NEWS RELEASES
CANADIAN ELECTED FIRST PRESIDENT OFINTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
March 11, 2003 (5:10 p.m. EST) No. 25
CANADIAN ELECTED FIRST PRESIDENT OF
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham today welcomed the election of Philippe Kirsch as President of the newly established
International Criminal Court (ICC). He was unanimously elected by the judges of the Court at their first meeting in The
Hague, following their inauguration.
"This event is a great honour for Canada," said Minister Graham. "Canada has had a leading role in shaping this critically
important international institution from its inception to the present. This represents an outstanding success in the global
effort to build a rules-based multilateral system for ensuring global security. I extend my warmest congratulations to
Philippe Kirsch on being elected the first president of this international court. I am delighted that his peers have recognized
the outstanding qualifications that led me to name him as Canada's candidate for the Court."
The 18 judges of the Court, including Mr. Kirsch, were elected by the ICC Assembly of States Parties in February 2003. In
accordance with the ICC Statute, the judges are required to elect a president and two vice-presidents, who are responsible
for the administration of the Court.
Mr. Kirsch has been a leading figure in the establishment of the ICC. He chaired the negotiations at the 1998 Rome
Diplomatic Conference, which produced the ICC Statute, and also chaired the 1999-2002 Preparatory Commission, which
developed important subsidiary instruments, such as the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. He is a recognized expert in
international humanitarian and criminal law and has been active in promoting ratification of the ICC Statute.
Mr. Kirsch will serve as a judge of the ICC for six years and as President for three years, which may be renewed. The Vice-Presidents are Akua Kuenyehia of Ghana and Elizabeth Odio Benito of Costa Rica.
Further information on the ICC is available on the Canada and the ICC Web site at http://www.icc.gc.ca. Mr. Kirsch's
curriculum vitae is available at http://www.un.org/law/icc under Nominations.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Isabelle Savard
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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