|
|
|
|
  |
 |
 |
 |
|  |
Press Releases International Criminal Court is Born 11 April, 2002 - The United Nations is hosting a ceremony today in New York to commemorate the creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) - the first permanent international court capable of investigating and prosecuting individuals accused of egregious violations of international humanitarian law. Cambodia, Ireland, Jordan, Romania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Niger, Mongolia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo coordinated their ratifications of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, each ensuring a place in history books as depositing the key 60th ratification needed to trigger the treaty's activation. The Court enters into force on 1 July 2002, and is expected to begin considering cases shortly following the nomination and election of judges at the first and second Assembly of States Parties in September 2002 and January 2003. The Court enhances considerably the capacity of the international community to enforce humanitarian law. Until now, individuals accused of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity have been tried through ad hoc tribunals such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (where former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is now on trial) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, established by the UN Security Council in lieu of a more permanent mechanism. It is hoped that a permanent, independent court in The Hague will prove more effective and less prone to political wrangling. While American officials have threatened to "unsign" the treaty, citing fears that the Court will impinge on national sovereignty, the Court is designed to complement and reinforce - not override - national courts. The treaty's "genuineness" clause, for example, stipulates that the Court's enforcement powers take effect only when national judicial systems are either unable or unwilling to undertake genuine investigation or prosecution. The ICC will serve as a welcome complement to both the state-focused UN International Court of Justice and to those national courts demonstrating a commitment to the protection of human rights. "This is an important step forward," says Geoffrey Pearson, National President of the United Nations Association in Canada. "The unexpected speed of the ratification process and widespread international support for the Court signals that the international community is ready to take the next step in fulfilling the promise 'never again' that propelled the UN General Assembly in 1948 to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." - 30 - For more information, contact: David Beal The website of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (www.iccnow.org)
provides easily accessible information in English, French and Spanish.
The official United Nations website for the ICC is www.un.org/law/icc/index.html
|
||
