Seminar on the ICC at the United Nations "Review Conference: Key Challenges for International Criminal Justice"

ICC-ASP-20100504-PR522 عربي

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As part of the preparations for the Review Conference of the Rome Statute, the Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the United Nations organized on 30 April 2010 a seminar on the ICC entitled “Review Conference: Key Challenges for International Criminal Justice”.
 
In his remarks during the opening segment of the seminar, which was moderated by the Permanent Representative of Slovakia, Ambassador Miloš Koterec, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, recalled that the ICC is the centerpiece of the system of international criminal justice, but that in order to be successful the Rome Statute system requires full support from the international community. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, who had sent invitations in August of 2009 to all Heads of State to attend the Review Conference, indicated that as universal ratification constituted one of the main challenges faced by the Court he would personally echo in Kampala the General Assembly of the United Nations in calling on every nation to become a party to the Rome Statute. Furthermore, he encouraged States to make concrete pledges in support of the Court, in order to strengthen both the spirit and the objectives of the Rome Statute.

For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, stated that the Review Conference would be a unique opportunity for States to reflect on the achievements of the ICC and to reaffirm their commitments to combat impunity for the most serious atrocities. Universality and implementation of the Statute play an indispensable role in that regard. States should continue their activities towards identifying obstacles that hinder attaining universal adherence to the Statute as well as the effective implementation at the national level, and the adequate means to overcome those obstacles.
 
The President of the ICC, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, stressed that the Court would welcome further efforts to build the will and capacity of domestic systems to genuinely investigate and prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, but that this is an area where the ICC would have at most a very minor role, while States, international organizations and NGOs are called upon to take the lead.
 
The President of the Assembly, Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, recalled that universality was not limited to the number of States Parties to the Statute but that there was a second concept, which was the universality of the fight against impunity, which is implemented when States fulfill their obligations to investigate and prosecute the most serious crimes under international law at the national level, in their national courts. Reference to this obligation of national judiciaries to fight impunity, was essential, as is insisting on compliance in the political bodies of the UN. The fight against impunity is the common responsibility of all States, parties or not parties to the Statute.
 
In the second segment of the seminar, Mr. David Tolbert, President of the International Center for Transitional Justice, moderated a panel which included: Mr. Sigfrido Reyes, Vice-President of the Parliament of El Salvador, Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, Ms. Patricia O´Brien, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, and Mr. William Pace, Convenor of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court.
 
The Review Conference will be held from 31 May to 11 June in Kampala (http://www.icc-cpi.int/menus/asp).

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Source: Assembly of States Parties