It is a human-to-human interaction that is shaped by social and cultural norms. Brunger asserted the importance of considering the gender competency and sensitivity of the people who conduct and are more broadly involved in institutional operations. She asked participants to consider whether individuals involved in driving accountability for sexual and gender-based crimes – not just at the ICC, but at a national level and within civil society – reflect upon whether their interactions are gender sensitive and gender inclusive. Brunger then discussed the policy brief 1 on investigations and prosecutions of sexual and gender-based violence at the ICC that she wrote as part of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation’s project on accountability for sexual and genderbased violence. Brunger noted that the aim of the policy brief was to facilitate the creation of more gender-sensitive institutions. It is a blueprint for how to move forwards to create a wider institutional culture of gender sensitivity at the ICC, extending beyond the Office of the Prosecutor, which includes the Judiciary and the Registry of the ICC. Highlighting the ways in which, without adequate resourcing for such developments, they will continue to be deprioritised, Brunger then discussed the need for the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute to consider, seriously, how to incorporate gender-sensitive processes within the budget of the court. Such budgetary considerations can be inspired by processes from national and international institutions. Ultimately, Brunger stressed the importance of resource allocation matching any gender action plan for institutional development. In this way, those involved in working or in contact with victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence would be sensitive to gender issues. International criminal processes should be gender sensitive and gender inclusive, and this inclusivity should extend beyond prosecutors to all those who encounter and advocate for sexual and gender-based violence victims and survivors. For Brunger, this is about creating a culture of engendering the crimes within the ICC’s jurisdiction. Again, Brunger drew analogies to some national jurisdictions where police forces and prosecutors have specialised units and personnel to deal with sexual and genderbased crimes, and the personnel who encounter these victims have relevant sensitivity training. Brunger argued that the international system should mirror the best examples and follow suit. International criminal processes should be gender sensitive and gender inclusive, and this inclusivity should extend beyond prosecutors to all those who encounter and advocate for sexual and gender-based violence victims and survivors. 1 Yassin Brunger, ‘Investigations and Prosecutions of Sexual and Gender-based Violence by the International Criminal Court’, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation Policy Brief (No. 23), March 2017. Available at http://www.ijr.org.za/ home/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IJR-Brief-No-23Updated-version.pdf [accessed on 23 April 2017]. PANEL 4: The relationships between narratives around sexual and gender-based violence and accountability processes /19