INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY THE UNIVERSITIES NETWORK FOR
CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF
KUFA (MEMBER OF UNETCHAC)
‟Preventive measures to counter violence against children in armed conflicts”
27 th of March 2021
It was a great honor for me to represent as speaker the International Criminal Bar Association at the International Conference ‟Preventive measures to counter violence against children in armed conflicts”, organized by The Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict in Collaboration with The University of Kufa (MEMBER OF UNETCHAC), in the presence of so great personalities who have agreed to join forces to achieve the Network's goals under the auspices of The University of Kufa. (Prof. Dr. Yasir Lafta Hassoun, President of University of Kufa H.E. Bruno Antonio Pasquino, Ambassador of Italy to Iraq H.E. Safia Taleb Al-Suhail, Ambassador of Iraq to Italy, Prof. Laura Guercio, Representative of the Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict, Dr. Bakthiar Amin, former Minister of Human Rights in Iraq Prof. Fausto Pocar, Former Judge ICTY and Judge ad hoc ICJ, etc.)
The International Criminal Bar Association has among its objectives the defense of common values which are similar with those of The Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict. The defense of fundamental human rights and freedoms, when the victims of these violation are children and women, is a major concern of the ICB, as well as for each member of the association.
I consider it essential that through the programs that we will initiate in the ICB's activity, we should train lawyers and specialize them to provide the most effective defense possible to the victims who are children involved in armed conflicts. These are technical aspects of criminal judicial procedure that are specific to the assistance of child victims, when they are heard as an injured party, a civilian party, a victim of armed conflicts.
I believe that we must work in complex teams and complement our professional knowledge, because some representatives of Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict are also members of ICB, such member is our dear colleague and friend - lawyer Laura Guercio.
From this perspective, I will submit to the approval of the first meeting of the Executive Committee of ICB the draft agreement of the collaboration between ICB and The Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict.
Prof. Dragos Chilea, President of International Criminal Bar Association
