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Call for Papers for the journal Security and Peace (S+F 4/2013) A)Context/Thematic Outline: In July 2002 a new actor entered the international arena: the International perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international and made a name for itself within politics, media and academia. The prosecution, under the leadership of the former chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has initiated official investigations in seven countries (The Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Sudan and Uganda). Just in time for its 10-year anniversary, Thomas Lubanga Diylo was convicted of war crimes by Trial Chamber I of the ICC and sentenced to 14 years in prison. There was much doubt whether the ICC would be able to bring its first investigation to a successful conclusion: The prosecution refused to cooperate fully and the United Nations temporarily suspended its cooperation with the judges of the court, thereby risking the release of the Congolese rebel leader. The Lubanga-investigation is not the only controversial investigation. There has been criticism that criminal investigations might have negative ramifications on the peace processes in Sudan and in northern Uganda, that they could hinder reconciliation of Kenyan ethnic groups following the massacres on 2007/2008, and that they are too selective (Africa-centered) and time-consuming. The aforementioned problems cannot be pushed aside as simple teething problems. When investigating within ongoing conflicts, the ICC is dependent on cooperation of states, international organizations and NGOs. Obtaining evidence, apprehending suspects and the enforcement of sentences cannot be done by the ICC alone. Hence, there is a obvious risk of being instrumentalized by interested governments. Criminal proceedings can be (mis-)used to isolate policy-makers politically and to make a case for economic and military sanctions. They can harden the fronts, be utilized by prosecution become global political actors irrespective of their own sense of mission. In this respect it is of great interest how the prosecution strategy will develop after the departure of Luis Moreno-Ocampo; in July 2012 Fatou Bensouda of Gambia replaced the Argentinean at the Head of the Office of the Prosecution. It is therefore time to critically examine the previous practice and to assess the effects of international criminal prosecutions in the 21st century. It thus seems absolutely necessary to consider the topic from different perspectives. One should take into account potential security implications of international criminal procedures and reflect on the interaction of accountability mechanisms with local, national and international peace efforts: what contribution can criminal trials make towards the stabilization of post-conflict societies? What conflict potential is inherent to national and international sanctions? Under what legal parameters are deals and consensual approaches to accountability possible? Submissions from different disciplines, notably peace studies, security policy and international (criminal) law, are encouraged We welcome contributions with a country-specific focus as well as principal essays which cover past or current ICC activities or analyze the way international actors (such as the UN, EU, USA, China) position themselves. B) Parameters for Authors: Deadline 1: Please submit your abstract and title by 1 April 2013 at the latest. Deadline 2: Please hand in your article (of accepted proposals) by 22 June 2013, at the latest. The articles can be written in either German or English. Peer-Review: There will be a double-blind peer-review-process, which will probably necessitate a revision for a publication in issue 4/2013. Length: Approx. 30.000 characters (including spaces); Information about the format can be found at: http://www.security-and-peace.de/hinweise_en.htm Please send your enquiries to Patricia Schneider: <mailto:schneider@ifsh.de> schneider@ifsh.de. 14 September 2012 The Editors: Dr. phil. Patricia Schneider is a scientific advisor at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH) and Retaliation, Mediation and Punishment and lecturer in the Master of Peace and Security Studies program. Journal: <http://www.sicherheit-und-frieden.nomos.de/index.php?id=2226&L=1> http://www.sicherheit-und-frieden.nomos.de/index.php?id=2226&L=1
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