The International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Law School of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to renew their existing cooperation agreement for another 5 years.
The signing ceremony was held at the World Forum Convention Centre (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. This significant event took place in conjunction with the annual Assembly of States Parties of the ICC conference, which ran from December 2 to December 7, 2024.
Osvaldo Zavala Giler, the Registrar of the International Criminal Court (ICC), signed the MoU on behalf of the Court with the able support of the ICC’s Deputy Prosecutor, Mame Mandiaye Niang. Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, the Dean of the GIMPA Law School, also signed on behalf of GIMPA.
The signing ceremony was attended by several distinguished representatives, including Mr. Francis Kotia, Ambassador of Ghana to the Netherlands, Ambassador Jane Aheto, Director of the Legal and Treaties Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Ambassador Senalor Yawlui, PhD, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Ghana in The Hague, and Miss Naa Lamiokor Mills, First Secretary for Political and Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Ghana in The Hague.
ICC-ACICJ agreement
The International Criminal Court and the African Centre of International Criminal Justice, one of the centres led by Kwaku Agyeman-Budu at GIMPA Law School, signed a memorandum of understanding, which will allow the two institutions to co-operate closely in the fight against impunity in the African continent. The aim is to deepen understanding and appreciation of the role and work of the ICC within the international criminal law and justice architecture.
The original agreement was formally signed by representatives of both institutions on December 6, 2019, in The Hague, coinciding with the Assembly of State Parties of the International Criminal Court held that month.
The relationship between the ICC and the ACICJ, which was formalised, has led to the development of courses focusing on international criminal law (in particular the Master of Laws Degree (LL.M) programme in International Criminal Law and Justice, the first course of its kind in Ghana), participation in the ICC internship programme by ACICJ students, and participation in the ICC visiting professionals programme by ACICJ students and faculty.
It also promotes the exchange of speakers and collaborative initiatives such as lectures, seminars, events, research, and scholarships in the area of international criminal law.
The ACICJ
The African Centre of International Criminal Justice (ACICJ) is dedicated to growing the body of knowledge on international criminal justice, its necessity and the place of Africa within that paradigm.
The centre was conceived out of the success of the conference “International Criminal Court and Africa: A Discussion of Legitimacy, Impunity, Selectivity, Fairness and Accountability”, held at GIMPA in March 2016.
The ACICJ aims to fight impunity on the global, regional, and national levels through education and the dissemination of accurate information regarding the international criminal law and justice regime generally and the ICC in particular. The centre is now a focal point for research, scholarship, and training on the ICC and broader international justice issues across the continent.
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