“The Court may make an order directly against the convicted person specifying appropriate reparations to, or in respect of, victims, including restitution, compensation and rehabilitation. Where appropriate, the Court may order that the award for reparations be made through the Trust Fund provided for in article 79.” (Article 75 (2) of the Rome Statute).

Through its reparations programmes, the TFV implements Court-ordered reparation awards using funds collected from the convicted person and deposited with the Trust Fund, and — where the Board of Directors so decides — complements those awards with voluntary contributions from States Parties and other donors.

Funds collected from the convicted person through fines or forfeiture (Article 79(2) of the Statute) and through a reparations order (Rules 98 and 218(3) of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence) may be transferred to or deposited with the TFV.

Reparation awards may be individual or collective, and may be symbolic in character. The Statute specifically mentions:

  • Restitution
  • Compensation
  • Rehabilitation

Collective awards may still yield individual benefits — for example medical or psychological care, vocational training or other income-generating activities — and can also help promote reconciliation within divided communities. This breadth allows the Court and the TFV to identify and implement the most appropriate forms of reparation in light of the context of each case, taking into account the views of victims and their legal representatives as well as their communities.

The TFV is currently engaged in reparations across the following cases, in each instance upon a decision of the Board of Directors to complement the relevant award in full or in part: