From October 28-31, 2021, public hearings were held in the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes (CICC) against various transnational corporations and the complicity of the Dutch State in perpetrating intergenerational climate crimes. These crimes include but are not limited to environmental pollution, desertification, racism, and the mass displacement of people.
The proceedings of the tribunal were led by four judges: Radha D’Souza, Sharon H. Venne, Nicholas Hildyard and Rasigan Maharajh.
The full days of the tribunals were live-streamed on the Framer Framed YouTube channel and are still available to watch. For shorter clips of the prosecutors, witnesses and verdict from the judges, check out the playlist here.
Hearing I: Comrades past, present and future vs. the Dutch State
28 October 2021, 13:00-18:00
Prosecutor: Bart-Jaap Verbeek (SOMO)
The first case indicted the Dutch State for establishing Bilateral Trade Agreements as a legal framework for the benefit of transnational corporations and the state itself. Bilateral Trade Agreements were explained, and evidence was presented on the ecocidal, social impacts of such agreements on ecosystems communities in Bolivia, Peru and Mongolia.
This hearing was prosecuted by The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), with witness contributions by Blue Planet Project, Oyu Tolgoi Watch (OT Watch Mongolia) and Pueblos IndĂgenas AmazĂłnicos Unidos en Defensa de sus Territorios (PUINAMUDT).
This case indicts Unilever and the Dutch State for committing different types of climate crimes by their destructive activities, such as mercury poisoning of rivers, monocultures of agriculture and the active undermining of democratic institutions, through witnesses from India, Republic of Congo and Kenya.
Prosecutor: The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO)
This case indicts ING for establishing financial syndicates and cartels to fund ecocidal, socially disruptive activities by transnational corporations; and indicts the Dutch State for establishing the legal frameworks facilitative of ING’s activities and for profiting from them. Evidence will be introduced of the impacts of ING finance and investment in coal plants, palm oil production and deforestation by witnesses from Indonesia, Cameroon, a.o.
With witness contributions by Fabrina Furtado (Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro), Synergie Nationale des Paysans et Riverains du Cameroun (SYNAPARCAM), WALHI West Java (Friends of the Earth Indonesia)
Prosecutor: Stop Wapenhandel (European Network Against Arms Trade – NL)
This case indicts Airbus Industries for designing, manufacturing and trading in destructive weapons including fighter planes, surveillance equipment and other weapons of war, with devastating environmental, social impacts in the Global South. Evidence will be presented on the environmental and social impacts of European wars using Airbus technologies that have deadly impacts on the environment, refugees and asylum seekers and the people of Yemen, by witnesses from global justice campaigns from Italy and Yemen, a.o.
With witness contributions by Aman Organisation Against Discrimination, Cairo Institute for Human Rights, Manchester International Law Center, MWATANA