Goodnight, And Good Luck

The initial dust has settled in Kampala, and we begin the period of post-mortem assessments.  A few have already begun to circulate, and readers may be interested in the short reports from Robbie Manson and Jennifer Trahan, both of whom attended the Review Conference as NGO observers. And for a little more on the crime of aggression, see some excellent summaries here, here, and here.

The opportunity to attend to attend the Review Conference was a real privilege, and our participation was greatly facilitated by assistance from a number of people and organizations. We are grateful to the Coalition for the International Criminal Court for offering us both accreditation to the conference as part of their umbrella NGO delegation, and for the inclusive spirit in which they conducted their meetings and interventions. The trip to Kampala was initially conceived strictly as a means of engaging in research for our respective doctoral dissertations. However, colleagues at the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia took an early interest in our proposed travels, and encouraged us to share our observations and experiences through this blog. The Liu Institute also provided generous financial assistance to help offset the costs of travel and accommodation. Particular thanks go to Dr. Peter Dauvergne, Director of the Liu Institute, for his enthusiastic support; and to Dr. Erin Baines, who provided valuable encouragement and local contacts. Sally Reay provided all manner of technical support, and her efforts were instrumental to the smooth functioning of this blog. Additional funding for Adam’s trip to Kampala has been generously provided by the Liu Institute’s Centre for International Relations through their Security and Defence Forum programme (sponsored by the Department of National Defence Canada).

Major thanks also go out to Asad Kiyani, the third member of our blog team, who offered invaluable contributions from his own areas of expertise. Brendan Naef provided a lucid backgrounder on the crime of aggression at just the moment that things really got going in Kampala.

Thanks are also owed to the Government of Uganda for their generous hospitality, and to the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, the host venue for the Review Conference.

Finally, we offer a tip-of-the-hat to our readers–whoever you are–with our thanks for following our reports as they developed. The Reports From the Field blog will be utilized to support other UBC research projects in the future, so be sure to check back for further updates down the road. For us, however, this marks the end of the line.

Signing off,

Adam Bower and Chris Tenove