Reona Fukuhara（B3）
From 20th to 27th September, the members of the Fujii Seminar went to the Netherlands to deepen the knowledge about international organizations, especially International Criminal Court (ICC), by participating in International Hague Open Day, hearing a trial and meeting the staffs working at the ICC. For me, visiting the Netherlands was a valuable experience because I have some career aspirations, one of which is graduating from school in the Netherlands and working at the ICC. I would like to share two memorable experiences.
On 22nd September, I participated in the International Hague Open Day, which various international organization held information sessions, guided tours, and documentary screenings. I visited four organizations: UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), Eurojust, ICC, and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The presentation of Eurojust was informative for me to know that it has a role to coordinate and facilitate among EU countries when they exchange their news or investigate against transitional crimes, for example, terrorism, fraud, and the issue of the Mafia. My friends were interviewed by the staff of Eurojust and shared our motivation to participate in this session.
(Picture1: Eurojust)
(Picture2: I was also interviewed in the OPCW!)
On 24th September, I visited the ICC to hear the Trial of Ngaissona, and to meet the staffs in the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) and the ICC. Notably, it was greatly honored to see Judge Akane. She shared her experiences not only about the work at the ICC but also about her career. Many students was impressed by her words and attitudes that she keeps making efforts to achieve her ambition. Through visiting to the ICC, my future aspiration became more concrete.
(Picture3：Judge Akane and the members of the Fujii seminar)
By the way, in the ICC, there were different threads which indicate the degree of credibility of the statements from witnesses according to the Judges. The red thread suggests that the witness lacks credibility. The blue thread indicates that it is doubtful. The green thread indicates that it is trustworthy. It will be helpful for me when I prepare for the ICRC IHL Moot Court Competition.
(Picture4)
Therefore, this trip to the Hague was full of momentous experiences. The people those I met made me realize that I have to make efforts more. I would like to show my great appreciation to all people who accepted our visiting, and to Professor Fujii for planning all programs in great detail.