On September 12, 2012, the Faculty of Law at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik organized a conference on “International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law in the Middle East”, given by Dr. Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association.

Following the welcome speech by Ms. Maria Kamouh, in which she praised the achievements of Dr. Ellis in the field of humanitarian law, particularly in Kosovo, Serbia, Yugoslavia, and other places, Rev. Fr. Talal Hachem, Administrator of the Faculty of Law, underlined that the discussed topic “… is of great interest to us all, for these rights are often reported to be a cause of concern in the Arab nations in general and in Lebanon in particular”. He pointed out that “Violence, gender discrimination, death sentences and persecution of minorities are but a few of the problems in many countries of the Middle East. Therefore, drawing the attention to situations where human rights are violated and making proposals for the promotion and protection of human rights remains essential. It is, hence, high time to promote and ensure the harmonization of national legislation, regulations and practices with the international human rights instruments in order to minimize as much as possible violations against human rights… it is one of the main reasons that urged the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik to establish a Human Rights Center, through its Faculty of Law”.

Dr. Mark Ellis started his conference by pointing out that “International criminal justice is based on public international law and the national practice of criminal law. Both of these, like all laws, change over time”. He mentioned that “After the Cold War ended, the world’s six current active international criminal courts were created. They are: The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, The Special Court for Sierra Leone, The International Criminal Court, The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and The Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Dr. Ellis added that “International criminal law – like other areas of international law – draws its content from treaties and international custom. The major developments in international criminal law have taken place through the enactment of treaties”.

He also highlighted that “International criminal law is one of the most dynamic and prolific areas of law to develop over the past thirty years. International sensibilities about impunity and anyone’s exemption from punishment began to change toward the end of the Cold War. At the start of this transformational journey, it was inconceivable that a sitting head of state would be indicted for international crimes before a permanent international war crimes court. Yet, today the international community speaks openly, and passionately about bringing to justice those who have committed the most heinous of crimes”. Dr. Ellis concluded that “…the adoption of human rights conventions and the strengthening of international criminal law that limited governments’ granting of impunity marked the beginning of a new era”.