What is the primary focus of this competition?

The competition primarily focuses on the procedures before the International Criminal Court, allowing college students to simulate legal arguments in this context.

Where will the competition take place?

The competition will be held in Ciudad de México, MEX.

What level of education is required for participants?

The competition is open to college students.

XXIV Edición de la Competencia Internacional “Víctor Carlos García Moreno” – Procedimiento ante la Corte Penal Internacional

Oct 12–16, 2026Ciudad de México, MexicoIn-person

Registration open

The XXIV Edición de la Competencia Internacional “Víctor Carlos García Moreno” focuses on the procedures before the International Criminal Court. This competition provides a platform for college students to engage with complex issues of international criminal law through a simulated court setting. Participants will develop their advocacy skills and deepen their understanding of the mechanisms of international justice.

Committees & topics

Topics
International Criminal Law and the ICC Procedure · International Humanitarian Law · International Human Rights Law · Public International Law

Why it matters

The International Criminal Court (ICC) represents a cornerstone of international justice, tasked with prosecuting individuals for the most serious international crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. Understanding its procedures is crucial for future legal professionals and policymakers, as the ICC plays a vital role in upholding accountability for atrocities and promoting the rule of law globally. The work of the ICC is particularly relevant in an era marked by ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises, where the need for impartial justice is paramount.

This competition offers a practical approach to learning about the ICC's functions, allowing students to grapple with the intricacies of international criminal proceedings. By simulating real-world scenarios, participants gain invaluable experience in legal research, argumentation, and public speaking, skills that are essential for careers in international law, diplomacy, and human rights. The event also fosters a deeper appreciation for the challenges and opportunities inherent in the pursuit of international justice, encouraging critical thinking about the effectiveness and limitations of international legal institutions.

How to prepare

Participants should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which is the foundational treaty governing the ICC. A deep understanding of its provisions, including jurisdiction, admissibility, and the various crimes under its purview, will be essential. Additionally, studying the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, as well as the Elements of Crimes, will provide a comprehensive grasp of the procedural framework.

Effective preparation will also involve extensive research into relevant case law from the ICC and other international tribunals. Analyzing past judgments, dissenting opinions, and procedural rulings will offer insights into legal interpretations and advocacy strategies. Developing strong oral advocacy skills, including clear articulation, persuasive argumentation, and effective rebuttal, is paramount for success in the competition's oral rounds. Teams should also focus on collaborative research and brief writing, ensuring that their written submissions are well-structured, legally sound, and compelling.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Mexico

As the host nation, MEX plays a significant role in promoting international law and judicial cooperation in the region.

Role in topic

MEX has historically been a proponent of international legal frameworks and human rights, often advocating for multilateralism and the strengthening of international institutions. Hosting this competition underscores its commitment to fostering legal education and engagement with international criminal justice among its youth and the broader academic community.

United States

The USA has a complex and evolving relationship with the International Criminal Court, marked by both cooperation and reservations.

Role in topic

While the USA is not a State Party to the Rome Statute, it has at times cooperated with the ICC on specific cases and investigations. Its stance often reflects concerns about national sovereignty and the potential for politically motivated prosecutions, leading to a nuanced approach to engagement with the Court.

Russia

RUS has withdrawn its signature from the Rome Statute and maintains a critical view of the ICC's jurisdiction.

Role in topic

RUS has expressed significant reservations regarding the ICC's authority and impartiality, particularly concerning investigations into actions involving its citizens or territories. This perspective highlights the geopolitical complexities surrounding international criminal justice and the challenges of universal jurisdiction.

China

CHN is not a State Party to the Rome Statute and has consistently expressed concerns about the ICC's jurisdiction over non-member states.

Role in topic

CHN's position reflects a broader emphasis on state sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs. While not directly participating in the ICC, its views contribute to the ongoing global debate about the scope and legitimacy of international criminal law.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

International Criminal Law and the ICC Procedure

International criminal law emerged from the post-World War II Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals, which for the first time held individuals — not just states — criminally responsible under international law for aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The field developed slowly during the Cold War but accelerated in the 1990s with the ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, 1993) and Rwanda (ICTR, 1994), followed by hybrid courts in Sierra Leone, Cambodia, and Lebanon. These bodies refined the elements of core international crimes and pioneered modes of liability such as joint criminal enterprise and command responsibility. The 1998 Rome Statute created the International Criminal Court (ICC), which began operating in 2002 as the first permanent court with jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and — since the 2010 Kampala amendments — the crime of aggression. The ICC operates under the principle of complementarity, intervening only when states are unwilling or unable to prosecute. Cases reach the Court through state referrals, UN Security Council referrals, or the Prosecutor's proprio motu investigations authorized by a Pre-Trial Chamber. Today the Court faces significant challenges: arrest warrants against sitting leaders (including Vladimir Putin in 2023 and Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024) have tested cooperation duties under Article 86; major powers including the United States, China, Russia, and India remain non-parties; and African Union states have at times criticized perceived selectivity. Debates focus on head-of-state immunities under Article 27 versus Article 98, the scope of aggression jurisdiction, victim participation, and the Court's relationship with the Security Council under Articles 13(b) and 16.

Key players

International Humanitarian Law

International humanitarian law (IHL), or the law of armed conflict, regulates the conduct of hostilities and protects persons who are not or no longer participating in them. Its modern codification began with the 1864 Geneva Convention, inspired by Henry Dunant's witness of Solferino, and the 1899 and 1907 Hague Conventions, which limited means and methods of warfare. The framework was overhauled after World War II with the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which protect wounded soldiers, shipwrecked sailors, prisoners of war, and civilians, and was supplemented by the 1977 Additional Protocols extending protections to non-international armed conflicts and codifying rules on distinction, proportionality, and precaution. IHL rests on a balance between military necessity and humanity, operationalized through customary rules — comprehensively studied by the ICRC in 2005 — and treaties on specific weapons (chemical, biological, anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions). Serious violations constitute war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute, creating an enforcement bridge between IHL and international criminal law. The principle of distinction between combatants and civilians, the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks, and protections for medical personnel, humanitarian workers, and cultural property are widely recognized as customary. Contemporary armed conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, and the Sahel have placed IHL under acute strain. Debates focus on the qualification of conflicts (international vs. non-international), urban warfare and proportionality assessments, attacks on hospitals and humanitarian infrastructure, the legal status of private military contractors and organized armed groups, the application of IHL to cyber operations and autonomous weapons systems, and the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

Key players

International Human Rights Law

International human rights law was born from the catastrophe of World War II and the conviction, expressed in the UN Charter, that respect for human dignity is a foundation of international peace. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights set the normative benchmark, later translated into binding obligations through the 1966 International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, together forming the International Bill of Human Rights. Specialized treaties followed on racial discrimination, women's rights, torture, children, migrant workers, disabilities, and enforced disappearance, each with its own monitoring body. Regional systems reinforce the universal framework: the European Convention on Human Rights (1950) and its Court, the American Convention on Human Rights (1969) with the Inter-American Commission and Court based in Washington and San José, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (1981) with its Commission and Court. The UN Human Rights Council, created in 2006, conducts the Universal Periodic Review and operates special procedures. Crucially, human rights law applies in peacetime and, increasingly, in armed conflict alongside IHL, and grave violations may constitute crimes against humanity triggering individual criminal responsibility before the ICC. Current debates address extraterritorial application of treaties, the relationship between human rights and counter-terrorism, business and human rights and the proposed binding treaty, climate change as a human rights issue (recognized by the Inter-American Court's 2024 advisory proceedings and the ICJ's 2025 opinion), digital rights and surveillance, the rights of migrants and refugees, and shrinking civic space. States increasingly contest the universality of certain rights, while accountability gaps persist between treaty norms and domestic enforcement.

Key players

Public International Law

Public international law is the body of rules governing relations among states and, increasingly, other subjects of international law including international organizations, individuals, and certain non-state actors. Its modern foundations are traced to the 1648 Peace of Westphalia and the writings of Grotius, but the discipline was reshaped by the 20th century through the Covenant of the League of Nations, the 1945 UN Charter, and the Statute of the International Court of Justice. Article 38 of the ICJ Statute identifies its sources: treaties, customary international law, general principles of law, and — as subsidiary means — judicial decisions and scholarly writings. The field rests on foundational principles codified in instruments such as the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the 2001 ILC Articles on State Responsibility, and the UN Charter's prohibitions on the use of force (Article 2(4)) and intervention. Sovereign equality, pacta sunt servanda, peaceful settlement of disputes, self-determination, and the prohibition of aggression coexist with peremptory norms (jus cogens) from which no derogation is permitted, including the prohibitions of genocide, slavery, torture, and aggression. Specialized regimes have proliferated: law of the sea (UNCLOS 1982), international environmental law, international economic law, diplomatic and consular law, and international criminal law. Contemporary debates concern the resilience of the rules-based order amid great-power competition, the use of force doctrines (self-defense against non-state actors, humanitarian intervention, responsibility to protect), the legal effects of unilateral sanctions and countermeasures, the fragmentation versus unity of international law, state responsibility for cyber operations and climate harm, and the binding force of ICJ judgments — illustrated by recent proceedings on Ukraine, Gaza, climate change obligations, and the legal consequences of prolonged occupation.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for XXIV Edición de la Competencia Internacional “Víctor Carlos García Moreno” – Procedimiento ante la Corte Penal Internacional.

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V Concurso Regional de Alegatos y Simulación en Derecho Internacional Humanitario
Dec 3–5, 2026Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mexico College October 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

XXIV Edición de la Competencia Internacional “Víctor Carlos García Moreno” – Procedimiento ante la Corte Penal Internacional

Oct 12–16, 2026Ciudad de México, MexicoIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
International Criminal Law and the ICC Procedure · International Humanitarian Law · International Human Rights Law · Public International Law

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Mexico

As the host nation, MEX plays a significant role in promoting international law and judicial cooperation in the region.

Role in topic

United States

The USA has a complex and evolving relationship with the International Criminal Court, marked by both cooperation and reservations.

Role in topic

Russia

RUS has withdrawn its signature from the Rome Statute and maintains a critical view of the ICC's jurisdiction.

Role in topic

China

CHN is not a State Party to the Rome Statute and has consistently expressed concerns about the ICC's jurisdiction over non-member states.

Role in topic

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

International Criminal Law and the ICC Procedure

Key players

International Humanitarian Law

Key players

International Human Rights Law

Key players

Public International Law

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for XXIV Edición de la Competencia Internacional “Víctor Carlos García Moreno” – Procedimiento ante la Corte Penal Internacional.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Israel's Death Penalty Bill: Ben-Gvir's Win

EEUU activa ley contra deepfakes sexuales

IRS COVID Penalty Refunds

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

VC
V Concurso Regional de Alegatos y Simulación en Derecho Internacional Humanitario
Dec 3–5, 2026Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mexico College October 2026

By committee

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

V Concurso Regional de Alegatos y Simulación en Derecho Internacional Humanitario

Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

V Concurso Regional de Alegatos y Simulación en Derecho Internacional Humanitario

Frequently asked questions