On June 28, 2024, four international interns from the Supreme Court Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) presented their research papers on the ECCC’s work. This research is a requirement for all interns during their tenure with the ECCC. Once interns have completed their work with the Court, they make a public presentation. The purpose of this presentation is to transfer and disseminate knowledge to Cambodian students.
The four presenters are:
- Ms. Thelma Liaud from France: “The ECCC, A Unique Model of a Hybrid Court (A Comparison with Other International Courts)”
- Ms. Lilou Cecchi from France: “The Significance of the ECCC for the Cambodian Population: Interests and Challenges of this Model of Hybrid Court”
- Ms. Madeleine Bishop from Australia: “Prosecuting Sexual Violence – Successes and Failure of the ECCC”
- Ms. Maeva Chedecal from France: “Commemoration and Bringing Justice After a Dictatorship – Case Study of the Khmer Rouge regime and the Argentine Military Dictatorship”
Mr. Phan Theoun, Legal Officer in the Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC, stated that today's presentation of research papers demonstrates the interns’ work during their time at the ECCC and trains the students who attend the presentations. He added, “The training is provided in conjunction with the law school curriculums. The skills and knowledge gained by law students will be also used in the regular Cambodian courts. For instance, International Criminal Law deals with specialised criminal offences and forms of responsibility that are within the jurisdiction of the ECCC. Presentations also cover topics such as Genocide, Crimes against humanity, and Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions.”
Today’s presentations will be kept on record in the ECCC Resource Centre and posted online as an ECCC special feature. Future national or international interns and students can access this work to learn more about the legacy of the ECCC. Mr. Theoun added that by launching an internship program, the ECCC can spread awareness about its work and residual functions. The program contributes to intergenerational dialogue, educating the younger generation about the history of the Khmer Rouge regime.
“The ECCC’s achievements are a means and an end in themselves to achieve sustainable peace and national reconciliation. The provision of education for younger generations deters and guarantees non-recurrence of the atrocities and the human rights violations,” said Mr. Theoun.
According to Mr. Theoun, the main purposes are to exchange experiences, transfer knowledge, and disseminate information, which are core functions of the ECCC in its residual phase, as provided in the addendum reached by the United Nations and the government of Cambodia. He added that this is the right moment for the Supreme Court Chamber team to help build a foundation and long-term plan to transfer knowledge, skills, and resources to Cambodian youth, particularly law students and legal professionals.
“Youth should be specifically targeted as potential participants, direct beneficiaries, and change agents. The presentation team further shared their inputs by involving young legal professionals in training on various topics such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as well as Khmer Rouge history, legal proceedings, and criminal procedure,” Mr. Theoun added.
Under this program, interns research topics aligned with their interests and backgrounds, and enhance their knowledge of the institutions and practices of International Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law, judicial proceedings, and Residual Mechanism functions through practical work within the relevant units of the ECCC. As part of the ECCC mission, the ECCC also offers non-legal opportunities to national undergraduate students of year two and above in the fields of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Media and Communication, and Khmer Rouge History to undertake their internship training as provided in the internship program attached below.
