Retreat between the ICC and African States Parties to the Rome Statute
Regional Cooperation Seminar |
Addis Ababa | Ethiopia | African States
This Retreat, the first of its kind, brought together 13 African States Parties to the Rome Statute (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Botswana, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, Tunisia, Zambia) represented at Ambassadorial and Senior Legal / Judicial Counsellor level, alongside the African Union's Office of the Legal Counsel and the Permanent Representative of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. The main purpose of the Retreat was to enable frank and constructive dialogue between the ICC and African States Parties to the Rome Statute at the seat of the African Union, as a key measure to maintain good relations between the Court and its African stakeholders and to address challenges in the context of that relationship. The Retreat was made possible thanks to financial support from the European Commission, Netherlands, Norway and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.
The ICC’s High-Level Regional Cooperation Seminars aim to enhance cooperation with the Court by increasing understanding about the ICC’s cooperation regime amongst the invitees; promoting dialogue and efforts towards universality of the Rome Statute; and reinforcing high-level and technical-level contacts and partnerships amongst the Court and key interlocutors. Target audiences include Heads of State, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice, and senior officials in charge of operational issues related to the ICC and/or international judicial assistance in criminal matters.
