NEWS RELEASE - Zeid urges States to rally around International Criminal Court

Zeid urges States to rally around International Criminal Court

GENEVA/THE HAGUE (16 November 2016) - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Wednesday robustly defended the International Criminal Court, in the wake of a decision by three States to withdraw from it. Zeid urged the international community to “place our collective shoulder behind this institution.”

“Victims of core crimes will struggle to understand why they are abandoned by these States – together with those which never acceded – and why they are made victim again, as the withdrawals deny their right to remedy and redress,” the High Commissioner said. “Although the powerful may fear the Court, victims, everywhere, plead for its involvement.”

Speaking at the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC, the High Commissioner said the withdrawal of States from the ICC appeared aimed at “protecting their leaders from prosecution.”

“I am saddened by this state of affairs. The African countries have been the backbone of this Court, and their leadership, especially in the early days, was exemplary,” Zeid said. “I am pleased many African countries, including Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia and Sierra Leone have signaled they will not leave.”

“Today’s challenges are not the first stern test faced by the Court, and they will not be the last. A new trend of isolationist and unprincipled leadership is building up across the world. Renewed attacks on the Court may well be in the offing. It will take all the nerve and resources of the truly committed States Parties to resist such challenges. Now is not the time to abandon the post. This is the time for resolve and strength.”

ENDS

The full text of Zeid’s speech in the Hague is available on: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20873&LangID=E

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein played a central role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court, chairing the complex negotiations regarding the elements of individual offences amounting to genocide; crimes against humanity; and war crimes. In September 2002, he was elected the first President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC. Over the next three years he oversaw the election of the first 18 judges, mediated selection of the Court’s first president, and led efforts to name the first prosecutor – despite considerable budgetary pressures and criticism of the Court by several leading nations.

For more information and media requests, please contact Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org ) or Liz Throssell  ( +41 22 917 9466/ ethrossell@ohchr.org )

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