EVENTS

Summary:

The Pacific Justice Network (‘PacificJust’) was established as an annual professional cooperation event, to enable close collaboration between national judicial and law enforcement officials responsible for investigating and prosecuting core international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes), and practitioners and civil society organisations (CSOs) also practicing in this field. It aims to leverage international best practice to uplift the accountability ecosystem across the Pacific Rim region, create dialogue and collaboration within this ecosystem, and identify and provide uplift in the adoption of global best practices in accountability by national judicial and law enforcement officials.

On 24 and 25 October 2024, in Canberra, Australia, over 50 participants met to discuss current challenges and opportunities in the practice of accountability for core international crimes. Judicial and law enforcement practitioners from seven states and 14 different civil society organisations participated.  PacificJust is modelled on the European Union’s (EU’s) Genocide Network, which is hosted by Eurojust.

The initial focus of this meeting was establishing networks across the accountability ecosystem, leveraging global best practices, and cooperation in specific cases.

Operating on the premise of confidentiality, the inaugural meeting commenced with a day of panel discussions that included JANA Advisors and representatives from participating States, international mechanisms, Eurojust Genocide Network, and non-government organisations (NGOs) sharing jurisprudence, lessons learned and operational insights relating to cases. It also included:

1. Innovations in ICL practices and extending the practitioner network

2. Evolving practices for global best practices: community of practice (CoP), evidence collection and solutions for admissibility in the domestic context

3. Strategic litigation in ICL: creating pathways to justice 

4. ICL in transformation: international law and jurisprudence in transition

5. How has universal jurisdiction evolved: is the future of ICL national? 

The second day of the meeting provided an opportunity for practitioners – both CSO and judicial and law enforcement officials – to exchange operational information and best practice relating to current cases. This exchange provided an opportunity to understand the current focus of NGO practitioners and for government officials to provide explanation about internal processes associated with the receipt and processing of criminal complaints pertaining to core international crimes.

Day 2 also included a Closed Session for judicial and law enforcement officials only. The PacificJust meeting was supported by representation from the EU’s Genocide Network Secretariat, which chaired the session. This allowed participants to share information on operational matters and cases related to core international crimes investigations and prosecutions.

Conclusions:

1. The key themes identified across the two-day event were, as follows:

• The continuing value in building a judicial and law enforcement network, which includes CSO and NGOs, across the Pacific Rim, including engaging in regular meetings;

• The importance of networks in facilitating effective investigation and prosecution for core international crimes in the national context;

• There is value in sharing case information between CSOs, NGOs and judicial and law enforcement officials, and also in conducting closed government-only sessions; 

• The importance of cooperation across the accountability ecosystem, including a judicial and law enforcement officials, international mechanisms, academia and NGOs/CSOs;

• The many opportunities for uplift and capacity building in relation to the legislative frameworks, investigative practices and prosecutorial processes associated with core international crimes across the Pacific Rim for the purpose of accountability in national courts; and

• The PacificJust forum could be further enhanced by linking to existing forums across the Pacific Rim to expand participation.

2. A plan for the future conduct of PacificJust meetings was briefed during the event, with a three-year plan proposed for the event to run as a not-for-profit facilitated event, with an intention to transition to a government-led forum by 2026.

3. The meeting was generally considered a success by participants, with agreement to continue in 2025. Like the EU’s Genocide Network, PacificJust is a unique forum, with State national authorities joining other States and associate organisations from the Pacific Rim, the European Union, United Nations and beyond, as well as civil society, in a common goal: the fight against impunity.