The Foundation Sunflowers’ position on the proposed amendment to Article 113 of the (Polish) Criminal Code
News
ICC Cooperation with States: Complementarity, Enforcement of Arrest Warrants, Collecting Evidence, Witness Protection
We cordially invite everyone to a unique webinar.
Topic: ICC Cooperation with States: Complementarity, Enforcement of Arrest Warrants, Collecting Evidence, Witness Protection
speaker: Osvaldo Zavala Giler, ICC Registrar
when: Thursday, 8 January 2026,
what time: at 18:00 Warsaw Time/17:00 London Time/19:00 Kyiv Time/12:00 New York Time
Webinar is organized by Project Sunflowers and Kraków Center For International Criminal Justice (KCICJ) at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. This event is based on a collaboration between these entities and is addressed to students, lawyers and human rights activists.
The issue of cooperation between the ICC and states in the areas of complementarity, enforcement of arrest warrants, gathering evidence and witness protection will be presented by Mr Osvaldo Zavala Giler, Registrar of the Court, who is responsible for the ICC’s cooperation with states. Mr Zavala Giler has been associated with the Court since 2010, where he has held various positions, including head of the budget section and head of the Court’s liaison office to the United Nations in New York. Mr Zavala Giler is also one of the founding members of the ICCQ, the Sexual and Gender Diversity Network at the ICC. Prior to joining the Court, Mr Zavala Giler worked as a legal adviser and liaison officer to the United Nations for the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), both in New York and The Hague. He began his legal career at a law firm in Ecuador, where he handled cases before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, among others.
The discussion will be moderated by Dr Anna Adamska-Gallant, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights from Poland, and one of the founders of the Foundation Sunflowers.
The event will be held in English.
News
Professor Piotr Hofmański, Ambassador of the Foundation Sunflowers, Winner of the 16th Edition of the Edward J. Wende Award!
The Edward J. Wende Award is a Polish distinction granted to individuals engaged in public service for their achievements in promoting legal culture and the rule of law. The award commemorates Edward Joachim Wende, a lawyer who, during the communist era in Poland, defended those persecuted for political reasons.
The award honors individuals who act in accordance with the principles of professional ethics and integrity, demonstrating civic courage, steadfastness, and selfless dedication to the public good, as well as to the protection of human and civil rights.
The award is granted for:
- Promoting and strengthening legal culture,
- Advancing the rule of law,
- Contributing to the development and preservation of Polish and European legal heritage,
- Efforts to strengthen democracy and Poland’s place in Europe.
The organizers of the award are the Edward J. Wende Fund and the Foundation for Poland.
Warm congratulations, Professor!
News
Foundation Sunflowers Supports Call for Justice and Reparations for Survivors of Russia’s War Against Ukraine
Foundation Sunflowers joins international partners in supporting the Global Survivors Fund’s call for justice and reparations for survivors of Russia’s war against Ukraine. As the war continues, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, enforced disappearance, torture, and other grave human rights violations are still waiting for justice. Reparations are not charity – they are a legal right and a cornstone for restoring dignity, rebuilding stability, and ensuring accountability. Foundation Sunflowers is proud to stand alongside leading international and Ukrainian organizations in signing this joint statement initiated by the Global Survivors Fund.
As the war in Ukraine continues, victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, enforced disappearance, torture, and other grave violations are waiting for justice. Reparations are their right under international law, and a lifeline to rebuild stability, hope and restore dignity.
With a EUR 140 billion loan to Ukraine – backed by immobilised Russian sovereign assets – now on the table, the European Union must innovate by leveraging these assets and assign a portion of the funds for victims of gross human rights violations and serious violations of humanitarian law.
Dedicating as little as 2% of this reparation loan – EUR 2.8 billion – to domestic reparations programmes would transform lives. This bold step would showcase European leadership and a commitment to the rule of law, enabling the E.U. and Ukraine to:
Deliver reparations to all victims in urgent need, including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence;
Provide recognition and redress to families of the disappeared;
Support rehabilitation and compensation for victims of torture and other grave violations.
This is a historic opportunity for Europe to pioneer a justice model where the perpetrator’s resources are used to repair the harm caused to victims, and survivors are no longer left to pay the price of survival. By investing in reparations, Europe will rebuild Ukraine’s social cohesion, support its human capital, and lay the foundations for reconstruction, recovery and justice.
