Hiroshige Fujii

Assistant Professor,Graduate School of Regional Development and Creativity, Global Area Studies, Utsunomiya University*Profile is at the time of the award.

2020Inamori Research GrantsHumanities & Sociology

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Research topics: Empirical Studies on the Legacy of International Judicial Interventions in Africa: Focus on the Role of International Criminal Court Trust Fund for Victims

Keyword

Summary: The purpose of this study is to clarify what the "legacy" of judicial intervention by the International Criminal Court (ICC) is and what it actually is, in response to the issue of post-conflict peacebuilding. Although the number of cases of judicial interventions in peacebuilding has increased in recent years, they remain unclear due to the limited number of cases to date. This study therefore approaches the above objectives by theoretically and empirically examining the actual situation of the ICC Victims Trust Fund's support for conflict victims and its impact on the victim communities, which was implemented in conjunction with the ICC judicial intervention, mainly in Uganda, Africa.

Message

I would like to proceed with my research with the readiness to confront "various" people who have survived the conflict. I am determined to make the most of this grant so that one day I can say that I have left behind research results that will be useful for the greater good of humanity and the world.

Outline of Research Achievments

This study aims to clarify the “legacy” of judicial intervention by the International Criminal Court. During this period, field research could not be conducted due to the effects of the COVID-19. Instead, a literature review was conducted. The review clarified the actual situation in Africa by focusing on the phenomenon of “judicialization” that has been seen after the judicial intervention of the International Criminal Court. My research examined that the law is skillfully utilized (1) to attempt to negotiate with those outside the African region and (2) to exercise its own influence through the courts over elections.

Regarding (1), discussions at the African Union revealed the transformation of Africa’s external policy toward the International Criminal Court and captured Africa’s attempts to influence international organizations. For (2), this paper worked on a single case study of Kenya. Kenya rebuilt its institution after the judicial intervention of the International Criminal Court led to a surge of disputes in the judicial arena. This paper analyzed how this affects the presidential election scheduled for August 2022 and how informal rules supplement Kenya’s formal rules.

Although I could not conduct the planned field research, I could create a fulfilling research environment and accumulate research outputs because of this grant. Therefore, I would like to again express my gratitude to all of you.

Fujii, Hiroshige (2021)　The Transformation of the African Union’s Foreign Policy on the International Criminal Court: Reflections from the Progress of African Unity and Judicialization. Peace Studies 57: 37–165. https://doi.org/10.50848/psaj.57007

Fujii, Hiroshige (2022) Judicializing Elections in Kenya and Prospects for the 2022 Presidential Election: Will Progress in Judicialization Prevent Electoral Violence? Africa Report 60: 7–18. https://doi.org/10.24765/africareport.60.0_7

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