In response to the escalating war in Ukraine, the European Union has intensified its longstanding commitment to preventing serious international crimes and ending impunity for their perpetrators. This initiative aligns with the global concern that has grown significantly since February 2022.
A specialized conference, featuring a panel of EU and international law experts, was convened to discuss the Union’s strategies in fighting impunity for core international crimes. Participants evaluated the EU’s response to the conflict in Ukraine and considered if the catalyzed a fundamental shift in the international legal approach to combating impunity.
The conference was broken down into four key panels: Mobilization of EU Internal Competences, Recalibration of EU Support to International Criminal Justice, Traditional EU External Law Tools Revisited, and Assessing the Paradigm Shift in International Criminal Law.
This gathering marks a crucial step in reassessing international legal mechanisms and the EU’s role in addressing and prosecuting international offenses, underlining a potential paradigm shift in the wake of recent global events.