 It is indeed a great honor for me to be here today among such an extreme gathering and to be able to share a few thoughts with you about the crucial importance of scientific evidence in the prosecution of mass atrocities. Allow me at the outset to thank the Steering Committee and its Chair, Niam, for the kind invitation to address this very important symposium, which is of great interest and benefit to my office. In concurrence with the theme of this triennial symposium, we focus on the progress that has been made in the area of forensic science, the challenges that have arisen, and the next steps looking forward. I am pleased to offer you the perspectives and experiences from the International Criminal Court. The experience that we've gathered over the past three years. We at the Office of the Prosecutor aim to be a state-of-the-art prosecuting office in this new century, that by definition requires the office to be fully versed on the latest technologies and scientific developments with import on our ability to investigate and prosecute complex atrocity crimes. More specifically, the progress that you are making in the area of forensic science has great potential to contribute to our efforts at the ICC in investigating and prosecuting these very serious crimes. Similarly, we believe we share some common challenges in particular in the area of cooperation and security. Finally, the more we understand our respective disciplines, the better we identify synergies and coordinate in ways that are mutually beneficial. Ladies and gentlemen, being the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court certainly comes with its unique challenges. But for me, the challenges only foil my desire to move forward to advance the course of international criminal justice. Not for its own sake, but for the betterment of humanity. To help hundreds and thousands of victims of the worst imaginable crimes to get redressed, to have justice they deserve, and to see it done, and to see those most responsible for perpetrating these crimes that they are held accountable and in so doing, hopefully, deter the commission of future crimes. In this necessary mission, the scientific community has an important role to play, and I am pleased to say that at my office, we are creating those crucial relationships, those partnerships, and links with the scientific world so that we may jointly travel this road ahead. So that jointly, we can reverse the currents of history where lawless wars and conflict came the blood of the innocent unchecked, and leave societies and nations ruined, leaving the shame of inaction on the conscience of humanity. It is my position, and that of my office, that we can more effectively fulfill the mandate given to us under the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court if we collaborate and we work closely with the scientific community. I benefit from this occasion to once again thank you for your important contributions. Allow me now to shift focus a bit and cite a few concrete examples of how the marvels of science have already made notable contributions to our work at the International Criminal Court. As you may be aware, most recently, the judges of the International Criminal Court convicted and sentenced Mr. Al-Mahdi in our first case from our Mali investigations. This case was in many ways historical, as it was the first instance of trying an individual with the war crime of deliberate destruction of historic monuments and buildings dedicated to religion under the Rome Statute, and indeed it was the first time that an accused person pleaded guilty before the ICC. Mr. Al-Mahdi admitted criminal responsibility for the destruction of 10 historic monuments and buildings dedicated to religion in Timbuktu, in Mali in 2012. With the unanimous verdict and sentencing for nine years imprisonment, the outcome of the trial was an important success for my office, but also an important precedent for the protection of cultural heritage through the vector of the law. The outcome of this case has come at a time where wanton attacks against cultural property occur with alarming frequency from Mosul in Iraq and Palmyra in Syria, and continue to devastate not only communities directly affected by such immeasurable loss, but also of the whole community. We will continue to stress the importance of the protection of cultural heritage through our work at the International Criminal Court. Let me stress that our success inside and outside of the courtroom in the case was in no small measure achieved due to the contribution of science. Our usage of satellite imagery, for instance, played a crucial part in the presentation of the evidence before the judges. Our investigations in a very challenging environment in the case also benefited from the contribution of science. I will come back to those aspects later in my remarks. Science is very much embedded in our work. The final verdict and the sentence of Jean-Pierre Bemba-Goombo, which was delivered earlier this year, furthered our continued work to implement my office's policy on sexual and gender-based crimes. But also, it sent a very strong message to military commanders around the globe that they can be held directly responsible for mass rapes and other atrocities carried out by their troops under their command and control. In March this year, Mr. Bemba was found guilty on two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes in regards to murder, rape, and pillaging. He was convicted and sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for his role as a military commander for the conduct of his troops on the ground. I am convinced that ensuring justice is done and victims receive their address is a shared objective for everyone in this room. Since my election as prosecutor of the International Criminal Code in 2012, in order to arrive at that ultimate objective, I have been constantly seeking to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of my office. This has been a requirement set by the complexity of the cases we deal with, but also by the sheer increase in our workload ever since the ICC was created. Currently, we are investigating in 10 situations spread over a vast geographical area. There are more than 23 cases being investigated and prosecuted involving 39 alleged perpetrators. In addition, my office is conducting 10 preliminary examinations in all four corners of the globe, from Nigeria to Afghanistan and Palestine, with the purpose of determining whether the Rome-started criteria to open an investigation are met. And together with the increase of the workload, also my office's operating environment continues to present new and even more serious challenges. Since the beginning of the ICC's mandate, the serious crimes that fall within the jurisdiction of my office have typically been committed in conflict or post-conflict settings. We have always had to deal with issue of state cooperation and the lack of access to certain areas, for example. More recently, the office also had to deal with a growing phenomenon of orchestrated witness interference, witness tampering, and also had to consider the aspects such as the threats posed by extremism as well as IT security. Additionally, the ICC as a whole has been involved in otherwise. For instance, the judges of the court have been busy trying to look at ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the court's proceedings. One consequence of that is that the office is now obliged to produce evidence at a very early stage of the proceedings in the so-called pretrial stage. This change has also led to the office taking a critical look into how it investigates and prosecutes the crimes that fall within its mandate. It is against these developments that in 2012, when I first took office, I presented a new strategic plan. The plan aims to address all these challenges. Following the initial positive results of that plan, my office presented a consecutive strategic plan which is largely based on the goals, objectives, and methods of the previous plan with additional features to further advance my office's mandate in an increasingly challenging environment. A key focus has been on the continued work to achieve the goals of our strategy, which encompass the areas of preliminary examinations, investigations, and prosecutions, technology, and cooperation, and security management. Of importance here are our aims to further adopt the office's investigative and prosecutorial capabilities and network to the scientific and technological environment in which it operates. This relationship between science and the law has become critical in the modern courtroom. Prosecutors, defendants, and the judiciary must have confidence that the forensic evidence presented in a trial is scientifically valid, is standard and accepted by international standards, and is communicated in a way that is understandable to all, especially for the trial of fact. This goal has arisen from the increasing presence of technology, including its use within the country that are currently under investigation by the office. And this presents the opportunity to not only monitor and prove criminal activity, but also increases what types of and the way in which evidence can be presented in the courtroom. To date, the Office of the Prosecutor as the ICC organ that is responsible for investigations and prosecutions has played a leading role in seeking to develop its own capacity to obtain, process, and introduce digital technology derived evidence and digital and technology derived evidence in the ICC proceedings. As a concrete measure and to be able to contribute towards that goal, my office underwent some restructuring within the investigative division by redefining the forensic science section. This new structure has enabled a greater importance to be placed on the increased use of scientific evidence to complement testimonial and documentary evidence. For example, this has enabled the increased use of crime scene surveys, photo and video enhancement and authentication, as well as audio enhancement and speech recognition. Recently, these advancements have aided in the Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda, and the Republic of Mali cases. As mentioned, the decision in the Almahdi case was a milestone on its own. However, it also highlighted the real contributions that science can make to advance the cause of international criminal justice inside and outside of the courtroom. The efforts from the above examples were not only performed by our experts from within the forensic science section, but in conjunction with external experts. To meet our strategic goals, we recognize the need for partnerships within the international community in order to seek where necessary complex expert examinations that we may not be able to undertake in-house. And this has been addressed through the scientific network that we have created, which is composed of forensic science institutes from member states of the Rome Statute. In June of 2014, this need for collaboration within the international forensic community was addressed with the inaugural meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board. Members of this board include academic and professionally renowned forensic experts, some of whom are present today, including the current chair, our good friend Professor Nia. This board represents 17 international organizations, including the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation and, of course, the convener of today, the Interpol International Forensic Science Managers Symposium. And the role of this board is to make recommendation to the collection, the management, and analysis of scientific evidence. A crucial necessity in a field that is rarely static with ongoing developments in scientific methods and procedures and the emergence of new technologies. The symbiotic partnership between the law and scientific innovation is an essential that was recognized with the creation of the Scientific Advisory Board. My office greatly values this partnership and looks forward to continuing this fruitful cooperation. Ladies and gentlemen, investigations by my office are often conducted under extremely difficult circumstances with challenges in evidence collection. The nature of the challenges faced can be broadly categorized into the type of environment, logistics, and the ethical issues faced during forensic investigations. The nature of the conflict can normally result in multiple attacks occurring within the same area. Without access to that area due to security reasons, for example, the evidentiary support for a single event is often lost. This can not only limit the time available to our staff or delayed entry onto the site, but can also impact their safety through the threat of unexploded ordinances and hostile security environment. The accessibility to a site can also be limited by the state in question. The cooperation with and from states plays an important role in the efficiency of the International Criminal Court's investigations. The cooperation between the police and the military of a state with the investigative team is necessary for the success of an operation and also aids in ensuring the integrity of the evidence. The question of resources is another permanent challenge for the office. This includes both the availability of resources within the state under investigation, but also available in-house at the headquarters in the ICC. Looking at the resources in-house, although the increase in the use of technology has provided new avenues for forensic evidence, the large quantities of data collected and the mass grave exhumations result in the need for large-scale case management. Also, while increased reliance on scientific evidence has allowed my office to move away from the earlier practices of heavy reliance on witness statements, which are more easily susceptible to interference, we've seen, we need to admit that scientific evidence is costly and dedicated resources are needed in both material as well as in staff. In the field, the resources available to a team on assignment can be impacted by the lack of local infrastructure and road network, especially if long distances need to be covered. Environmentally, the climate has the ability to also limit the working hours, but also dedicate the timing of the investigations, such as the avoidance of the rainy season. The health and safety aspects of forensic investigations can have adverse effects on both the staff as well as the population. Although the natural decomposition of a body does not pose any health threats, the potential contamination of the water table from exhumations or from autopsies can pose a threat. Biohazards exposed during crime scene investigations and mortuary waste need to be handled with care and accordance with standards. Ethically, my office's investigative missions must also be fully attuned to deontological issues that may arise and have cultural awareness and also be alive to religious sensitivities and expectations of the local community. The events and the investigations are also likely to have a significant psychological impact on the relatives and the survivors dictating the need for care when performing crime scene investigations and exhumations. There is a constant need to consider the emotional, the cultural, and the religious needs of relatives and survivors. For sensitive information such as medical records, DNA profiles, informed consent are often required which institutes the issue of what is duty or what is obligation. The Office of the Prosecutor investigates and prosecutes the most serious crimes committed by those suspected to be the most responsible for those crimes. However, false expectations may be held by local communities as to the extent of what is being investigated. Ladies and gentlemen, despite the various challenges, my office is determined to continue its work to bring justice to the victims and to send a clear and a firm message to would-be perpetrators that those committing the crimes that are within the ICC's jurisdiction will no longer be able to escape justice. The culture of impunity for atrocity crimes is no longer accepted in this new century. However, there are many serious and often interlinked crimes committed which do not fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC from illegal trafficking in arms, drugs, or illegal exploitation of natural resources. In accordance with my office's latest strategy, we are also looking to develop with partners a coordinated, investigative, and prosecutorial strategy to close such impunity gaps. Internationally, a broader effort needs to occur to bridge this impunity gap towards crimes that are associated with atrocity crimes and do not fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. And I would therefore like to encourage the relevant jurisdictions and organizations to assist in the development of strategies to prevent the continuation and commission of international crimes. My office has been active in seeking ways to implement this goal, also with Interpol and other actors that are present in this room today. And I do hope that when defining steps to be taken in future, this coordinated approach could be considered as part of them. Ladies and gentlemen, the arc of justice bends closer and closer towards ensuring the protection of citizens all over the world from mass atrocities. It is filled with strong, consistent legal principles, instruments, and institutions. It has seen the development and the strengthening of impressive and often far-reaching jurisprudence. But one consistent need remains. And this is the full and the timely support of the international community through cooperation, diplomatic support, and the granting of the necessary resources to fully exercise its mandate. I would be remiss of me not to recognize here the important rule that the forensic science and more generally the sciences can play in this regard, equipping the practitioners of justice with ever the necessary scientific tools to strengthen the body of evidence that can be presented in courts of law and thus contribute to the delivery of justice to the victims of the world's most heinous crimes. And you can count on my absolute commitment as well as that of my office to continue on this path without fear or favor. In closing, allow me to observe that the fight against impunity, the ICC and the international criminal justice that it is aiming to create in its own image will persevere and will thrive. They will do so not because they stand as powerful ideas for the betterment of humanity and they will do so but they will do so because of the joint contribution of all of us, including the scientific community. It was no other than Albert Einstein who stated that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, of law and of order. Indeed, ladies and gentlemen, we owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our children and to the future generations to nurture the ICC so that it carries on with its crucial work to fight impunity and to foster the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice, to usher in a new era of international order based on the international rule of law. And we must do all we can to ensure that security, stability and the protective embrace of the law become a reality to be relished by all in all four corners of the world. Our responsibilities remain great but our resolve must endure and on this path, humanity I believe has come a long way indeed but we have miles to go still before we sleep and I thank you.