CommentaryKristine Long, Pitt Law '11, attended a lecture hosted by the Center for International Legal Education on "The Role of the US in International Criminal Justice," presented by Stephen Rapp, the US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues…
While I listened to Ambassador Stephen Rapp talk about the United States' role in international law, I couldn't help but think about Obama's State of the Union address from the night before. While Obama's talk was highly focused on domestic troubles, his speech did allude to the larger role America plays in the international community. Obama stated that "our destinies are connected to those beyond our shores," and that America "must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity." These words were echoed when Ambassador Rapp took on the daunting task of explaining in one hour how international criminal law operates.Rapp's lecture reiterated Obama's sentiment that the US has tried to be pro-active in humanitarian issues. In fact, his position was created by the Clinton administration in 1996, in response to the atrocities taking place in the former Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda. It was interesting to hear that the US is the only country to have such an ambassador position. One of the first things that struck me about Rapp's lecture was how much he emphasized precedent when discussing America's future, and he was keen to mention the efforts of the Clinton administration in the international arena. While the conflicts in Kosovo, Rwanda, and Darfur are most relevant for law students, the international community has been working towards the policy of "international justice" since the Nuremberg trials. For me, the Nuremberg trials seem so distant, but they were the inspiration for Rapp's career, and he demonstrated that Nuremberg and its lessons are still relevant in today's conflicts.
While Rapp is certainly an expert in his field, I really appreciated how little time he actually spent on the legal issues the US faces. It seems strange that at a lecture at a law school, a prosecutor almost downplayed the intricacies of the law. Even in the briefest moments when Rapp did discuss the law, the issues grew to be vastly complex. Anyone who has ever studied international law can appreciate how difficult it is for multiple nations to agree on treaties and conventions. The simplest task of defining an issue (let alone the issue of "genocide") becomes nearly impossible, as every country has its own perspective and political priorities. What struck me the most about Rapp's lecture then was that instead of focusing on the legal principles involved, he humanized the issue of genocide and remained both informative and personal. The part of the lecture that stood out for me was when Rapp told the story of a young Rwandan man who had lost every single member of his family to genocide but after the trial told Rapp that it was the happiest day of his life. A statement of guilt and accountability is exactly what Rapp and the international community work hard to provide for victims of genocide and the community at large.
For Rapp, the reason the US and other countries began to get involved was, quite simply, because the world had failed in humanitarian efforts, namely, the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and the war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. In attempting to respect the UN principle of state sovereignty, the world allowed genocide to happen. Rapp stated: "It is illegal for one man to hurt another – this is assault, how in multiplying it by a million is it not an illegal act?" While other countries sat comfortably in safety, genocide happened, and it was important that the world held to account those responsible.
That accountability is essentially why the US has played such a strong role in supporting international courts. The support from multiple nations is to send a message that through universal jurisdiction, criminals will not find safe havens after they have committed crimes against humanity. According to Rapp, the US will continue to work within the framework of international systems because it is only through multinational cooperation and resources that the world can bring such terrible crimes to an end.
Mentioned in this article:
2010 State of the Union Address
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
The Special Court for Sierra Leone
Photos courtesy of: D. Wes Rist
