Dear Judges and Advocates of the ICC,
I am thrilled to welcome you to this year's International Criminal Court. It is my distinct honour to serve as one of the Assistant Presidents of the ICC at BERMUN XXXIV!
The ICC will deliberate over the highly compelling case of Rodrigo Duterte. This year's conference theme “Building a Rules-Based Order to Withstand Autocracy” and Duterte's case point to the global struggle to establish accountability for crimes committed by autocratic regimes. His presidency in the Philippines (2016–2022) saw alleged widespread extrajudicial killings during his anti-drug campaign, with estimates of up to 15.000 deaths. However, preceding his presidency, Duterte served as the Mayor of Davao City, which his supporters claim, was reformed from a crime-ridden city in 1988 to a near crime-free civilization in 2016.
The ICC’s intervention underscores the importance of international mechanisms in countering impunity when domestic institutions are compromised by autocratic policies. Moreover, Duterte's case raises issues of sovereignty versus global accountability, a recurring challenge in addressing autocracy through international law.
The MUN-Program is something that I have been part of since 2023. BERMUN XXXIV marks my seventh conference overall, and my first conference as a member of the Student Officer Team.
Besides MUN, I like to spend my free time playing the tenor saxophone, golf, engaging myself politically, and aviation. One of my favorite things to do is cycling in nature and I just recently discovered the joy of skiing. I enjoy traveling and exploring beaches and cities around the world with all my heart. I am currently in 9th Grade at the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin and have been a student there since entrance class.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns!
I am looking forward to seeing you in November,
Sincerely,
Maxim Schnabel
