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Training Programme

The ICWC Monitoring Project was restructured and modularized on the basis of previous experience. Upon successful completion of the three modules, a corresponding “Monitoring” certificate can be obtained. Upon successful completion of the modules in one semester, you can obtain a certificate of the key qualification of i.S.v. § 9 Abs. 1 Ziff. 2d) JAG. The course of the project so far has shown that an institutionalized training of process observers at the University is crucial to high learning success and high-quality reports. As a result, a training process was developed that combines the elements of theory and practice. By providing basic knowledge in the areas of national, international criminal law and criminal procedural law the participants of the monitoring training are optimally prepared to work as process workers worldwide, linked to the practical work of producing monitoring reports. It is particularly important that the theoretical knowledge is constantly abstracted and can be put into practice, so that quick training in other locations is guaranteed.

1. The general education includes the lectures:

  • "International Criminal Law - Fundamentals" (Final Examination)
  • "International Criminal Law - Specialisation" (Final Examination) 
  • "Law of Criminal Procedure"
  • "Law of Criminal Procedure - Specialisation (Fair Trial-Standards)" or "Criminology" (Final Examination) [or any other lecture selcted by the operational team beforehand]
  • Preparation of a seminar paper in the area of international criminal law or law of criminal procedure

2. The special monitoring training includes workshops on the topics:

  • Creating Reports I (Introduction to Monitoring) - What is monitoring? Linguistic features in the creation of monitoring reports, main points of observation during the negotiation
  • Creating Reports II - Evaluation of reports generated during the practical exercise
  • Creating Reports III (Quality Assurance) - Additional function as the observation progresses
  • Workshop on "posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)" on a regular basis

3. The practical training allows the participants to learn how to react:

  • Training session at the LG-Marburg
  • Active participation in the process observation
  • Evaluation of the procedure

If required, these events will be supplemented by further workshops which will prepare the participants for the historical and political content of the proceedings. Continuous teamwork in small groups and the opportunity to present the progress of the procedures at the monthly group meetings will train the teams skills and their presentation of legal content. During the whole duration of the training, intensive supervision of the monitors takes place on two levels. One one side, the participants are guided by experienced team leaders and supported in their daily work. On the other side, the work of the of process observers is organized and evaluated by coordinators with international experience. This will above all ensure the quality of the report and give the monitors the possibility to improve themselves through feedback.

The training is designed for two semesters, but they do not necessarily have to be consecutive. It is possible to combine the services required in the monitoring training program with evidence to be provided in the area of ​​specialization in criminal law and to "collect" them together during the course of study.

Monitoring Certificate

Upon successful completion of the international training, the process observers receive a monitoring certificate showing the services provided. The certificate is awarded by the Dean of the Law Department and the Directors of the Research and Documentation Center for War Crime Trials.

Evalution

Part of the evaluation of the previous project design is an evaluation for quality assurance conducted during small group workshops. The progress of the project was evaluated by means of a questionnaire with open and closed questions and a soft scale evaluation on the whiteboard. This was the basis for aligning the needs of the monitors with feedback from the participants, with upcoming workshops and project group meetings targeted to the needs of the monitors. The most important finding in relation to the ongoing process monitoring at the OLG Frankfurt was that the participants had a particularly strong interest in the historical background and wanted more information. In response to this, the seminar meetings on "The Genocide in Rwanda and its Legal Review" by Prof. Safferling were opened to the participants in the process observation who did not actually attend the event. In addition, Dr. Gerd Hankel, a Rwandan specialist visited during a project group meeting.