nevertheless, and only thanks to your support, we managed to
continue our activity in the International Criminal Bar, and to fulfill most
of the goals we had aimed to achieve this year.
Thus, we organized Seminars and Conferences for International
Criminal Bar members, and benefitted from the participation of not only
members but also a series of guests, specialists in criminal law. A few
noteworthy examples: Particularities of International Criminal Trial -
Constanta, January 2020, “Criminal responsibility, transnational judicial
actions and pandemic of COVID-19” - International Online Seminary,
September 2020, “The ICB as Defender of Human Rights” - International
Online Conference, December 2020.
These reunions were held online.
International Criminal Bar members also took part in professional,
scientific reunions, some of which the International Criminal Bar co-
chaired, such as: “International Conference in Law, Public Administration
and Medicine -9th edition” - ICLPA 9M, “Black Sea Maritime Cyber
Security Conference” - June 2020, "Universities Network for promoting the
rights and the protection of children involved in armed conflict”.
Throughout this entire year we also managed to reorganize the
International Criminal Bar secretariat, move to a new office, and make it
functional through the contribution of our two secretaries, Inma Sañé and
Mila Cabet, to whom I would like to thank here for their efforts and
professionalism.
The International Criminal Bar brought back a part of its old
members and also gained new members, mostly on the African continent
due to the efforts of the first Vice-President International Criminal Bar,
Abouba Ali Maiga, to whom I thank for always supporting me.
Have contributed to the results achieved in this difficult context, the
members of the Executive Committee, who cover geographically a large
part of the world - North America represented by Prof. Ken Gallant, Asia
represented by Nguyen Dang Trung, Europe represented by Prof. Pierre
Kopp, to whom I also thank for their efforts and activity.
As a special contribution made through their participation to all our
events I would like to mention Claudio Lamela of Argentina, Prof. Laura
Guercio and Prof. Vicenzo Carbone of Italy, as well as my Romanian
colleagues, Prof. Madalina Botina, Dr. Ramona Mihaela Coman and Elena
Alina Lungu. I was equally happy for the presence of our colleagues
Meurice Lisanne of Canada and David Querol of Barcelona and I thank
them for it.
Nothing would have been possible without the exceptional
contribution of Prof. Dr. Jaume Antich Soler, General Secretary of the
International Criminal Bar, and Antonia Rocha Gonzalez, Treasurer of the
International Criminal Bar, who also have my gratitude.
Last but not least, I would like to thank everyone who remained
loyal to the principles and ideas of the International Criminal Bar, and have
continued their participation in our events.
I have the hope that in the New Year 2021, the International Criminal
Bar will become stronger and more present in the field of international
criminal law, on the one hand due to the evolution in memberships and on
the other hand through the specialisations of new members and the
diversifying of our activities which will extend to the areas that need the
contribution of our members.
If the situation will allow us and in the hope that the pandemic will
be defeated, we will organize a new International Criminal Bar Congress,
continue the project begun with the Romanian Institute of Legal Research
of the Romanian Academy, we will organize training activities for lawyers
who wish to specialize in victim defense, especially children or female
victims, activity organized with the cooperation of magistrates from the
European Court of Human Rights of Strasbourg and the International
Criminal Court of The Hague.
We will extend our masters programme from the University of
Tarragona to the University of El Salvador in Buenos Aires, UMFST in
Targu Mures, Romania, and the University of Bamako, Mali.
These are only a few of the projects that were discussed in the
reunions of the Executive Committee that myself and all my colleagues as
well as International Criminal Bar members wish to develop during the
upcoming year.
I wish you all good health and joy, as well as the traditional season’s
greetings and wishes.
Happy holidays and a Happy New Year!
International Criminal Bar President,
Prof. Dr. Dragos Chilea