Under the direct supervision of the Director of the Division of External Operations, the Public Information and Outreach Section (PIOS) ensures that the proceedings are accessible to the public, raises awareness and promotes an understanding about the Court’s mandate and activities with the ultimate goal of getting support. It does so in relation to a number of target audiences across the globe, mainly encompassing international press and media, victims and communities affected by crimes within the jurisdiction before the Court; and key stakeholders such as legal communities, academics and non-governmental organisations. PIOS achieves its objectives through the use of a variety of communication means including granting interviews to media, press releases and production of other publications and audio-visual materials as well as through the website and new social media platforms. PIOS is also responsible for the organisation of campaigns, events, and visits ranging from general groups to high profile visitors. It consists of four units: Public Affairs Unit; Protocol, Events and Visits Unit; Outreach Unit and Audio-Visual Production Unit.
Interaction with affected communities and victims of crimes before the Court is a critical function of the Outreach Unit by way of which ICC work is becoming meaningful to concerned populations. The Unit liaises with and supports field offices on public information matters; advises on strategic planning; oversees good use of monitoring systems to assess outreach activities and report on impact; keeps abreast offices at HQ, as appropriate, of feedback received from field offices and ensures responses to such feedback when necessary. It interacts with affected communities in situation-related countries, and increase awareness and understanding abouCompile and process information related to strategic planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation of outreach activities.t ICC in the countries without ICC presence.