CGLP Special Speaker: Ambassador David Scheffer

"Chasing Impunity: A War Crimes Ambassador's Memoir"
 

Thursday, February 16
Bannan Hall 135
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
 

The masterminds of atrocity crimes in modern times are facing fewer choices as war crimes tribunals and outraged citizens seek both justice and political upheaval. David Scheffer, America’s first Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues and author of All the Missing Souls: A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals, discusses atrocity crimes past, present, and future and how the fate of indicted leaders will be an international trial or vengeful retribution. The choice is no longer peace or justice to bring genocide or crimes against humanity to an end. The days of impunity are ending in the 21st century.

David John Scheffer is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the first United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, during President Bill Clinton’s second term in office. He currently teaches at the Northwestern University School of Law, where he directs the Center for International Human Rights.

As ambassador, Scheffer participated in the creation of the Internationl Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the Extraordinary Chambers in Cambodia. He also led the U.S. negotiating team in United Nations talks on the International Criminal Court. Though Scheffer signed the Rome Stature that established the ICC on behalf of the U.S. in 2000, he was a highly vocal critic of many aspects of the court and the negotiation process. He particularly opposed the prohibition on any party making resevervations to the Rome Statute and the manner in which the Statute structured the court’s jurisdiction.