The International Criminal Court is humanity’s hope for a more peaceful future. The Review Conference at Kampala, Uganda which discussed and adopted major amendments to the Rome Statute creating the ICC was a milestone in efforts to ending impunity. We reproduce a letter from William Pace, the Convenor of the international coalition championing ratification of the ICC throughout the world.
I am pleased to announce the publication of the Coalition’s report on the first Review Conference on the Rome Statute. The report details the major outcomes of the Conference and the important role played by civil society as well as relevant background on the key decisions made in Kampala.
Click here to read the report.
The first Review Conference on the Rome Statute took place in Kampala, Uganda from 31 May to 11 June 2010. The Review Conference was the largest gathering ever of international justice experts, and Coalition members outnumbered the governments, international organizations and others by several hundred participants. Participants discussed proposed amendments to the ICC Rome Statute and took stock of its impact to date. Debates focused on victims and affected communities, complementarity, cooperation, and peace and justice. States also approved provisions governing the Court’s ability to investigate and prosecute individuals for the crime of aggression.
Coalition members played a crucial role in enhancing the dialogue on the Rome Statute system. Through a wide range of events, including parliamentary assemblies, debates, roundtables, moot courts and press conferences, NGOs ensured that the voices of civil society and victims were heard. Once again in Kampala, the invaluable role played by the Coalition and civil society was acknowledged in the plenary, in speeches by states and experts, as well as in most side events.
History will judge the success of the Conference, but both the “stocktaking” and Crime of Aggression segments may well be viewed as extraordinary intergovernmental achievements. Will states parties match their words with action on complementarity, cooperation, ensuring justice in all peace negotiations, and honoring the rights of victims? Will the state parties in 2017 trigger the Crime of Aggression regime agreed to, against almost all expectations, by consensus?
The Coalition will prepare with great intensity on these issues for not only the upcoming ninth session, but for the next several meetings of the Assembly of States Parties. It is the Coalition’s hope that many of the commitments made at the Review Conference, on complementarity, on cooperation, and on amendments and further ‘review’ will lead to the establishment of informal and formal mechanisms within the Assembly and the ICC. As the ad hoc and special tribunals continue to wind down, the Rome Statute system and the ICC, as the only permanent court and system established to end impunity for these worst international crimes, will require even greater support in the future. The global NGO Coalition is dedicated to assist in this great effort.
For more information on the Review Conference, visit our website.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for comments and suggestions or should you need additional information: [email protected]
Regards,
William R. Pace
Convenor, Coalition for the International Criminal Court
See Also: