Posted on 04/20/2002 5:40:29 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Annan urges States to ratify war crimes court's statute, as preparatory panel ends session
19 April- As the preparatory body laying the groundwork for the world's first permanent war crimes court wrapped up its latest session today, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised the speedy ratifications of the Rome Statute and expressed hope that the tribunal would be functioning by mid-2003.
"Now with the unusually rapid entry of the Statute into force, we are witnessing a great victory for justice, and for world order - a turn away from the rule of brute force, and towards the rule of law," the Secretary-General said in his statement to the ninth session of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court.
Last week, 10 countries deposited their instruments of ratification with the United Nations, bringing to 66 the total number of approvals, six more than is needed to bring the Rome Statute into force on 1 July.
In his remarks today, Mr. Annan urged the remaining 73 signatories to the Rome Statute to ratify the accord as soon as possible. "Indeed, ultimately all States should become parties to the Statute," he said. "As I said in Rome last week, the best defence against evil will be a Court in which every country plays its part."
Since the treaty was adopted in July 1998 in Rome, the Commission has had the task of negotiating the practical and technical arrangements necessary to allow the Court to function.
At this latest session at UN Headquarters in New York, the Commission was in the last stages of negotiations on the final remaining issues, including a first-year budget for the Court and administrative and financial matters connected to the initial meeting of the Assembly of States Parties, now expected to take place in September in The Hague.
The Commission also dealt with arrangements for the nomination and election procedure for judges, the prosecutor and the registrar, as well as their remuneration; and a trust fund for victims and witnesses. In addition, final details were being worked out concerning the principles that should govern the headquarters agreement with the Host Country of the Court, the Netherlands.
8 April – The first permanent international court designed to investigate and prosecute individuals for war crimes is on the verge of becoming a reality, a key negotiator said today as the UN panel laying the groundwork for the Court's establishment opened its session in New York.
The President of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ambassador Philippe Kirsch of Canada, who had helped to steer negotiations leading to the 1998 adoption of the Court's Statute in Rome, announced that a ceremony would be held on Thursday, when the number of countries ratifying the Statute is likely to reach - or top - the necessary 60 for the Court to come into effect. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who will be in Rome at the time of the ceremony, will participate via teleconference.
If the ratifications are deposited as planned, as of 1 July crimes within the Court's jurisdiction - including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity - would become subject to possible international prosecution. States parties to the Rome Statute, along with the Security Council and the Court's Prosecutor, will have the power to bring cases before the ICC, which will have judges from 18 countries and an independent prosecutor.
"Ours is a race against time," Mr. Kirsch told the Commission, which has had the task of negotiating the practical and technical arrangements to allow the Court to function. The group is in the last stages of negotiations on the final remaining issues, such as a first-year budget for the Court and administrative and financial matters related to the initial meeting of the Assembly of States Parties, now expected to take place in The Hague in September 2002. The Commission is also dealing with arrangements for the nomination and election procedure for judges, the prosecutor and the registrar, as well as their remuneration; and a trust fund for victims and witnesses.
The ICC will be set up at a designated site in The Hague, Netherlands, which has initiated an international architectural competition for the design of the Court building. The new 30,000-square-metre building, which will comprise 30,000 square metres, is expected to be completed by 2007. Until then, the Court will be located in premises across the street from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
What a fitting date to bring this up, Kofi !
Anniversary of that "Shot heard 'round the world" back in 1775 along the road back to Boston from Concord Bridge.
The Patriots won the day and the Brits learned a lesson.
Now we've got the UN another regime the Brits helped set up!
Any US official, who signs on to this UN attack on US sovereignty, will be guilty of serious crimes.
We are a Constitutional Republic and our Constitution is quite clear on such issues. So is the "Oath of Office" that our Federocrats take!
I never realized the 4/19th significance.
How sick Kofi the tyrant is.
I'd vote for calling it "Blue Helmet Alert"
Depends on how you define EVIL! I define the UN as an EVIL group of Jewish Bashers.
"Beam me Up" "Unbeliveable Mr. Speaker"
News reports have President Bush NOT ratifying. But we need a constituitional lawyer to decipher the U.S. text at the bottom of post # 15.
Yes, we do. Someone to translate the legaleze.
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