Course

International Investigator Course

Since its inception, IICI has run 35 International Investigator Courses. The course is our flagship two-week residential course covering the essential investigation skills for international criminal and human rights investigations.

The course involves a range of seminars and roleplay exercises, including several days at the Dutch Military School of Peacekeeping.

It is an intensive course aimed at those with an existing level of professional competence and experience in investigations or related areas.  Its workload and exercises are deliberately designed to replicate the pressures of an investigation mission environment.  By the end, trainees will have an enhanced knowledge of international law and be able to identify the required elements of international crimes and violations. They will be able to plan an investigation strategy to collect evidence to prove those required elements. They will have the basic skills to document a crime scene and to interview witnesses and victims in order to collect evidence a standard admissible for criminal prosecution, human rights reporting or other documentation purposes. They will know how to do so in a manner which protects themselves, their witnesses and their evidence.

Examples of modules:

  1. International legal framework:  evolution, role and nature of international criminal, humanitarian and human rights law; international humanitarian law and international human rights law; the meaning of “armed conflict” differences between international and internal armed conflicts; war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide; elements of crimesand modes of liability for international crimes.
  2. Investigation/mission planning (including witness identification and management, logistics, security and resources)
  3. Documenting crime scenes (including photography, sketching and other non-invasive recording (includes practical exercises at the Dutch military base)
  4. Interview skills (using the PEACE model of enhanced interview skills, and includes practical roleplay exercises)
  5. Working with interpreters
  6. Psycho-social aspects of investigations (stress and trauma management)
  7. Financial investigations (strategies, benefits and challenges)
  8. Military organisations, operations and weapons (command and control systems, chains of command, weapon recognition and effects of ammunition)
  9. Security in the field
  10. Checkpoint drills
  11. Forensic death investigations (injury identification, exhumation of human remains from mass graves)
  12. Analysis skills (evaluation of information)
  13. GPS usage
  14. Social media analysis
  15. Open source research
  16. Sexual violence in armed conflict

The Institute for International Criminal Investigations has established a scholarship programme in memory of IICI Founding President, Raymond McGrath. The purpose is to assist exceptional candidates who would otherwise lack the financial resources necessary to attend the IICI’s flagship International Investigator Course. Priority will be given to qualified applicants from the Global South. The number and size of scholarships will vary depending on funding availability. For more information on the criteria and application process please follow this link: Raymond McGrath Scholarship Programme | IICI

“IICI selection process is very rigorous, so the participants of the course were an impressive group of talented individuals coming from very diverse backgrounds and different regions of the world. This is wonderful because everyone can learn from one another in a very significant way.” International Investigator Course Participant
“The course was definitely an extraordinary experience. I really appreciate putting things to practice with all the group exercises. It is essential to be part of a multi-disciplinary team and learn how to work with others. It is what I enjoyed most.”

International Investigator Course Participant
“The best thing being by far the team building experience: work with people I had never seen before and that came from different background, put together our expertise and experiences in a constructive way. Each of us brought something to our team and I believe we all learn about the importance of listening to one another and question our ideas. It was like building a picture to which each one of us contributed with an essential detail.”

International Investigator Course Participant
“The course was fantastic. I learned so much and it was well worth it. I’ve done dozens of courses over the years in many different contexts (military, government, vocational, as well as developing and running them myself) and the International Investigator Course] is without doubt one of the best developed and run courses I’ve ever experienced…The teaching methodology, student selection, theory, and practice were so precisely balanced. I learned as much from the other students as I learned from the instructors, and that’s a very difficult balance to achieve.”

International Investigator Course Participant
“I’ve done dozens of courses over the years in many different contexts (military, government, vocational, as well as developing and running them myself) and the International Investigator Course] is without doubt one of the best developed and run courses I’ve ever experienced…The teaching methodology, student selection, theory, and practice were so precisely balanced. I learned as much from the other students as I learned from the instructors, and that’s a very difficult balance to achieve.”

International Investigator Course Participant
“I am still amazed as to how much information you managed to put into these two weeks, striking a balance between theory and practice. To me IICI courses have become the golden standard of what a training course should be.”

International Investigator Course Participant
“…it is always a privilege to be trained by experts with hands on experience. The fact that they all are a cheerful bunch, just makes the course so much better.”

International Investigator Course Participant
“A big thank you to the IICI team for the brilliant planning J and organization. The course was perfectly structured and the careful selection of the participants meant the class was bustling with fascinating and varied perspectives. It really brought the course to life. It was also a privilege to be trained by experts with remarkable field experience, offering unique guidance and practical savoir-faire for the future. The instructor’s passion in each presentation was palpable.”

International Investigator Course Participant
“I am incredibly satisfied with the course. I have done quite a few trainings and courses during my professional life and this one beats them all. Without doubt. Certainly, my satisfaction has something to do with the subject matter, for which I have a passion, but it would not reach the level it did without the superb organisation..”

International Investigator Course Participant
“Please let me thank you for having me at the course! Simply an outstanding experience. Thank you!”

International Investigator Course Participant
“the course was very informative, intense and interesting… the best international course I attended”

International Investigator Course Participant
“I found the course brilliant. I have never been on a course that intense or demanding before however I have not learnt as much on one either.”

International Investigator Course Participant
I really enjoyed the course and indeed found it very worthwhile. The course is very well designed and organised, and run incredibly smoothly. So I was impressed by both structure and content…The practical seminars on military structure, weapons, transport were fascinating, and [the] safety in the field lectures were incredibly valuable…I think IICI is wonderful.”

International Investigator Course Participant

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