From 12 to 14 November 2024, following an invitation from the national authorities, the Registrar of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court"), Osvaldo Zavala Giler, paid an official visit to the Republic of Colombia, and met with high level government representatives and members of the Judiciary, and other stakeholders. The Registrar was joined by the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV), Minou Josefina Tavárez Mirabal. This visit was the first official mission of the ICC Registrar to the Latin American and Caribbean Region and focused on strengthening cooperation and engagement with the Court.
This also marked the ICC Trust Fund for Victims' first official mission to the region. These exchanges aimed to raise awareness about the Fund and its mandate, foster long-term and sustainable partnerships with Colombian national authorities and institutions, and strengthen cooperation. Additionally, they provided an opportunity to gather valuable insights from the country's experiences and further mobilize resources.
The ICC Registrar and the TFV Chair met with the Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs of Colombia, Kandya Obezo, the Minister of Justice, Angela María Buitrago, among various other national and judicial authorities, including the Attorney General of Colombia, Luz Adriana Camargo, and representatives from the Special Assets Society (Sociedad de Activos Especiales).
"As the first Registrar of the Court of Latin-American origin, I feel quite strongly about having this opportunity to deepen the excellent engagement which already exists between Colombia and the ICC, and to find further opportunities to enhance cooperation and exchange experiences on various areas under the mandate of the Registry, including as concerns the participation of victims in the judicial process, outreach activities, the protection of witnesses and victims, as well as the freezing and seizing of assets. Additionally, this is an occasion to dialogue about the possibility of advancing voluntary cooperation agreements with Colombia," the Registrar said.
During his visit, the Registrar and TFV Chair also had in-depth discussions with Alejandro Ramelli, President of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz - JEP) and other JEP representatives. They exchanged on experiences and cooperation on victims' participation, outreach and reparations among other key issues.
The Registrar also participated in an event organised by the Augusto Ramírez Ocampo Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, where he presented the work of the Court and the Registry's mandate, including as concerns cooperation with States Parties, and opportunities for increased engagement in Latin America. .
The mission was organised with the financial support of the European Union.
