20-29 June 2000

The first part of the video is an interview with Indai Sajor, Executive Director of Asian Centre for Women's Human Rights (ASCENT). She talks about the potential of the ICC to address the issues of survivors and victims of war and armed conflict. She hopes that domestic laws will reform on the basis of ICC standards to address crimes such as genocide on a national level. She notes that while the women's rights movement is stronger now and can encourage women victims to speak out, the national and international justice systems are not sensitive enough to address their violations and give them justice. She says that the ICC is still becoming established, so national courts must quickly adapt to serve the millions of victims of war and violence. She explains that the human rights movement must find creative ways to motivate domestic governments and to educate the public about gender-based persecution. Finally, she talks about the need for mechanisms to protect witnesses and victims, citing the example of the witness and victim protection unit in Indonesia. The second part is footage of Women's Caucus members talking and using computers outside a conference room at the UN. There are then shots of people sitting at tables in a conference room, walking through a hallway, and eating at a cafeteria. Next is footage of the Women's Caucus office, including shots of a hand-drawn comic and some footage where the cameraperson plays with camera settings. The video continues with more shots in a hallway where Women's Caucus members wearing t-shirts reading "Gender Justice NOW!" are gathered, then inside a large hall where an event is about to take place. The third portion of the tape is an interview with Donald Piragoff, from the Department of Justice Canada. Piragoff talks about how the ICC statute has defined gender violence and how it will take the needs of victims into consideration. He explains the concept of complementarity, which is the principle that states have the right to prosecute first; the ICC will only step in if courts refuse or are unable to try the crimes. He says that the primary obligation for prosecution should be with the states, and talks about how Canada has passed legislation that goes beyond the Rome Statute. The interview is followed by b-roll of the interviewer walking with Piragoff.