Steven Shrybman co-chairs the International Monsanto Tribunal
Steven Shrybman is acting as co-chair of the International Monsanto Tribunal sitting in The Hague from October 14 to 16, 2016.
The Tribunal was created as a result of concerns about the impacts of Monsanto’s activities in different parts of the world.
The Monsanto Tribunal is an international civil society initiative to determine accountability for human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and ecocide, that are alleged to have been committed by Monsanto. Eminent judges will hear testimonies from victims, and deliver an advisory opinion following procedures of the International Court of Justice. A parallel People’s Assembly provides the opportunity for social movements to rally and plan for the future we want.
The other co-chairs of the Tribunal are Ms. Dior Fall Sow, a former Advocate General at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; Ms. Françoise Tulkens, a former vice-president at the European Court of Human Rights; and Mr. Upendra Baxi, former president of the Indian Society of International Law; Eleonora Lamm, Argentina, human rights director for the Supreme Court of Justice of Mendoza University; and Jorge Abraham Fernández Souza, Mexico, judge of the Court of Administrative Litigation of México City, Mexico.
Although the Tribunal is of purely symbolic value, it will follow a procedure modeled on the procedure for the adoption of advisory opinions by the International Court of Justice, hear the testimony of witnesses, and deliver an opinion in December based on legal considerations, grounded in international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Organizers hope that the International Monsanto Tribunal can contribute to the progressive development of international law, especially in relation to the duties of corporations to respect international human rights.
You can find out more about the International Monsanto Tribunal here.