The International Criminal Court Becomes a Reality
Rights & Democracy's President Warren Allmand today praised the work of NGOs and progressive governments around the world whose work has ensured that the International Criminal Court becomes a reality.
New York, April 11, 2002 - Rights & Democracy's President Warren Allmand today praised the work of NGOs and progressive governments around the world whose work has ensured that the International Criminal Court becomes a reality.
"This is an historic moment which will mark a turning point in the battle against impunity. From now on, the international community will have an international court capable of bringing to justice and punishing the Hitlers, Pinochets and Pol Pots of tomorrow," Mr. Allmand said in New York where he attended the United Nations ceremonies for the 60th ratification of the Rome Statute creating the ICC.
"When the Rome Treaty was signed in July 1998, many believed that the process requiring 60 ratifications for the creation of the ICC would take as long as 10 years. It is a credit to the NGO-led campaign working with a number of governments that this has been achieved in less than four years," he said.
Based in the Hague, the Netherlands, the Court will investigate and prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It will act only as a court of last resort, taking cases when domestic courts are unable or unwilling to do so.
On March 21, Panama deposited its instrument of ratification at the UN, thus becoming the 56th state to ratify the treaty, known officially as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Today in New York,10 other countries ratified. They are: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ireland, Jordan, Mongolia, Niger, Romania and Slovakia.
The Court will have the authority to function on the treaty's entry into force on July 1 2002. From this date, states parties will begin the process of adopting rules, nominating and electing judges and prosecutors and the staffing the Court's interim headquarters. It will take a year or more before the Court is ready to hear cases.
Rights & Democracy is a member of the steering committee of the International Coalition for the International Criminal Court and a partner of the ICC Technical Assistance Programme (ICCTAP), which has organized regional workshops in Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean to promote the ratification of the Statute and the establishment of the International Criminal Court.
For information on the activities of Canadian NGOs planned for April 11, please contact Fergus Watt, Canadian Network for an ICC 613 232 0647.
Experts available for interview:
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Warren Allmand — President of Rights & Democracy (514) 283-6073. Lloyd Axworthy — Director of the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues of the University of British Columbia, former minister of foreign affairs during the negotiations on the Rome Statute: 604-822-1593. Barbara Bedont — Montreal based lawyer and member of the Women's Caucus for Gender Justice : cell : 917- 476-2323 Bruce Broomhall — Director of the International Justice Program, Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights, New York and member of the steering committee of the ICC Coalition. Mr. Broomhall has particular expertise on the position of the US government on the ICC. Cell phone : 917-443-8388. Frances Gordon — Director General of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Policy on Penal Justice of the University of British Columbia. The ICCLR is a management partner of the ICC Technical Assistance Programme (ICCTAP), which has organized regional workshops to promote the ratification of the ICC Statute and its creation. Further members of the ICCLR are also available to answer questions on the 60th ratification of the Statute, including Daniel Préfontaine, Director of the ICC programme and Joanne Lee, research associate : (604) 822-9875. David Matas — Winnipeg based lawyer, member of the Board of Rights & Democracy, member of an NGO that was part of the Canadian delegation during the Conference on the Rome Statute : 204-944-1831. Alex Neve — Secretary General of the anglophone Canadian section of Amnesty International: 613-744-7667. Sam Nutt — Director General of WarChild Canada, an organization that promotes the rights of children affected by war : (613) 562-3334. Fergus Watt — Director General of the Canadian branch of World Federalists, an organization that has managed the Canadian Network for an ICC since 1996 : 613-232-0647. |
For More Information
Patricia Poirier, Mary Durran: 514 283 6073.
