The
International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued its 2012-13 annual report to the
United Nations (UN) General Assembly, published in all six official languages
of the UN under the document symbol A/68/314.
The
Court’s ninth report details the busiest year to date for the ICC, a permanent
judicial institution responsible for prosecuting genocide, war crimes and
crimes against humanity, joined to date by 122 States. While independent of the
United Nations, the ICC notes that the ongoing cooperation of the UN is
particularly appreciated. The report commends the operational support provided
by the UN as well as the world body’s revised policy which limits contacts of
UN officials with persons subject to ICC arrest warrants.
At
the same time, the report warns that UN Security Council referrals to the ICC –
such as Libya and Darfur – risk becoming ‘futile’ without the necessary support
to enforce the Court’s decisions. Arrest warrants issued by the ICC remain
outstanding – some since 2005 – for a total of 13 persons suspected of having
committed genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.
The
ICC notes that it is facing an increasing workload, currently investigating
more allegations involving more suspects than ever before, with eight
situations under investigation and a further eight under preliminary
examination. Cases are ongoing at trial as well as at appeal and pre-trial
stages, concerning allegations of grave international crimes committed in
several countries. Thousands of victims are represented in proceedings before
the Court.
The
ICC Prosecutor, Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda, opened the latest formal
investigation in January, concerning allegations of crimes occurring in Mali
since January 2012. The Prosecutor has given particular attention to
allegations of intentional attacks against buildings dedicated to religion and
historic monuments, including those that have received World Heritage status,
and has accordingly cooperated with UNESCO and a number of other UN agencies
present in Mali.
The
report recognises the importance of cooperation with regional organisations,
noting the Court’s frequent contacts with African Union and European Union
representatives as well as the Court’s continuing relationships with the League
of Arab States and the Organization of American States.
The
ICC’s calls for strong and consistent international support to carry out its
mandate, stressing it is crucial that States “provide timely and full
cooperation to the Court in accordance with their legal obligations, and that
appropriate action is taken in case of non-cooperation”.
Report of the International Criminal Court
عربي,
中文, English, Français, Русский, Español
For further information, please contact Fadi El
Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal
Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail
at: [email protected].
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