Between Peace and Justice: ICC Arrest Warrants and Peace Negotiations

Description

In this episode of In Conversation With, Professor Paola Gaeta speaks with Ambassador Franz Perrez, Director of the Directorate of International Law at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, about the complex relationship between international criminal justice and peace negotiations. As the International Criminal Court increasingly operates during ongoing conflicts, difficult questions arise for states involved in international criminal justice and peace diplomacy. What happens when peace talks require the participation of individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants? Can states simultaneously uphold their legal obligations under the Rome Statute while facilitating negotiations aimed at ending armed conflict? In this episode of In Conversation With, Professor Paola Gaeta speaks with Ambassador Franz Perrez, Director of the Directorate of International Law at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. They discuss the complex relationship between peace and justice, including both tensions and coexistence, making the conversation relevant for contemporary international law more broadly. Show notes: This podcast follows an 18 March workshop moderated by Professor Paola Gaeta and convened by the Swiss delegation during the meeting of the legal advisers of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg: “Arrest Warrants by International Criminal Tribunals and Peace Negotiations: Between Peace and Justice, Legal Obligations and Political Realities.” More information about the event is available here: Council of Europe workshop page: https://www.coe.int/en/web/cahdi/-/arrest-warrants-by-international-criminal-tribunals-and-peace-negotiations-between-peace-and-justice-legal-obligations-and-political-realities. As a follow-up to the workshop, Professor Gaeta also published a reflection (https://opiniojuris.org/2026/04/06/arrest-warrants-and-peace-processes-reflections-following-the-strasbourg-discussion/) on Opinio Juris: Arrest Warrants and Peace Processes: Reflections Following the Strasbourg Discussion. Summaries