ICC President promotes universal ratification of the Rome Statute at international conference of parliamentarians in Buenos Aires
The President of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”), Judge Piotr Hofmański, visited Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 3-5 November 2022, where he met with the President and Foreign Minister of Argentina and addressed a major conference of parliamentarians from around the world to promote universal ratification of the Rome Statute, the Court's founding treaty.
On 3 November 2022, President Hofmański, accompanied by the President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, Ms. Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, held an official meeting with H.E. Alberto Fernández, President of Argentina, and H.E. Santiago Cafiero, Minister for Foreign Affairs. The ICC President conveyed the Court's gratitude for Argentina’s strong and longstanding support for the Court, including in key areas, such as voluntary cooperation agreements. The President of Argentina gave strong assurances of his country's continued, unwavering commitment to the ICC.
On 4 November 2022, President Hofmański gave a keynote speech at the 12th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians on the International Criminal Court and the Rule of Law, co-organised by Parliamentarians for Global Action and the National Congress of Argentina, which hosted the event. The Consultative Assembly, which takes place every two years, brought together (in person or online) more than a hundred members of parliament from over 40 countries, including South, Central and North American, Caribbean, African, Western and Eastern European, Asian and Pacific Island States.
In his speech, President Hofmański made a strong call for universal ratification of the Rome Statute. "Naturally, joining a treaty is a sovereign decision for each country. It cannot be forced. But I sincerely believe that all countries of the world should seriously consider ratification of the Rome Statute, to strengthen international criminal justice", the President stated. "I appeal to those of you who come from countries that are not yet parties to the Rome Statute: please, take up this matter in your parliament. Become a champion of this noble cause of justice, peace and the rule of law. Talk to your colleagues about it, spread the word. Take action", he urged. "International justice matters to the victims of today. And it matters to future generations. There is growing empirical evidence that the Rome Statute system helps prevent violence in the long term in the countries that are part of the ICC system. Supporting international justice should not be a question of “yes” or “no” – it should be a question of what to do and how to do it most effectively to gain results, so that we can finally close the gap for impunity, and truly say: 'Nunca más' (Never again)".
The President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, Ms. Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, and the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims at the ICC, Ms Minou Tavárez Mirabal, also participated in the conference and gave remarks.
“To meet the challenges posed by increasing global fragmentation and conflict, the Court needs more and more political support, concrete cooperation and sufficient funding. (...) In other words, the Court needs you, parliamentarians of the world, to promote and ratify the Rome Statute and its amendments and to adopt the necessary laws to apply it effectively", the President of the Assembly of States Parties stated.
ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC addressed the conference via video recording. In his remarks, Prosecutor Khan underlined that the implementation of the Rome Statute relied on the participation and engagement of all actors. He noted: “The types of criminality we see around the world is often so vast, so complex. This Court is as strong as you, as strong as your governments, as your institutions, and this requires all your support”. He also expressed his sincere thanks to the National Congress of Argentina for their generous hosting of the meeting.
In the margins of the conference, the President of the Court held bilateral meetings with parliamentary delegations from various States that are not yet parties to the Rome Statute, discussing the prospects of and progress toward the ratification of the Statute in those states. He underlined the many benefits of joining the ICC system and reiterated the Court's readiness to engage in dialogue with all interested countries to raise awareness and address obstacles to joining.
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].
You can also follow the Court's activities on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr