Inspiring Women in Law Q&A: Abogadas MX intern interviews ICC Judge Socorro Flores Liera

"The presence of Mexican women in international bodies contributes to gender perspective in decision-making"

Astrid Cerón Padilla, member of the internship program of Mexican NGO Abogadas MX, has had the opportunity to speak with Socorro Flores-Liera, Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague about the challenges faced by female diplomatic lawyers, the steps to follow to consolidate a career in diplomacy, and the achievements of Mexican professionals in this field.

The prestigious and admired Mexican judge has extensive experience in international law, human rights and international humanitarian law.

She has served as Mexico’s Ambassador at multilateral and regional levels, and as Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs for Latin America and the Caribbean she led numerous bilateral meetings to strengthen Mexico’s ties with the region.

Flores-Liera holds a law degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana and specialised in international law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She was also legal advisor to the Mexican Missions to the UN in New York and Vienna.

In addition, the diplomat has served as Permanent Representative of Mexico to the International Organisations based in Geneva, Switzerland and has participated in negotiations of great global relevance, such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Astrid Cerón Padilla is a fellow of the innovative scholarship programme of Abogadas MX, a non-profit organisation that seeks to help Mexican female professionals to grow and enhance their careers. Through workshops, talks, networking spaces, collaboration with other impact organisations and other activities, this NGO has reached more than 19,000 women. Diversity, equality and inclusion are the values they advocate to reduce the gender gap in the legal profession.

Cerón Padilla is a specialist in Public International Law, Human Rights, Government and International Relations. She has collaborated with the Organisation of American States (OAS), the UN, and the Mexican Foreign Service. She currently works for the Mexican Embassy in Kenya.

Astrid Cerón Padilla: How can a diplomatic lawyer specialise and continue practising law as part of the Mexican Foreign Service (SEM)?

Judge Socorro Flores-Liera: Relations between states are based on international law, the provisions of which are very varied and cover different and increasingly broad areas of international life. Knowledge of international law is an advantage for SEM officials, as it allows them to analyse any issue they are dealing with through the lens of international law, the environments in which this law is applied and its impact on domestic law. In any area in which an EMS member works, international law has an impact. However, the Legal Consultancy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an excellent place for those who want to work in the field of international law, and there are various Mexican representations abroad where a legal advisor is indispensable. 

Astrid Cerón Padilla: What support networks are essential for women lawyers in Mexico and around the world?

Judge Socorro Flores-Liera: Nowadays, thanks to the work of organisations that promote the empowerment of women, there is an increase in the number of mentoring programmes, precisely focused on women. The programmes that I know of and in which I have participated are not specialised in international law, but in different aspects of international life, and it would be up to those interested to approach them to find out more about the opportunities.  I would like to highlight International Gender Champions, which is a network of leaders committed to eliminating gender barriers and which offers mentoring.  
Today the offer is wide and many institutions offer mentoring programmes. It is important, however, to analyse the options well, to be clear about the objectives and to take advantage of the links. In general, academic institutions can provide information on networks of this type.   

Astrid Cerón Padilla: What are your recommendations in terms of masters, doctorates and subjects of study for Mexican diplomats and lawyers who want to continue practicing law within the SEM?

Judge Socorro Flores-Liera: The selection of masters and doctorates depends very much on the area of law in which one intends to specialise. To know the international legal framework in depth requires first general studies of international law, as the teaching of this subject in higher education institutions in Mexico tends to be very general, although I must admit that the approach has changed in the last decade and I am no longer familiar with the curricula. 
There are very good institutions offering Masters and PhD programmes and many of these are now available online. Given the dynamics and diversity of work that SEM officials do, it would be important to choose according to the activities that are performed, trying to make them compatible with our personal career vision.  Going from the general to the particular is always useful. In my opinion, all branches of international law are fascinating and an approach to the work of the International Law Commission and the International Court of Justice is very enriching. The courses offered by The Hague Academy of International Law are of high quality and prestige. Finally, UNITAR offers online courses with excellent speakers and the Matías Romero Institute has established links with this institution.

Astrid Cerón Padilla: What are the areas of application, cases and standards that the International Criminal Court is analysing at the moment? Why do they set a precedent?

Judge Socorro Flores-Liera: The International Criminal Court is a young institution still in the process of consolidation. The Statute was adopted 25 years ago and established for the first time in history a general, permanent and forward-looking international criminal jurisdiction.  It is responsible for prosecuting persons accused of perpetrating genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and/or aggression as defined in the Statute, when States that have jurisdiction over such crimes do not prosecute or punish such conduct. The Court is complementary to national judicial systems and its decisions, based on international criminal law, set the standards according to which the provisions of the Statute are applied and at the same time provide guidance to the courts of States dealing with these crimes. The work of the Court contributes to the consolidation of a harmonious criminal justice system. 
There are other international tribunals, some created within the UN - such as the tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Lebanon - or as a result of international agreements such as the Kosovo or Cambodia Chambers, among others, but their nature and scope is different from that of the ICC as they have limited jurisdiction and were established post facto. The decisions of these tribunals, when they refer to crimes dealt with by the ICC, are taken into account by the Court’s Chambers when issuing their decisions and are valuable references.

Astrid Cerón Padilla: How are Mexican women diplomats increasingly helping to advance Mexico’s interests in key positions in international tribunals and bodies? Could you share an example?

Judge Socorro Flores-Liera: The presence of Mexican nationals in international institutions contributes to the representativeness and diversity that should characterise international bodies. They enrich the debates and strengthen the decisions that these institutions issue. There are many examples of Mexicans who have made great contributions to international legal debates, such as Luis Padilla Nervo and Bernardo Sepúlveda at the International Court of Justice and Jorge Castaneda Álvarez de la Rosa in the negotiations on the Law of the Sea, to mention a few. With regard to Mexican women, their presence in international bodies contributes, in addition to the above, to the reflection of a gender perspective in decision-making. At the same time, it is important to point out that Mexicans working in international bodies, and particularly in tribunals, are independent and must act with absolute impartiality.




Astrid Cerón Padilla
Intern at AbogadasMX Internship Program

abogadasmx.org.mx