Evelyn Ama Ankumah, a prominent Ghanaian international lawyer and human rights advocate, has been appointed as a Special Adviser without portfolio to the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.

She is one of two African legal luminaries selected for the role, alongside Judge Sanji Monageng from Botswana.

Announcing the appointments on Tuesday, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan stated that their “expertise will significantly enhance the Office’s work on critical issues.”

“Their involvement will undoubtedly provide tremendous benefits to our Rome Statute stakeholders and staff.

“I deeply appreciate their generosity in offering their time, extensive experience, and valuable insights.”

Ms. Ankumah, founder of Africa Legal Aid (AFLA) based in The Hague, has extensive legal experience across Africa, Europe, and North America. She has spearheaded initiatives promoting gender-sensitive and victim-centred approaches to international criminal justice.

She was a Research Fellow at Maastricht University and authored a groundbreaking book on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

A statement by the ICC highlighted Ms Ankumah’s role in shaping key legal frameworks for international justice, including the Review of the Kampala Amendments on the Crime of Aggression. She also leads the Gender Mentoring Training Programme for judges.

Additionally, she played a key role in establishing the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA) and is a member of the International Gender Champions Network.

As an editor and author, she has published six books and over 40 editions of the AFLA Quarterly journal, continuing to advocate for justice, accountability, and human rights, according to the ICC.

Judge Sanji Monageng

Dr. Monageng, with 30 years of experience in law and human rights, served as an ICC Judge from 2009 to 2018, holding positions such as Appeals Division Judge and First Vice President.

She has also served as a Judge in Eswatini and The Gambia and was Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Dr. Monageng has received numerous accolades, including the Human Rights Award from the International Association of Women Judges in 2014.

The ICC described Special Advisers as individuals with outstanding professional credentials. Their appointment, on a pro bono basis, aims to create a network of experts from different regions of the world, ensuring cultural, linguistic, and gender diversity.

“Their specific expertise reinforces the OTP’s capabilities to effectively and efficiently discharge its mandate under the [Rome] Statute [of the ICC], and to strengthen specialization on a wide range of issues and priority areas identified by the Prosecutor,” the ICC statement added.

Source:GNA