Illuminating Justice: Celebrating the Impact of World Day for International Justice 2024

A Day of Profound Significance

On July 17th, the world pauses to acknowledge a day that carries profound significance: the World Day for International Justice. This annual observance serves as a beacon of hope for humanity, championing the cause of justice and peace. It honors the International Criminal Court (ICC), an institution born out of the Rome Statute in 1998, which stands as a bulwark against the worst human atrocities. The ICC’s mission is to deliver justice where it is most direly needed, confronting crimes that shake the very foundations of global society.

The Power of Awareness: Raising Global Consciousness

The World Day for International Justice is more than a celebration of an institution; it is a rallying cry for public awareness on the importance of justice in cases of grave international significance. This day highlights the ICC’s relentless battle against heinous international crimes, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It underscores the court’s commitment to holding those who perpetrate these atrocities accountable. By focusing the world’s attention on these issues, the day fosters a global consciousness about the need for justice and the mechanisms in place to achieve it.

Guarding the Bastions of Humanity: Upholding Justice and Human Rights

This poignant day underscores the principle that justice must prevail, even in the face of direct inhumanity. It is about dealing with the aftermath of severe violations and, crucially, striving for their prevention. The World Day for International Justice sends a resounding message: the world will not sit idly by as the foundations of peace, security, and prosperity are threatened. It reaffirms the necessity of upholding justice and human rights, reinforcing the global commitment to these fundamental principles.

Voices in the Silence: Recognizing the Resilience of Victims

Equally important, this day stands as a testament to the resilience of victims. It underscores the necessity of safeguarding their rights, acknowledging their trials, and ensuring their voices, often subdued by chaos, are amplified. By doing so, it reaffirms our shared humanity and strengthens our resolve to prevent the recurrence of such crimes. Recognizing and supporting victims is a moral imperative and a critical component in the broader pursuit of justice.

Cases supporting:

In two cases—The Gambia’s case against Myanmar over its alleged acts of genocide against the Rohingya in violation of the Genocide Convention and the Netherlands’ and Canada’s case against Syria for its alleged violation of the Convention Against Torture—the ICJ found that countries could bring cases even when they had only a generalized interest in enforcing an obligation under the treaties that all states owe to one another and did not otherwise have a direct interest in the dispute. South Africa is proceeding on a similar rationale. The ICJ’s decision to grant South Africa’s application for provisional measures only serves to strengthen this basis for standing and could greatly increase the role of the court in similar cases in the future. That will draw the ICJ into more contentious political debates, but it also offers, if the court is prudent, the possibility of bringing legal analysis to highly charged disputes.

One of the most famous cases the ICJ ruled on was Nicaragua v. United States of America. In 1986, the ICJ ruled that the U.S. violated international law for supporting right-wing rebel groups in their covert war efforts against the Nicaraguan government.

Israel’s War on Gaza:

Israeli authorities, since 1967, have illegally occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem – part of Palestine under the United Nations-determined division of historic Palestine in 1948 –  running a system that restricts the citizenship rights of Palestinians, hampers their free movement and strips them of ancestral lands. Between 1967 and 2005, Israel also directly occupied Gaza, and since 2007, has imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the coastal enclave. It decides what food, water, medicines, fuel, construction material and other commodities can go into Gaza, and stops their flow when it wants.

Even as the war on Gaza is now in its fifth month, Palestinians in the West Bank have come under increased attacks from Israeli forces, with hundreds of people killed.

A More Just World: The Shared Responsibility of Upholding Justice

As we commemorate the World Day for International Justice in 2024, its significance resonates more than ever. In an ever-evolving international landscape, the need for diligent adherence to human rights, the rule of law, and justice is paramount. We must ensure these principles shape our actions, not merely echo lofty rhetoric. Upholding justice is a shared responsibility that transcends borders and cultures, uniting us in our common quest for a more just world.

The Call to Action: The Power of Collective Conscience

Justice is not the responsibility of a select few; it is a shared duty. This duty begins with raising awareness and culminates in collective action. Every voice that speaks against injustice, every effort to support victims, and every stand against impunity adds threads of strength to our global fabric. On this day, we stand united, recognizing our shared aspiration for justice. We uphold the dignity of victims, champion human rights, and lend our voices to the call against impunity. Justice, both as an ideal and a practice, is a cornerstone of our global civilization.

Today, on the World Day for International Justice, let us pledge to keep that cornerstone strong and unwavering. Let us ensure that the pursuit of justice remains a central pillar of our collective efforts, guiding us toward a future where peace, security, and prosperity are not mere aspirations, but lived realities.

–Tishya Sharma, Lawyer, Content Developer and Grant Consultant with She Sight Magazine