Spain reaffirms commitment to justice and victims through a new voluntary contribution to the Trust Fund for Victims

 

The Kingdom of Spain, a State Party to the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2000, has made a voluntary contribution of EUR 40,000 to the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV), reaffirming its commitment to international justice and the rights of victims of crimes under the Rome Statute.  

This unrestricted contribution from the Kingdom of Spain will be allocated by the TFV to support reparations for former child soldiers who are victims in the Lubanga and Ntaganda cases, convicted before the ICC in relation to the situation in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Through the TFV programme, approximately 3,000 eligible former child soldiers will benefit from rehabilitation services including medical treatment, trauma counselling, education, and socio-economic support. The programme also includes the construction of community centres in four locations, which serve as spaces of recognition and commemoration, as well as for dialogue, peacebuilding, and reconciliation activities amongst community members.

H.E. Kevin Kelly, member of the Board of Directors of the TFV stated: “The Trust Fund for Victims extends its heartfelt appreciation to the Kingdom of Spain for its generous contribution. This support reflects the enduring commitment of the Kingdom of Spain to the principles of justice, accountability, and reparation. At this critical time, it is more important than ever for States to contribute to the Trust Fund. We call on the international community to follow the example of the Kingdom of Spain and to support this vital work.”

H.E. Consuelo Femenía Guardiola, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the Kingdom of the Netherlands stated: “This voluntary contribution to the Trust Fund for Victims reflects the commitment of Spain to the protection of children in armed conflict and its commitment to justice, reparation, and reintegration for all victims of crimes under the jurisdiction of the ICC. Spain strongly supports the work of the ICC and the TFV in ensuring that justice for the victims of international crimes remains a priority.”

As of July 2025, the Kingdom of Spain is the seventh-largest contributor to the Trust Fund for Victims, having provided over EUR 3 million in voluntary contributions. These funds have supported the implementation of reparations and rehabilitation programmes for former child soldiers in the Lubanga case, as well as programmes for the benefit of victims in the situations in the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Georgia.

For more information about the Trust Fund for Victims at the ICC, please contact trustfundforvictims@icc-cpi.int or visit www.trustfundforvictims.org. You can also follow TFV’s activities on X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Facebook.

Background information about the Trust Fund for Victims

Voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for Victims ensure the delivery of the reparative mandate of the International Criminal Court by funding services and activities that provide recognition, commemoration and material support through rehabilitative programmes.

The TFV appeals to States Parties and other entities to contribute to the delivery of reparations to victims in dire need, particularly in relation to the Ntaganda and Ongwen cases. The annual programme funding target of the Trust Fund is set at a minimum of EUR 10 million.

Contributions to the Trust Fund for Victims qualify as Official Development Assistance (ODA)-eligible. TFV programmes for the benefit of victims of crimes under the jurisdiction of the ICC contribute to the broader impact of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16), poverty reduction (SDG 1), good health and well-being (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), reduced inequalities (SDG 10) and climate action (SDG 13).