Context

In the last five years, new forms of victim participation in (international) criminal law have developed that were unheard of and perhaps even uncalled for before. The statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), for example, contains provisions which enable victims to participate in all stages of the proceedings before the Court. In addition to that, the Court has set up a victims’ fund that will pay for different measures of reparation – something that does not have to be related to the legal proceedings at the court.
Another example is the Victims’ Unit at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), where the advocacy efforts of a number of non-governmental organizations has led to a stronger representation of victims’ needs and interests at the chambers’ proceedings.

Aware of the sensitive nature of victim-perpetrator-categories, we nevertheless assume that victim participation in these contexts can serve as a link between judicial proceedings on one hand and the strengthening of civil society on the other hand, thus at best contributing to a more sustainable peace.